Students get DHS dollars

DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program

Homeland Security Department officials have awarded 105 college juniors and graduate students studying math, science and engineering full scholarships and stipends to support academic research and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The Science and Technology Directorate's Scholarship and Fellowship Program provides students entering their junior year full school tuition and fees, a $1,000 monthly stipend for nine months, and $500 weekly for a summer internship at a DHS-designated facility between their junior and senior years. Those recipients are also eligible to renew their awards for their senior year.

Graduate students also receive full tuition and fees plus a $2,300 monthly stipend for a full year. An off-campus internship at a DHS-designated facility is required, and the awards are renewable for up to three years.

"We see this group of scholars as a way of engaging the American entrepreneurial and inventive spirit to help us fight the war on terror through science and technology innovations," Charles McQueary, undersecretary for Science and Technology, said in a press release.

The program is designed to "support, stimulate and tap into the intellectual capital in academia to address current and future homeland security challenges, while at the same time educating and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers dedicated to improving homeland security," according to the release.

This is the second year for the scholarship program, which is coordinated by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, one of several Energy Department laboratories. It is open to all U.S. students interested in scientific and technological research.

Last year, 101 scholarships were awarded, and most awards were renewed. During their summer internships, students worked at several facilities including Energy and DHS laboratories, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration's Transportation Security Lab, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and DHS headquarters. This year, almost 900 applications were reviewed by 65 science and technology experts. Award winners came from 37 states and 73 institutions nationwide. All awards started with the current academic year.