About the Scholarship
Barry Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to outstanding undergraduates who are studying mathematics, natural sciences or engineering and who intend to pursue a research career. The scholarship awards up to $7,500 for the remaining year(s) of study at USC. Desired qualities of applicants include a competitive grade point average, demonstrated research experience and commitment and potential to make a significant contribution to the fields of mathematics, natural sciences or engineering. Applicants interested in pursuing medicine must demonstrate a desire for medical research, rather than medical practice.
Requirements
Basic Eligibility
Goldwater applicants must:
1. Be a matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at an accredited 2- or 4-year institution of higher education and be a full-time matriculated student during the academic terms when receiving scholarship support from the Foundation.
2. Intend to pursue a research career in a natural science, mathematics or engineering,1
3. Have a college grade point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale 2, and
4. Be a U.S. citizen or national from the 50 States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and any other territory or possession of the United States; or a permanent resident. A permanent resident must submit a photocopy of their Permanent Resident Card, also known as a Green Card.
1The natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics fields and sub-fields used by the Goldwater Foundation to determine eligibility are those used by the National Science Foundation for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program. These include: Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychology. To view a field’s sub-fields, click on the field in the table on the eligibility page.
While research in medicine is not supported by the National Science Foundation, students interested in pursuing careers in medicine or veterinary medicine are eligible for a Goldwater Scholarship IF RESEARCH IS A CENTRAL PART OF THE STUDENT’S CAREER GOALS.
2In recent Goldwater competitions, GPAs have ranged from 3.3 to 4.95 on a 4.0 scale.
Selection Criteria
When reviewing nomination packets, Goldwater reviewers are attempting to determine who these individuals are among the nominees. Application materials will be as varied as the students who submit them. There are, nevertheless, some characteristics among applications that are worth noting. Nomination materials will be reviewed by discipline.
- Demonstrate a passion for doing research is by doing research. When you tell your research story, specify what you contributed to an experiment and what you got out of the experience, so the reviewer can evaluate your interest in and passion for doing research.
- Demonstrate ownership of the project, or some part of the project. You do not have to be involved in a research project that occurs on the world’s largest particle accelerator. You can demonstrate sophisticated and elegant thinking and analysis doing research on the ecosystem of the pond behind your dorm.
- Get involved in research as early in your undergraduate experience as possible! If you are going to be nominated as a sophomore for a Goldwater scholarship, the above discussion clearly suggests that you should start engaging in research during your freshman year of college (or even in high school).
Advising
Advising Period: November – Early December
Contact: Katie Capra, kcalvert@usc.edu