Science and Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships Blog

The 2010 SMART Scholarship application will be closing on December 15, 2009 at 5pm EST.

SMART has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD laboratories.

Eligibility requirements for applicants include:
*Must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2010.
*Able to participate in summer internships at DoD laboratories
*Willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD
*Must be in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by the SMART application)
*Pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed on the About SMART page

The following 2010 program applications are now available online:

*Office of Naval Research Summer Faculty Research Program and Sabbatical Leave Program (ONR)*
The ONR program provides participants the opportunity to research for 10 weeks in U.S. Naval Laboratories beginning in May 2010. Stipends range from $1,400 to $1,900 per week for the summer program and fellows are allowed to bring one undergraduate or graduate student to participate in the research. The application submission deadline is December 4, 2009. Apply Now

“The Sabbatical Leave Program provides fellowship appointments for a minimum of one semester to a maximum of one year in length. Participants in the Sabbatical Leave Program receive a monthly stipend making up the difference between salary and sabbatical leave pay from their home institution. Applications for the Sabbatical Leave Program should be submitted six months prior to the start of the proposed sabbatical.” Apply Now

*Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP)*
“The Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP) offers hands-on exposure to Air Force research challenges through 8 to 12 week research residencies at participating Air Force Research Facilities for full-time science and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities.” The application submission deadline is December 1, 2009. Apply Now

*NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program (NASA)*
The NASA Scholarship program focuses on investing in aeronautical research and related degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The application submission deadline is January 11, 2010. Apply Now

The 2010 Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program application is now available online. The application will be opened until December 15, 2009.

SMART has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD laboratories.

Eligibility requirements for applicants include:
*Must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2010.
*Able to participate in summer internships at DoD laboratories
*Willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD
*Must be in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by the SMART application)
*Pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed on the About SMART page

This week, 260 students attended a three-day orientation in Monterey, CA as part of the SMART Scholarship Program (Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation). The SMART Program is sponsored by the Naval Postgraduate School located in Monterey.

As part of the orientation, representatives from various defense firms and military forces will be on exhibition and will meet with the students.

Students who were accepted into the SMART Program will receive the following:

• Full tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking)
• Cash award paid at a rate of $25,000 – $41,000 depending on prior educational experience (may be prorated depending on award length)
• Paid summer internships
• Health Insurance reimbursement allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
• Book allowance of $1,000 per academic year
• Mentoring
• Employment placement after graduation

The 2010 SMART Program application will be available online on August 15, 2009.

Ten college students throughout South Dakota were recently awarded the Davis-Bahcall Scholarships for Underground Science (sponsored by the 3M Company). As part of the scholarship, the students will travel to Sanford Lab at Homestake in Lead, S.D., the Gran Sasso National Underground Laboratory in Italy, and Princeton University to engage in laboratories that specialize in engineering, physics and geology. All tuition and room and board will be covered for each student who participates in this program, and will also receive college credit.

The following recipients of the scholarship are:
*Mandi Durch, Newell
*Karin Hanson, Sioux Falls
*Travis Hoon, Aberdeen
*Brennan Ireland, Hermosa
*Bhavatharini (’Rini’) Kasinathan, Brandon
*Keely Krolikowski, Spearfish
*Daniel Parrot, Sioux Falls
*Haaken Phelps, Brookings
*Lane Raffaldini Rubin, Sioux Falls
*Tyler Vogel, Rapid city

The Davis-Bahcall Scholarship Program is open to applicants who “attend a public, private or home school, South Dakota high school or postsecondary institution”.

To apply for the Davis-Bahcall Scholarship, candidates must submit:

*Scholarship application form
*Official high school and college transcripts, including standardized test scores when possible
*500- to 700-word essay detailing qualifications and interest in the program
*Letter of support from a current science teacher
*Resume detailing academic achievement and extra-curricular activities

Applicants also will participate in a 30-minute interview.

*Interviews to take place early March in Pierre.
*Interview panel to include three to five people.

The National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant has been awarded to Marquette University.The grant, worth $899,514, was awarded in order to train 24 graduate students to become K-12 teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Funding for the program began June 1 with scholarships intending to be awarded between 2010 and 2014. Students can also benefit from the program by receiving their engineering degree and teaching certificate after 5 years, as opposed to the traditional 6 or 6.5 years.

