The Barry M. Goldwater scholarship is the top award given by the federal government to students in natural science, math, and engineering who plan a career in research.

Nomination Considerations –National and Global Scholarships Advising at OSU works with all eligible applicants to apply and then we facilitate a committee of OSU Faculty from a variety of STEM disciplines to review the applications and select up to five nominees to compete at the national level. OSU may nominate up to four students per year who meet the following eligibility requirements and we may also nominate a fifth student if any of our nominees is a transfer student.

Who Is Eligible

To be eligible for nomination, students must:

• Be a matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree during the 2023-24 academic year*
• Intend to pursue a research career in a natural science, mathematics or engineering
• Have a college grade point average of at least a 3.0
• Be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident

*We cannot nominate students who are presently in their first year, no matter how many credit hours they have. The only students in their fourth year that we can consider are those who have at least one more full-time year following to complete their degrees.

To be competitive, nominees:

• Have strong research experience defined by:
  • Clarity of purpose
  • Experiences clearly connected to goals
  • Level of independence
  • Significance of research to the candidate’s field

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher, although consideration is possible for COVID and other disruptions. In 2022, GPAs for Goldwater scholars ranged nationally from 3.53 and up. 

How to Nominate a Qualified Student – To nominate a student, please send the following

information in an email to LeAnn Adam at leann.adam@oregonstate.edu as soon as possible:

1. Name

2. ID Number

3. Major

4. GPA

5. Planned graduation year

After I receive your nomination(s), I will invite the student to a meeting in which I will explain the

application process, offer assistance, and enroll them in the Goldwater Canvas site that includes tips, insights, and essay samples. We will provide students personalized advising and support throughout the application cycle. 

Now – December 2023: Students prepare application materials, consult with references, seek feedback 
September 5, 2023 online application opens; students complete pre-application, access full application
December 20, 2023: OSU Campus deadline 
January 5, 2024: References due
January 12, 2024: OSU selects nominees to compete nationally
Week of January 15, 2024: All candidates will be notified of their nomination status. Nominees will receive feedback and have the opportunity to make final revisions before the national deadline. Non-nominated students will also receive feedback and this is encouraged if they are eligible to reapply the following year. 
January 26, 2024: Nominations due from OSU to the Goldwater Foundation
March 29, 2024: Scholars announced 

Thank you for your assistance with identifying strong candidates for the 2024 Goldwater Scholarship! I welcome your questions at any time. 

See this link for a long list of OSU’s Goldwater scholars going back to 1991. 

With best wishes, 

LeAnn Joy Adam (she, her, hers)

Director, National and Global Scholarships Advising

Learning Innovation Center (LInC) 439

Honors College

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR 97331

Online Appointment Scheduling:

https://beav.es/o3B

(541) 737-6414 – appointments
(541) 737-1996 – direct
http://topscholars.oregonstate.edu/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scholarshipsadvising_osu/

Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) Grants

https://www.acs.org/funding/grants/petroleum-research-fund/programs/doctoral-new-investigator-grants.html 
The goals of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund are:

  – To support fundamental research in the petroleum field, and
  – To develop the next generation of engineers and scientists through support of advanced scientific education.

The Doctoral New Investigator grants program aims to promote the careers of young faculty by supporting research of high scientific caliber, and to enhance the career opportunities of their undergraduate/ graduate students, and postdoctoral associates through the research experience.

Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) grants provide start-up funding for scientists and engineers in the United States who are within the first three years of their first academic appointment at the level of Assistant Professor or the equivalent. Applicants may have limited or no preliminary results for a research project they wish to pursue, with the intention of using the preliminary results obtained to seek continuation funding from other agencies. The DNI grants are to be used to illustrate proof of principle or concept, to test a hypothesis, or to demonstrate feasibility of an approach.

The DNI grants program is seeking investigator-initiated, original research across the spectrum of our mission. Original research is defined as being different from that performed previously by the PI as part of their graduate or postdoctoral studies. Excluded from consideration are proposals in which the ideas being presented are a mere extension of research from the PI’s graduate or postdoctoral experience. Research projects must be unique. Although a PI may send the same proposal to more than one agency, PRF will not support a project having overlap, or partial overlap, with research funded by another agency.

Award Information
  – Amount: $110,000 over 2 years
  – Estimated number of awards: ~75 each year

Due: 9/8/23

New Directions (ND) Grants

https://www.acs.org/funding/grants/petroleum-research-fund/programs/new-directions-grants.html 
The goals of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund are:

  – To support fundamental research in the petroleum field, and
  – To develop the next generation of engineers and scientists through support of advanced scientific education.

The New Directions Grants Program aims to stimulate a new direction of research for established faculty, and to support the careers of their student scientists and engineers.

The New Directions (ND) grants program provides funds to scientists and engineers with limited—or even no—preliminary results for a research project they wish to pursue, and who intend to use the PRF-driven preliminary results to seek continuation funding from other agencies. ND grants are to be used to illustrate proof of concept/feasibility. Accordingly, they are to be viewed as seed money for new research ventures.

A “new research direction” is something different from previous research performed by the lead principal investigator (lead PI). But, it may involve a field of science or engineering in which others are already working. Therefore, the proposed research should not be in the same direction as—or overlap with—current projects in the lead PI’s research group. Excluded from consideration will be

Lead PIs who have had previous support or current funding for the project, and
Proposals presenting ideas that are a logical extension of ongoing research from the lead PI’s laboratory.
Preliminary results and/or communications are not required.

Award Information
  – Amount: $125,000 over 2 years
  – Estimated number of grants awarded: ~75 each year

Due 9/8/23