Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§2191 Graduate fellowships

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART III— - TRAINING AND EDUCATION › Chapter CHAPTER 111— - SUPPORT OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION › § 2191

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must create rules to give fellowships to U.S. citizens and nationals who agree to get graduate degrees in science, engineering, or other fields the Secretary picks as important to the Department of Defense. The award is called a "National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship." Fellowships must be given only for academic merit. The Secretary must try to get applicants from groups underrepresented in science and technology, such as minority groups, women, and people with disabilities. Winners are picked by a nationwide competition and not by where someone lives or will study. The rules must explain the award criteria, the selection steps, how payment amounts are set, and the maximum a person can receive in an academic year.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2191

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations providing for the award of fellowships to citizens and nationals of the United States who agree to pursue graduate degrees in science, engineering, or other fields of study designated by the Secretary to be of priority interest to the Department of Defense.

(b)A fellowship awarded pursuant to regulations prescribed under subsection (a) shall be known as a “National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship”.

(c)National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships shall be awarded solely on the basis of academic ability. The Secretary shall take all appropriate actions to encourage applications for such fellowships of persons who are members of groups (including minority groups, women, and disabled persons) which historically have been underrepresented in science and technology fields. Recipients shall be selected on the basis of a nationwide competition. The award of a fellowship under this section may not be predicated on the geographic region in which the recipient lives or the geographic region in which the recipient will pursue an advanced degree.

(d)The regulations prescribed under this section shall include—

(1)the criteria for award of fellowships;

(2)the procedures for selecting recipients;

(3)the basis for determining the amount of a fellowship; and

(4)the maximum amount that may be awarded to an individual during an academic year.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2191

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73