Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Program: Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART)
Active
- Assistance listing
- 12.631
- Agency
-
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense
- Grant awards
- 42 $877,377,110 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 97-0400-0-1-120
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Office of the Secretary of Defense, under CFDA 12.631, administers the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) program, which funds cooperative agreements with organizations that manage the Department's merit-based SMART scholarship program and administer scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in any of 22 STEM disciplines critical to national defense. The most recent cooperative agreement award was issued February 27, 2026, and a new solicitation opened September 30, 2026 with a December 3, 2026 due date.
The program funds program administration activities including scholarship application processing, scholar selection and award cycles, internship coordination, information system maintenance, strategic outreach initiatives, scholar benefits management, and program evaluation. SMART scholars receive full-tuition support during undergraduate or graduate study, perform summer research internships at DoD laboratories, and commit to post-graduation civilian employment with the Department for a period equal to or greater than their scholarship duration. All applicants must be at least 18 years old by January 1 following an awarded scholarship, U.S. citizens, and must obtain and maintain security clearances.
Over the past 20 years, 42 awards totaling $877.4 million in federal obligations have been issued. Recent award activity shows three awards in 2026, one in 2025, and five in 2024, with the most substantial single award—a $93.1 million cooperative agreement for SMART program administration—issued February 27, 2026. The Office of the Secretary of Defense dominates the program at $855.5 million (97 percent of federal dollars) across 22 awards, with subordinate contributions from Army Materiel Command Research Development and Engineering Command ($14.7 million), and smaller participation from Defense Washington Headquarters Service, Air Force Materiel Command Research Laboratory, and Air Force.
The portfolio is predominantly cooperative agreements at 67 percent of awards, with Project Grants comprising the remaining 33 percent. A secondary portfolio includes infrastructure and outreach awards: a $9.99 million Project Grant for Future-Oriented Readiness Through Growth in Engineering and Logistics (FORGE) issued August 24, 2026, a $478,772 Cooperative Agreement for STARBASE Wright-Patterson outreach issued July 1, 2026, and a $800,000 Project Grant for AI-powered wireless systems information assurance research issued September 1, 2024.
The open solicitation W911NF-27-R-A001 seeks one cooperative agreement with a maximum award of up to $1.3 billion over a ten-year period of performance. Eligible applicants must demonstrate management capability, adequate financial and technical resources, a satisfactory record of administering similar programs or activities, and satisfactory integrity and business ethics credentials.
Objective and description
- Objective
To partner with like-minded organizations in managing the Department's merit-based SMART scholarship program and in awarding scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in any of the 22 STEM disciplines of critical importance
- Description
The SMART Scholarship Program is executed under a five-year cooperative agreement award that was last issued in FY22. Activities include program administration of the SMART application, selection, and award cycles, communication and receipt of scholar requirements, internships, SMART information management system maintenance, strategic outreach initiatives, management of SMART scholar benefits, communications with SMART Sponsoring Facilities, and program evaluations and assessments.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Subject Public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Other public institution/organization, Small business (less than 500 employees), Profit organization, Private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Quasi-public nonprofit institution/organization, Other private institutions/organizations Subject to language in funding opportunity announcement.
- Beneficiary eligibility
All applicants for scholarships must be at least 18 years of age by January 1 following an awarded scholarship and U.S. citizens. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree majoring in a DoD-relevant STEM field. Participants will be required to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance and complete summer internships at a DoD lab or facility. Upon completion of their degree, applicants are expected to work full-time for the DoD to complete a one for one service commitment.
- Uses of assistance
Execute the SMART Scholarship Program under a cooperative agreement to include SMART application, selection, and award cycle, internships, SMART information management system maintenance, strategic outreach initiatives, management of SMART scholar benefits, communication about and collection of scholar requirements, communication and partnership with DoD Sponsoring Facilitates, program evaluations and assessments, and processing of default cases.
- Use restrictions
Financial assistance through scholarships provided to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in a DoD-relevant STEM field. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled in an accredited U.S. institution of higher learning, e.g., university, college, etc.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The SMART cooperative agreement is awarded every five years. The last award was 2022.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria for the review and selection of proposals will be published in the funding opportunity announcement.
- Award procedure
After merit review is completed, awards will be negotiated, and POCs will be contacted.
- Renewals
The SMART cooperative agreement is awarded every five years through a notice of funding opportunity announcement.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 42 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LMI Consulting, LLC | $458,259,272 | 52% |
| 2 | Logistics Management Institute | $251,200,592 | 29% |
| 3 | American Society For Engineering Education | $139,836,837 | 16% |
| 4 | Texas Southern University | $9,997,847 | 1% |
| 5 | Beavercreek City School District | $6,396,493 | 1% |
| 6 | Wayne State University | $1,960,137 | <1% |
| 7 | University Of Arizona | $940,731 | <1% |
| 8 | Arizona State University | $800,000 | <1% |
| 9 | Virginia State University | $797,225 | <1% |
| 10 | Iowa State University Of Science And Technology | $784,287 | <1% |
10 of 34 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $104,142,254 |
| FY2025 | $101,156,417 |
| FY2024 | $108,519,890 |
| FY2023 | $91,059,271 |
| FY2022 | $75,187,021 |
| FY2021 | $48,258,796 |
| FY2020 | $68,076,499 |
| FY2019 | $73,302,568 |
| FY2018 | $33,247,538 |
| FY2017 | $30,419,552 |
| FY2016 | $1,984,376 |
| FY2015 | -$4,478,172 |
| FY2014 | $10,000,000 |
| FY2013 | $25,675,000 |
| FY2012 | $15,100,000 |
| FY2011 | $23,000,000 |
| FY2010 | $45,219,140 |
| FY2009 | $16,396,265 |
| FY2008 | $2,811,000 |
Show all 19
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 12.631?
Assistance Listing 12.631 is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Program: Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART), a federal grant program run by Office of the Secretary of Defense (Department of Defense).
What is the CFDA number for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Program: Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART)?
Its CFDA number is 12.631: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 12.631 awarded?
42 grant awards under 12.631 have obligated $877,377,110 in federal funds to 34 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 12.631?
The recipients obligated the most under Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Program: Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) are LMI Consulting, LLC ($458,259,272), Logistics Management Institute ($251,200,592) and American Society For Engineering Education ($139,836,837).
How much did 12.631 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 12.631 obligated $101,156,417 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 12.631?
1 listed opportunity under 12.631 is open or forecasted. The latest, The Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program Cooperative Agreement, was posted on September 30, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
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