SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 – The Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program recently announced $1.2 million of new research grants to 11 SMART scholars as part of its competitive SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program awards research grants worth up to $100,000 per year for a maximum of three years to SMART scholars as they transition from the pursuit of their Ph.D.s to DoD civilians.
The SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program aims to develop a cadre of future technical subject matter experts within the DoD to conduct high-impact research at SMART sponsoring facilities. It provides opportunities for scholars who have pursued a SMART-funded Ph.D. to lead independent research in a DoD critical technology area while receiving valuable mentoring from the nation’s best researchers within DoD laboratories.
The SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program’s FY 2024 proposals were reviewed by science and technology experts across the DoD Components. The FY 2024 “garden” of SEED grant awardees joins 76 investigators previously awarded in FY 2021, FY 2022, and FY 2023.
The mentoring of SEED Grant awardees by established scientists and engineers in the DoD science and technology workforce is a key component of the SEED Grant initiative. The SEED Grant mentors are eligible to receive an additional $25,000 award in support of their role as a technical expert for the SEED investigator. The mentor award also encourages career building activities such as jointly attending scientific conferences or DoD program reviews to assist the SEED investigator in developing networks and facilitate understanding of the DoD science and technology (S&T) enterprise.
“SEED is a unique opportunity for our Ph.D. scholars to gain vital early career S&T project leadership experience while working at the leading edges of the DoD’s Critical Technology Areas. It is a part of the SMART scholar professional development process which addresses the 2023 National Defense Science and Technology Strategy of investing in the workforce of tomorrow,” stated Dr. Coit Hendley, SMART Deputy Program Manager.
A highly competitive scholarship-for-service program, SMART is one of the largest science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-focused education and workforce initiatives under DoD STEM, the Department’s comprehensive K–20 STEM education and talent development effort. SMART is empowered to make full-tuition awards during any phase of a scholar’s education at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. The program sponsors bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies in 24 academic disciplines critical to national security and DoD’s scientific and technological future. Upon graduation, students move directly into federal government employment at DoD laboratories. Awards can be made during any phase of a scholar’s education and vary in length from a minimum of one year to a maximum of five years. The service commitment is one year of DoD employment for each academic year of SMART funding. Since its inception in 2006, the program has awarded over 4,700 scholarships.
To learn more about the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program and the participating DoD sponsoring facilities, visit www.smartscholarship.org.
Information on the SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program can be found https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart?id=seed_grant.
Interested in becoming a SMART scholar? The application period for the 2024 SMART scholar cohort began August 1, 2023, and ends December 1, 2023. More information can be found on the website.
The FY24 SMART SEED investigators are:
- Paula Chen – Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division – China Lake – AI/Autonomy
- Roger Cornell – U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Directorate – Aberdeen Proving Ground – Hypersonics, Renewable Energy Generation and Storage
- Joseph Cox – Air Force Research Lab Directed Energy Directorate – Kirtland AFB – Directed Energy, Human-Machine Interfaces, AI and Autonomy
- Christian Diaz-Caez – National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency – AI/Autonomy
- Daniel Dobbins – Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate – Elgin AFB – Biotechnology
- Brandon Gusto – Naval Undersea Warfare Center – Newport Division – Advanced Computing and Software
- Liz Holzenthal – U.S. Army Engineer Research, Development Center – Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory – AI/Autonomy
- Margarite Laborde – Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division – Quantum Science, AI/Autonomy
- Taylor Lewis – Naval Surface Warfare Center – Corona Division – Directed Energy, Microelectronics, Quantum Science
- Julius Marshall – Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division – Patuxent River – AI/Autonomy
- Anthony Rizzo – Air Force Research Lab Information Directorate – Rome, NY – Microelectronics, Quantum Science
Courtesy Story
SMART Scholarship Program