EconDefense
ACQ-24 / Workforce and expertise

Provide STEM scholarships and fellowships tied to service

Fund critical national-security STEM education, arrange internships, appoint successful participants and convert qualifying appointments into career service.

Action briefPDF dossier · original 168Download record
Authority / instrument · ACQ-24

Research workforce

Workforce and expertise

Statute & instrument
Authority holder

Secretary of Defense

What this does not authorize / hard limit

Non-U.S. TTCP participation capped at 5 new recipients per year.

Recorded executor

SMART program administrator; sponsoring facility HR

Continue to actor →

Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedScholarship/fellowship funds; sponsor must identify funded employment and service placement. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProcess sourcedSMART has a public 2026 application route for fall 2027 study, with binding civilian-service and clearance conditions. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Public evidence describes the institution and instrument; it is not approval of an individual transaction.

At a glance

Possible toolACQ-24 · People & expertise
Legal basis10 U.S.C. §4093

Authority holder: Secretary of Defense

People & expertise

Mechanism tags describe the source text; they do not expand the authority.

Availability and verification

Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.

Program process and intake

Checked 2026-10-04 · program documented. Program evidence is separate from legal authority, available funds and transaction approval.

SMART has a public 2026 application route for fall 2027 study, with binding civilian-service and clearance conditions.

SMART Scholarship-for-Service

Who this route serves
Eligible STEM students, including incoming freshmen, undergraduates and graduate students
Administering office / routing lead
OUSD(R&E) SMART Program Office and participating sponsoring facilities
Direct implementation

DoDI 1025.09 expressly implements section 4093 and allocates program, sponsor and debt-review responsibilities.

What this evidence label means
2026 application route active

The official portal displays an application option. Its annual window runs from August 1 through the first Friday in December.

Status reference date: 2026-10-04 · research checked 2026-10-04

SMART Scholarship-for-Service home · Application period; benefits; application linkofficial program operator guidance · Evidence record

Program eligibility

  • Current2026 page requires an approvedSTEM degree,3.0GPA, eligible citizenship, accredited U.S. institution, clearance eligibility and requested1–5 years funding startingAugust2027.

    SMART2026 eligibility and requirements · Scholarship Eligibility for2026; one-for-one service commitmentofficial program operator guidance · Evidence record

Steps and preparation

  • Review sponsoring-facility fit, apply through the program portal, complete selection/placement and sign the binding service agreement; internships apply to longer awards.

    SMART2026 eligibility and requirements · Scholarship Eligibility for2026; one-for-one service commitmentofficial program operator guidance · Evidence record
Funding, limits and authority relationship

Funding and financial terms

  • scholarship and stipend in exchange for service · 2026 application /Fall2027 study

    Full tuition and annual stipend currently listed at$30,000–$46,000 by degree level; benefits require program compliance.

    SMART Scholarship-for-Service home · Application period; benefits; application linkofficial program operator guidance · Evidence record

Exclusions and limits

  • One year of civilian employment per funded year; noncompletion can trigger debt under the instruction. Foreign-allied eligibility is subject to statutory caps and placement.

    SMART2026 eligibility and requirements · Scholarship Eligibility for2026; one-for-one service commitmentofficial program operator guidance · Evidence record

Authority relationship source

DoDI1025.09 SMART Defense Education Program · Purpose; responsibilities; service agreement and debt proceduresofficial implementing instruction · published 2022-11-09 · Evidence record

SMART application and eligibility →

published guidance: Student scholarship-for-service application; not company R&D funding.

Research scope and sources checked

Used Chromium to inspect the JavaScript-rendered2026 eligibility and live application portal after text fetch returned onlyLoading. Read implementing instruction and current benefits; did not substitute unrelated SMART-branded scholarships.

What remains unverified

  • Individual selection, clearance and sponsor billet/funding are not assured; final annual deadline/time must be checked in the live application.

A dated source check is not continuing monitoring. Recheck the linked official notice before preparing a submission. Browse program research →

Requirements and limits

Eligibility & prerequisites

  • Critical discipline, eligible citizenship/institution, written service agreement at least matching supported study period.

Limits & exclusions

  • Non-U.S. TTCP participation capped at 5 new recipients per year.
  • Noncompletion/service failure can create repayment debt; Secretary has specified waiver authority.

Funding conditions

  • Scholarship/fellowship funds; sponsor must identify funded employment and service placement.

Read the funding and execution guide

Who contributes what

Need & planning

  • DoDSMART program and sponsoring facility workforce planners

Resources

  • SMART program funds and sponsoring component personnel resources

Approval

  • Secretary of Defense/designated SMART and appointment officials
    Office profile

Execution

  • SMART program administrator; sponsoring facility HR

Partners & review

  • Accredited institutions; qualifying industry internship sponsors

Office links are editorial matches to the original role text, not verified delegations. Composite labels and unmatched actors are preserved.

Coordination pathway

Facility identifies STEM need → SMART selection and service agreement → education/internship → appointed service position.

Actor and execution-role sources

Legal basis

What this research establishes

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedScholarship/fellowship funds; sponsor must identify funded employment and service placement. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProcess sourcedSMART has a public 2026 application route for fall 2027 study, with binding civilian-service and clearance conditions. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Confidence: High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.

Currentness: GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation.

Review scope: Original research target October 2, 2026; no record-specific last-review date supplied. Publication is not legal-currentness certification.

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