DoD provides covers tuition for degrees in two dozen national security-related STEM fields in exchange for a service commitment. Image: monticello/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA Defense Department scholarship program for students in the STEM fields that comes with a service requirement afterward is showing results, with more than 90 percent completing both their degree and that requirement, DoD has said.
Under the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program DoD provides full-tuition scholarships to selected applicants in two dozen national security-related STEM fields. Students are matched with a relevant DoD facility and serve summer internships while in school and after graduation they commit to working for the department for a period equal to that of their scholarship.
More than 70 percent have stayed with the department beyond the end of their commitment, DoD added in the section of a recent report on its science and technology strategy dealing with workforce-related issues.
“We will increase the availability of fellowships, internships, and rotational assignments – including in private sector – to grow the skills of our workforce, provide a broad range of experiences, create collaboration opportunities, and carry best practices back to the Department,” it says.
“We will modernize training to address technical skills our people need for successful careers in the 21st century. By taking greater advantage of learning throughout the innovation ecosystem, we can more than keep pace with rapid changes in science and technology,” it says.
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