Students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are being encouraged to apply for one of the major workforce development programs operated by the U.S. Department of War.
A pilot scheme launched twenty years ago has helped develop the Department of War's pipeline of science and technology talent.
Beginning with 30 scholarships in 2006, it has now become one of the most effective STEM workforce initiatives in the federal government.
The program awarded more than 650 scholarships in 2026 and has placed over 6,000 scientists and engineers in the Department of War workforce.
Scholars who take part in the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) program are given full payment of their tuition fees, an annual allowance, summer internships, and civil posts with the Department of War once they have graduated.
The SMART scholarship program collaborates with more than 150 sponsoring organizations, including laboratories that conduct both basic and applied research, those taking part in chemical or biological development; intelligence facilities specialized in geospatial intelligence and threat analysis, medical sites which focus on medical research and medical chemical countermeasures, the Army Corps of Engineers for matters relating to military infrastructure and water resources, test and evaluation centers tasked with operational testing and simulations, and other mission support organizations concerned with fleet support and the management of the weapons systems lifecycle.
People applying for the SMART program may choose War Department facilities that match their interests.
These facilities could be located at a U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, at an Army Corps of Engineers site, at the Naval Surface or Undersea Warfare Center, the Naval Sea Systems Command, or at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
Other organizations are the U.S. Army DEVCOM Command, the Army Communications-Electronics Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency, or the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Centre.
The areas that are in demand include aerospace and aeronautical design, biomedical engineering, biosciences, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, cognitive, neural, and behavioral studies, computer science and engineering, data science and analytics, electrical engineering, 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, and software engineering.
The scholarship program provides support for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students who are studying STEM.
Previous recipients of the award have used SMART awards to obtain doctorates in biomedical engineering, to earn combined bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering, doctorates in computer science and engineering, and doctorates in civil engineering.
The studies conducted by the SMART scholars have led to improvements in in vitro platforms and their abilities to deal with new chemical and biological threats; they have also contributed to both static and dynamic structural testing and analysis and to the rapid design of prototypes using composite materials and finite element modelling; advances have been made in remote sensing technologies and in machine deep learning, with models having been developed for use in mobility and terra-mechanical applications; contributions have been made to data science applications and to machine learning tools in order to meet complex infrastructure challenges, leading to achievements in decision-making during emergency responses, and the dynamic compressive behavior of ultra-high performance concrete has been addressed, thereby extending the lifespan of military engineered components and making structures more resilient so that they can withstand extreme loads and conditions.
The site states that it will continue to take applications for the Department of War's Scholarship-for-Service program until the first week of December.