Recently I was lucky to be a SMART scholarship recipient! I am currently through the introductory phases and processes awaiting my first summer of internship and wanted to share a bit of my experience thus far.
The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) program is a scholarship-for-service through the Department of Defense and an excellent opportunity for students pursuing careers in STEM fields. This prestigious scholarship program aims to enhance the DoD's workforce by supporting and cultivating talented individuals who will contribute to the defense and security of the United States, particularly in identified Critical Technology Areas. These areas include fields such as Biotechnology, Quantum Computing, Human-Machine Interfaces, Directed-Energy, and Renewable Energy and Storage. Awardees have the opportunity to work with teams at various facilities across the United States conducting research and development for various Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force research labs, in addition to various Department of Defense facilities, in their area of focus. SMART Scholars contribute to cutting-edge research and technology development that directly impacts national security and defense capabilities and is a great opportunity for anyone looking to work on exciting research projects. For my scholarship, I was selected to work at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where I would be able to exercise my degree work in Web Archiving and Information Visualization and work with the Web Science and Digital Libraries research group.
The SMART scholarship is a phased program where awardees initially complete their requisite orientation and onboarding, application paperwork, and undergo required background and security checks. During this phase, you also get the opportunity to visit your sponsoring facility and meet with peers in your cohort group as well as your future supervisor and work group. My experience with this phase has been very positive, with SMART program managers being very informative and helpful in answering questions about deadlines, further program information, and general coordination. During phase 1 of the scholarship awardees participate in internships at their sponsoring facilities that provide valuable hands-on experience and networking opportunities. Depending on the sponsoring facility and type of research there are also potential international opportunities. Phase 1 scholars participate in summer internships at their sponsoring facility for each year they are in the program before graduation, at which point they transition to phase 2 of the scholarship with guaranteed employment at their sponsoring facility. In phase 2, scholars become full time employees at their sponsoring facility for the same length of time for which the SMART scholarship covered their academic degree. After completing phase 2, while not required, awardees are encouraged to continue their employment and further advance their career with their sponsoring facility.
The SMART scholarship is available for both undergraduate and graduate students and the program was recently expanded to students without a degree that intend to pursue a Bachelor's degree through the Dellums Memorial Scholarship. For eligibility, students must be at least 18 years old, maintain a 3.0 GPA and be able to work at least one summer internship. It offers many benefits for students such as 100% of tuition and education-related fees while providing an annual stipend, based on degree level, to cover living expenses and a small stipend for health expenses. There is also an additional SEED and CREATE grants, providing $100,000 annually, for SMART scholars who graduated with their PhD and are in the second phase of the program to help fund further research and development. There are many benefits to the SMART scholarship but some of the biggest benefits are financial. While students participate in summer internships, during the academic year they are largely unburdened, allowing them to focus on their courses without the need of maintaining a full or part-time job to chase numerous grants. It also does not limit supplemental funding opportunities, should they arise, so long as they do not interfere with the required periods of summer internship.
Networking professional development is another large area of opportunity for SMART scholars. Not only does the scholarship provide great financial benefits and job security but it allows awardees to connect with a large, diverse pool of talented minds from all over the nation and world. My 2024 cohort was not only the largest cohort to date but also the first to conduct an in-person orientation in multiple years, due to COVID and other factors. The orientation was an exciting opportunity to visit the nation's capital and meet with people in STEM fields working on all manner of exciting research work. In the few days I was there I was able to meet with people and learn about their work in food science improving MREs, geological analysis in the arctic, cutting edge GIS and satellite imaging, and numerous technology and computing areas. We also got to hear from multiple panels of SMART scholars already in the program, DoD professionals, and industry leaders to hear about their careers and first-hand experience with the SMART scholarship program in the past. This was a great opportunity to meet peers, reconnect with those I met previously who would be working at my sponsoring facility, and build a strong professional network. While I didn't get much time to explore Washington D.C., I know many people spent extra time there in order to visit the Smithsonian museums and tour the various monuments and sights around the capital and I would encourage others to take advantage of the opportunity, if able!
I am exciting for this next chapter in my academic and professional career and would encourage any one interested in looking into the SMART program to reach our or check it out. No matter what STEM field you are in, there is more than likely an spot for you and the scholarship is an excellent opportunity for any student looking to advance their career!
- David