Nationally Competitive Fellowships & Scholarships

Must express interest in applying and meet with Lakeya Almeida no later than November 29, 2021. Institutional nomination required. 

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship provides scholarship support to outstanding sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. The Goldwater Foundation seeks scholars who demonstrate a strong commitment and passion for doing research and who exhibit the creative spark that will make them leaders in their fields. Involvement in research as an undergraduate is highly desirable. Students must be nominated by their undergraduate college or university to apply. 

To be considered for a nomination for a Goldwater Scholarship, you must first complete the Student Profile and Goldwater Scholarship Pre-Application which consists of a short Student Profile (Name, email address, telephone number, etc.) and Pre-application (Year in school, major, GPA, brief career interest statement, highest degree anticipated, and potential recommendation letter writers) that will help your campus Goldwater Representative make an initial determination of the strength of your application.

Must express interest in applying and meet with Lakeya Almeida no later than January 10, 2022. Institutional nomination required.

The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to current college sophomores and juniors who have strong interests and are committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native health care (applicants in the tribal public policy or Native health care categories must also be Native American, Alaska Native, or Canadian First Nations).

The foundation seeks applicants who demonstrate leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment and who are already tackling critical environmental and Native American issues in their communities and on campus. The scholarship funds may be used to pay for tuition, fees, books, room and board. Udall Scholars are required to attend Scholar Orientation in Tuscon, AZ during the summer.  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering Greater Research Opportunities Undergraduate Fellowships for bachelor level students in environmentally related fields of study. Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer between their junior and senior years. The EPA invites pre-applications for undergraduate GRO fellowships in academic disciplines relating to environmental research including environmental science, physical science, biological science, chemistry, environmental health, computer science, social science, mathematics, and engineering. A pre-application provides the information needed for a merit review. Following a merit review, the most scientifically meritorious applicants will be required to submit a brief formal application.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awards are intended for students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the DHS mission.  The mission of the DHS is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recovery efforts from attacks that occur.  DHS is also dedicated to protecting the rights of American citizens and enhancing public services, such as natural disaster assistance and citizenship services.  DHS realizes that the country's strong science and technology community provides a critical advantage in the development and implementation of counter-terrorist measures.  This education program is intended to ensure a diverse and highly talented science and technology community to achieve the DHS mission and objectives.  Areas of study include:  physical, biological, social and behavioral sciences including science policy, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.  Eligibility: US citizenship; minimum GPA 3.3 (successful applicants are more likely to be 3.7 or above).  See the program website link below for more information

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) offers competitive scholarships to students who have exceptional financial need (EFN) who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The program is sponsored by the NIH, one of the world's foremost centers for medical/health research and research training. The NIH UGSP pays for tuition and fees, educational expenses, reasonable living expenses up to $20,000 per academic year. Scholarships are awarded for 1 year, and can be renewed up to 4 years.

For each full or partial scholarship year, recipients are committed to two NIH service obligations: a 10-week Summer Laboratory Experience after each year of scholarship support, and employment at the NIH after graduation, serving 1 year of full-time employment for each year of scholarship. In addition to financial assistance, the scholarship program offers invaluable training and mentoring, as well as practical experience in a state-of-the-art research setting.

Must express interest in applying and meet with Lakeya Almeida no later than November 29, 2021. 

The Amgen Scholars Program provides exciting hands-on scientific research opportunities at some of the world's leading educational institutions. There are currently 13 educational institutions in the United States that host the summer research program and each institution has its own application process. Amgen Scholars will have the opportunity to take part in important research projects, gain hands-on lab experience, and contribute to the advancement of science while receiving guidance from faculty mentors, including some of the worlds leading academic scientists. Amgen Scholars learn how to collaborate effectively in research settings while investigating areas of research interest within a specific discipline and gaining practical skills and knowledge for both graduate study and post-graduate careers. Amgen Scholars will also attend and participate in scientific seminars, workshops and other networking events including the Amgen Scholars U.S. Symposium where they meet their peers, discuss their summer research projects, learn about biotechnology, and hear from leading scientists.

Research areas of potential focus include any disciplines related to the discovery, development, manufacture, and delivery of human therapeutics, as well as the overall biomedical and biotechnology enterprise. Application deadlines are determined by Amgen Scholars Program host institutions, between early February and mid-February. Financial support is also a critical component of the Amgen Scholars Program. Review each institution’s Amgen Scholars Program website for more information regarding deadlines and financial support. 

Applicants for the U.S program must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents and a current sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior. 

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. A Gilman Scholarship enables American students to gain proficiency in diverse languages and cultures, skills that are critically important to their academic and career development. The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies and interns abroad by supporting undergraduates who have been historically underrepresented in study abroad and who may not have otherwise participated due to financial constraints. To be eligible for this opportunity, students must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship.

The Gilman Scholarship provides scholarship awards of up to $5,000 for U.S. citizen undergraduate students at two- and four-year institutions to pursue a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program for up to one academic year. The award is to cover eligible study or intern abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance, international airfare, passport and visa fees.

The program seeks to encourage students to choose nontraditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe and Australia also encourages students to study languages, especially critical need languages (those deemed important to national security). Applicants who are studying a critical need language while abroad can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000, for a combined total of $8,000. The Critical Need Language Award is competitive and offered to a limited number of Gilman scholars each year.

The Gilman Scholarship is a program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). 

CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) is funded by the National Science Foundation. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen who is focusing their undergraduate or graduate studies on cybersecurity. Typical majors are CS, DS, ECE, or Mathematics. The scholarship pays the full cost of your education (all tuition and fees) plus a $25,000 stipend per year for undergraduates students and a $34,000 stipend per year for graduate students. In return, recipents work for the government after graduation in a paid cybersecurity position for the same number of years for which their education was funded. Following that period of service, recicpents are free to leave or remain in the public sector. If students receive multiple years of funding, they will also serve the government in a paid summer internship between academic years.

For Undergraduate Students: 

The earliest you can apply is your sophomore year for the scholarship to begin in your junior year. Recipients can receive one, two, or three years of funding; the 3-year maximum covers junior, senior, and an MS year. Applications are submitted online in a selection process that takes place once a year.

For Graduate Students:

Recipients can receive up to three years of funding. After you apply for admission to WPI to pursue a Master’s or PhD degree in a cybersecurity-related field, apply separately to the SFS program. If you’re admitted to WPI and also selected for SFS, then your SFS scholarship starts in your first semester. For students beginning in the Fall, applications for SFS are due in February. For students beginning in January, applications are reviewed throughout the Fall on a rolling basis – please discuss your application with the WPI SFS Program Manager, via email, at sfs-cybercorps@wpi.edu.