Tenure

The duration of an NDSEG Fellowship is a maximum of 36 months during 3 consecutive years at any U.S. institution of higher education with an accredited program in the appropriate discipline starting in the Fall following the completion of the recipient’s Bachelor of Science degree.

The availability of funds for the second, and third years of each three-year award is contingent upon certification to the DoD awarding agency by the fellow’s institution that the fellow has made satisfactory academic progress toward an advanced degree in one of the science or engineering fields.

The NDSEG Fellow is authorized up to a $5,000 travel budget over their tenure for professional development. The DoD National NDSEG Fellows Conference is a mandatory required travel obligation during their tenure.

The NDSEG fellow may select any accredited U.S. institution of higher education to pursue their degrees in science or engineering. During part of their tenure, fellows may study or engage in research or fieldwork away from their academic institutions if:

• In the judgment of the faculty and with the prior approval from the NDSEG Program Office, such arrangements further the Fellow’s education and contribute directly to the attainment of an advanced degree
• The fellow is officially enrolled and earning academic credit

Fellows may be allowed to participate in internships at DoD facilities and non-DoD facilities that are conducting research relevant to the Fellow’s program of study. Internships will be completed during 1 or more academic periods during the graduate institution academic year, or when invited by a DoD or non-DoD agency to perform research.

While participating in an internship, the Fellow must continue to be academically enrolled and progressing towards their degree. Internships at non-DoD facilities will require coordination and prior written approval from the sponsoring DoD agency and the DoD NDSEG Program Office.

These internships will not be grounds to request a deferral of the fellowship award.