Fellowships

Goldwater Scholarship

Is it for you?

The Goldwater Scholarship was established to foster and encourage excellence in science and mathematics in the U.S. Awards are made annually, with each scholarship providing a maximum of $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Sophomore applicants are eligible for two years of support; junior applicants are eligible for one year of support. JHU can nominate four applicants each year.

What are the key dates?

Information sessions:

Before submitting a pre-application, we strongly advise that you attend one of our Goldwater information sessions (both sessions are identical, so you only need to attend one):

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET – please use this Zoom link
Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 5:00 pm ET – please use this Zoom link

Pre-application deadline: November 11, 2024 at 9 am

By this date, prospective applicants should be enrolled on our Canvas course for Goldwater applicants (email [email protected] to request access), submit a research-oriented C.V. via Canvas, complete the brief pre-application form on the Goldwater website, and schedule an advising appointment (more details on Canvas).

JHU campus deadline: January 3, 2025 at 9 am

By this date, applicants who have been working with the NFP will submit their completed Goldwater campus application to the Canvas site (more details on Canvas) to be considered for nomination.

Official national deadline: January 31, 2025 (for nominees only)

Are you eligible?

Candidates for the Goldwater Scholarship must:

be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
be sophomores or juniors in an eligible field of study (natural sciences, mathematics, engineering).
be intent on pursuing a Ph.D. and a career in research. Students interested in an M.D./Ph.D. may apply but must be intent on a research career. The competition is not appropriate for students intending to go to medical school or to stop their education at the master’s level.
have significant lab research experience and a strong academic record.

How do you work with the NFP?

JHU nomination is required through a campus selection process (JHU may nominate up to four candidates, or five if one nominee is a transfer student). Goldwater applicants work with NFP, meeting the various deadlines below, for the duration of the application process.

The timeline gives an overview of the application process and when to reach out to us. In preparation, see “have a closer look” below for more resources about the Goldwater.

late October-early November	Attend an info session
mid-November	Submit pre-application form; have an individual advising meeting with NFP adviser
November – December	Work on research essay and other application materials
early January	Meet campus JHU deadline
mid-January	Revise applications (for nominees)
late January	Meet official Goldwater deadline

Are you competitive?

About 400-450 scholarships are awarded each year. Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review. JHU chooses four students as nominees to the national Goldwater Scholarship competition. The campus committee and NFP staff offer the four nominees advice on how to improve their materials for final submission and nominees submit the final version of their applications shortly before the official deadline, the last Friday in January.

Selection decisions (both on-campus and at the national level) are based on the following criteria:

Academic record: A high GPA, evidence of intellectual intensity as shown by early participation in graduate courses, and accomplishments outside the classroom make a strong record. Selection committees also look for the applicant’s potential to make significant future contributions in his/her chosen field.
Research essay: The essay, written as if it were an article to be published in a scientific periodical and read by a professional audience, is not a research proposal. Typically, a strong, focused essay refers to past and future work. It describes a past research experience and your contribution to/involvement in that project, and then uses the experience either: 1) to describe research you might do to finish the project, for unfinished research projects; or 2) to use the experience, and the respective skills developed, to propose an entirely new project that builds on the previously developed research skills.
Commitment to a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering: Internships, research, and related employment strengthen a student’s application. Students should also have shown involvement in math/science/engineering student or professional organizations.
Three letters of recommendation: Evaluations should be from STEM-field faculty members who can discuss your potential for a career in math, science, or engineering based on supervising your research and/or your academic performance. At least one of these must be in your immediate field of study, and at least one letter must be from someone who has supervised your lab research.