The Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program recently announced $3.7 million of new research grants to 33 SMART scholars as part of its competitive SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. 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 PhDs to DoD civilians.
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 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies in 21 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 4,200 scholarships.
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 PhD 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 2023 proposals were reviewed by science and technology experts across the DoD Components. The FY 2023 “garden” of SEED grant awardees joins 41 investigators previously awarded in FY 2021 and FY 2022.
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 enterprise.
“We are so proud of all of our SMART SEED Grant award winners. To be awarded a SMART scholarship is a great achievement in itself. To further receive a SMART SEED Grant truly highlights the unique contributions SMART scholars are making to advance the DoD’s efforts to maintain scientific and technological superiority,” stated Dr. Brandon Cochenour, SMART Program Manager. “The SMART SEED Grant illustrates the Department’s continued investment in the next generation DoD STEM workforce which is in alignment with the National Defense Strategy and DoD STEM Strategic Plan.”
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 at https://www.smartscholarship.org/smart?id=seed_grant.
Interested in becoming a SMART scholar? The application period for the 2022 SMART scholar cohort began August 1, 2022, and ends December 1, 2022. More information can be found on the website.
The FY23 SMART SEED investigators are:
Bellas, Michael - Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division - Advanced Materials
Benyamin, Minas - U.S Army DEVCOM – Computational and Information Sciences Directorate - AI and Autonomy
Blevins, Aaron - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division - AI and Autonomy
Camargo, Krisa - U.S. Army Public Health Center - Biotechnology and Trusted AI and Autonomy
Clark, Reilly - Air Force Research Lab 711 Human Performance Wing - Biotechnology
Clough, Justin - Air Force Research Lab – Aerospace Systems Directorate - Hypersonics
Davis, Jill - Air Force Research Lab – Space Vehicles Directorate - Space Technology and Trusted AI and Autonomy
Edwards, Samuel - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock Division - AI and Autonomy
Ferlic, Nathaniel - Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division – Patuxent River - Directed Energy and Future G
Figueroa-Santos, Miriam - U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center - Renewable Energy Generation and Storage
Gallagher, Alex - U.S. Army Engineer Research, Development Center - Integrated Sensing and Cyber
Goldfarb, Nathaniel - Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division – Lakehurst - AI and Autonomy and Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems
Gonzalez-Morales, Maria - U.S. Army Public Health Center - AI and Autonomy
Holland, Ashley - U.S. Army Public Health Center - Advanced Computing and Software
Hromisin, Scott - Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division – Patuxent River - Integrated Sensing and Cyber
Jimenez, Jorge - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division - AI and Autonomy
Koerber, Jonathan - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division - Directed Energy and AI and Autonomy
LoCurto, Anthony - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Indian Head - Space Technology
Loubimov, George - Naval Undersea Warfare Center – Newport Division - Advanced Computing and Software
Moushegian, Alex - Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division – Patuxent River - Advanced Computing and Software
Park, Daniel - Air Force Research Lab Information - AI and Autonomy
Parker, Jason - U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center - Advanced Materials
Patton, Evan - U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center - Directed Energy, Hypersonics, and Space Technology
Perez-Lavin, Darleen - Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic - AI and Autonomy
Piehl, Joshua - U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center - Directed Energy
Shirazi, Paymon - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Corona Division - Future G
Solomon, Joel - Air Force Research Lab Directed Energy Directorate - Directed Energy
Stanisauskis, Eugenia - Naval Undersea Warfare Center – Newport Division - Microelectronics
Stubblefield, George - U.S. Army Engineer Research, Development Center - Advanced Materials
Sussman, Heather - U.S. Army Engineer Research, Development Center - AI and Autonomy
Szymanski, Thiago - Naval Surface Warfare Center – Philadelphia Division - Directed Energy, Renewable Energy Generation and Storage, and Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems
Tau, Seth - U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center - AI and Autonomy
Whitmore, Benjamin - Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific - AI and Autonomy
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2022 11:25 |
| Story ID: | 428112 |
| Location: | ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,087 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, FY 2023 SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program Awardees, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
