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