Barbara Silver-Thorn, associate professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Marquette Noyce Scholarship Program, is very excited about the opportunities offered to her students.

“This is an opportunity to get STEM majors in high-need schools and make their students aware of valuable engineering, science and math career opportunities,” explains Silver-Thorn.

According to Marquette officials, this program will allow up to three years of scholarships: $10,000 for the student’s first year, $12,000 for the second year, and $14,000 for the third year. As a result of receiving funding from the program, students are expected to work two years in a high-need school for every year they accept funding from the program.

Related: Colorado State University Scientists Receive NSF Grant

On May 12, 2009 a major update to the Science and Engineering Fellowships Directory was completed. Award and stipend information for 2009 replaced the previous details, and defunct fellowships were removed from the listing. During the update, approximately nine new fellowships/internships were added, and five were removed.

The improved directory lists funding opportunities for those studying or working in the science, technology, mathematics, and engineering fields. It includes general fellowships, fellowships that are funded through an applicant’s university, funding available only to applicants meeting specified criteria (for example, some are open only to females), funding for conference attendance, internships, opportunities for those already working in their fields, and a section on funding for faculty members. There are currently 95 different funding opportunities listed in the directory.

The Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship aims to encourage women in computer science and other related fields to excel within their research as well as their community. The 2009 Scholars and Finalists were awarded all over the world including the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa.

Scholars receive a $10,000 award for the following academic year and Finalists will received a $1,000 award. All Scholars and Finalists will be invited to attend Google’s Scholars Retreat at the Google Campus in Mountain View, CA.

In order to be eligible for the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, the following criteria must be met:

*Be a female student entering her senior year of undergraduate study or be enrolled in a graduate program in the 2009-2010 academic year at a university in the United States;

*Be enrolled in Computer Science or Computer Engineering program, or a closely related technical field as a full-time student for the 2009-2010 academic year;

*Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent in your current program.

Later this year, scholarships will be awarded to women in Australia and New Zealand as well.

For more information, please visit http://www.google.com/anitaborg/.

Department of Energy Issues Funding Opportunity Announcement to U.S. Universities for Nuclear Science and Engineering Fellowships and Scholarships

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to provide approximately $2.4 million in university nuclear science and engineering fellowships and scholarships.

Over 100 scholarships and 10 fellowships are expected to be awarded to U.S. students through this FOA. Undergraduates will receive scholarships that average $5,000 per year. The maximum award for fellowships is anticipated to be $50,000 per year over three years.

“This Funding Opportunity Announcement demonstrates our commitment to increase the number of U.S. students entering the nuclear science and engineering fields,” said DOE’s acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Shane Johnson. “These scholarships and fellowships are critical in ensuring the education of a new generation of U.S. nuclear scientists and engineers.”

“Involvement in the LSAMP program impacted my experience in a number of ways. Because of my involvement, I was introduced to highly motivated and competitive minority students in the college, which motivated me to perform better.”

Reginald Covington is a Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) scholarship recipient, and currently a PhD student at Cornell University studying Economics. Covington spent four years in the Marines before braving the University of Maryland to study Mathematics and Economics and beginning to forge a road of great academic accomplishment.

Covington admits the transition from Marine to college student was difficult but if his numerous awards since enrolling at the University of Maryland are any indication, he successfully overcame any initial transition troubles. He received a scholarship from the James A. Yorke Young Scientists and the PRIME Service Scholarship from the University of Maryland’s College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CMPS). He also received the Maryland Space Grant Scholarship from the Maryland Space Grant Consortium.

Covington has continued to give back to young people in his community. He devoted a great deal of his time to Beyond These Walls and the Upward Bound Saturday Academy, both organizations where he mentored young minority students in his community. Covington says that his long-term goals are to teach and empower young minority college students as a faculty member of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and to better understand the socio-economic disparities among communities of color.

* This information is from the University of Maryland’s News Desk and the LSAMP alumni page on the University of Maryland’s website

Related: NYC LSAMP Alumni becomes GRF Recipient in Electrical Engineering – Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) scholarship, our LSAMP overview post