The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program offers STEM students a unique chance for both education and career growth. SMART provides scholarships for undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate students pursuing STEM degrees. Read further for more insight about this scholarship.

SMART provides two scholarships: the SMART Scholarship and the Ronald V. Dellums Memorial SMART Scholarship.

All scholarship recipients get full tuition, annual stipends, internships, and guaranteed civilian employment with the Department of Defense upon graduation.

Applications are accepted yearly from August 1 to the first Friday in December. Check your eligibility to discover which scholarships you qualify for.

SMART Scholarship

SMART Scholarship | Defense Leaders

The SMART Scholarship is the Department of Defense STEM Program’s greatest education and workforce development effort, preparing future leaders in 24 STEM areas.

Scholarship students gain hands-on experience at one of over 150 Department of Defense sites during internships, which they then utilize as early career professionals.

Department of Defense institutions are at the cutting edge of innovation in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, autonomy, cyber, space, 5G, and other technical fields.

SMART Scholarship Eligibility and Program Requirements

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Apply beginning August 1st.

Determining the Right SMART Opportunity

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program, supported by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), provides a one-of-a-kind educational and career development opportunity for aspiring STEM leaders.

The SMART Scholarship Program provides two scholarship opportunities: the SMART Scholarship and the Ronald V. Dellums Memorial SMART Scholarship.

The SMART Scholarship is available to students presently enrolled in college or university, as well as those who have already earned college credit.

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SMART Application Instructions

Applicants should already have a college transcript from a regionally accredited US college or university or will have one by the conclusion of the fall semester.

The SMART Scholarship is also available to people who are seeking or will be pursuing a graduate degree at a regionally authorized US university.

The Dellums SMART Scholarship is for students who have no prior college credit and want to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Students who want to attend a historically Black college or university, a minority institution, or a minority-serving school are especially encouraged to apply.

Either award provides complete tuition, yearly stipends, health and book allowances, mentorship, and internships at a DoD site.

The first step toward a successful civilian job with the DoD is to evaluate the qualifying standards for both possibilities, beginning with the 24 SMART STEM fields.

These are generic disciplines; individual majors or fields of study may fall into one or more of them. All candidates should be pursuing a degree in one of SMART’s 24 STEM fields.

  • Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biosciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
  • Computer Science and Engineering
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Science and Analytics
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Geosciences
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering
  • Information Sciences
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Oceanography
  • Operations Research
  • Physics
  • Software Engineering

The SMART Program accepts submissions from August to December. All applicants must submit their applications online by 5:00 p.m. EST on the first Friday in December.

Supporting documentation, such as reference forms, must be sent before the application deadline. Late applications and references will not be considered.

Traditionally, candidates get notification of their prize in the spring. The application materials are not returned to applicants. The material below may help plan and prepare your application packet.

Important Information to Know Before Applying:

Applicants must complete the registration page to establish eligibility and gain access to the Application Portal. Upon registration, candidates will get an email with instructions on how to log in and start the application.

Once an account has been created, candidates will be routed to the SMART Application. Before logging in, please carefully read the Account Authentication Set Up instructions.

Every task in the application must be completed before the submit button appears; you can keep track of your progress using the progress bar at the top of the page.

The application includes support materials and allows you to track the status of your application.

The SMART Application consists of the following:

  • Privacy Act Statement
  • Application Instructions
  • Program Materials
  • About Me
  • Proposed Award Details
  • Personal Statement
  • My Experiences
  • References

More information:

  • Transcripts
  • DoD Employee Supervisor Letter

How to Submit Your SMART Application

Monitor the status of your application to ensure that the SMART Program obtains the necessary references. As previously indicated, candidates must click the “Submit Application” button before the application deadline to have their applications reviewed.

Before submitting, you can edit any of your replies. Applicants can save an in-progress application and return later to amend it.

Please keep in mind that after an applicant clicks the “Submit Application” button, there are no further modifications.

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