The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) realizes that the country’s strong science and technology community provides a critical advantage in the development and implementation of counter-terrorist measures and other DHS objectives. The DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program is intended for students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the DHS mission. This education program is intended to ensure a highly talented science and technology community to achieve the DHS mission and objectives. Eligible students must be studying in a homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) field with an interest, major, or concentration directly related to one of the homeland security research areas listed below:

1. Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response
2. Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
3. Risk and Decision Sciences
4. Human Factors Aspects of Technology
5. Chemical Threats and Countermeasures
6. Biological Threats and Countermeasures
7. Food and Agriculture Security
8. Transportation Security
9. Border Security
10. Immigration Studies
11. Maritime and Port Security
12. Infrastructure Protection
13. Natural Disasters and Related Geophysical Studies
14. Emergency Preparedness and Response
15. Communications and Interoperability
16. Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization

The S&T Directorate is the primary research and development arm of DHS. The Directorate organizes the vast scientific and technological resources of the United States to prevent or mitigate the effects of catastrophic terrorism against the United States or its allies. Before completing your application, read more on the S&T Divisions and the 16 research areas above. S&T Directorate investments are tied directly to technology gaps identified by its customers. Closing these technology gaps will require an investment in scientific research and development activities to address these High Priority Technology Needs.

Undergraduate Scholarship Details

• You must be majoring in a homeland security science, technology, engineering or mathematics (HS-STEM) field which is a STEM field with coursework and/or research relevant to a homeland security research area. See DHS Research Areas.
• If you have been attending college full-time, you must be in your second year of college attendance as of the application deadline.
• If you have attended college on a part-time basis, or a combination of part-time and full-time, since completing high school, you must have completed a total of at least 45 but no more than 60 semester hours (60 to 75 quarter hours) as of the application deadline.
• If you have any commitments such as active military service, a co-op program, or study abroad that would prevent you from attending school full-time, attending the fall 2009 DHS HS-STEM Career Development Conference and participating full-time in a 10-week internship during the summer of 2010, or completing the homeland security service requirement following receipt of your degree, you are ineligible.

Stipend

• $1,000/month for 9 months during the academic year; $5,000 for the 10-week summer internship

Tuition

• Full tuition and mandatory, nonrefundable fees paid

Duration

• Appointments are for two years, beginning fall 2009, given satisfactory academic progress and availability of funding.

Research Internship and Service Requirement

• A 10-week, continuous, off-campus research internship at DHS or a DHS-affiliated facility will be required during the summer between your first and second year appointments. Internship placement will be coordinated through this program.
• A one-year, full-time service requirement in a relevant HS-STEM field will be required. This requirement will be fulfilled with paid employment that you will secure through traditional job search techniques. The work done during this service must be applicable to one of the 16 homeland security research areas. The one-year service commitment must be served at a DHS-approved STEM venue and must be completed within two years of your final stipend payment. Options for completing this service requirement at a DHS-approved STEM venue include full-time service for: (1) one continuous year; or (2) two six-month periods at no more than two locations.