NDSEG
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Supported Disciplines

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships are awarded to applicants who will pursue a doctoral degree in, or closely related to, an area of DoD interest within one of the following disciplines:

  • Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
  • Biosciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences
  • Computer and Computational Sciences
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Geosciences
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
  • Oceanography
  • Physics

The DoD is also interested in supporting the education of future scientists and engineers in a number of interdisciplinary areas. Applicants interested in interdisciplinary areas should apply under one of the disciplines listed above and indicate their specific areas of interest in the "Summary of Goals" statement in the application. Applicants who are unsure which discipline to pick should apply under the discipline that most closely matches the course of study they will pursue in graduate school. Applicants should consult their academic or research advisor if they are still not sure which discipline is appropriate for their course of study.

As an example, an applicant interested in studying acoustics could apply under a number of disciplines, such as oceanography, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or physics depending upon the graduate school programs or departments to which he or she is applying.

For more specific information about research areas of interest to the DoD, please consult the Broad Agency Announcements of the Army Research Office, the Office of Naval Research, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Megan Brewster

Megan Brewster, NDSEG Fellow

“Support from NSDEG allows me to focus on the projects that I find engaging and collaborate with the people that I choose, and this freedom allows me to perform the best and most novel research that I can.”