Goldwater Scholarship

Check Award Deadline

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is given to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Approximately 450 students nationwide receive a Goldwater Scholarship each year.

Award: Scholarships of up to $7,500 a year are provided to help cover costs associated with tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board. Sophomores receive support in both their junior and senior years. Juniors will receive support in their senior year.

Criteria: The characteristics the Foundation seeks in a Goldwater Scholar include (1) strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering; (2) effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering; and (3) potential for a significant future contribution to research in his/her chosen field.

Eligibility

To be eligible for nomination for a Goldwater Scholarship, a student must:

• Be a full-time matriculated sophomore or junior
• Intend to pursue a research career in a natural science, mathematics or engineering, as defined by the Goldwater Scholarship’s Conditions of Eligibility
• Have a competitive GPA of at least a 3.0, and usually 3.6 or higher
• Be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
• Be nominated by a faculty member, in an email sent to ODS during the current application year

How to apply for UNC endorsement

• Review the Goldwater Scholarship Timeline 
• Ask a faculty member to nominate you by emailing ods@unc.edu their nomination (this can be a short 2-3 sentence nomination email) 

• Fill out the Goldwater pre-application on the Goldwater website 
  • After we have received your nomination and you have completed the pre-application, an ODS team member will approve your pre-application. You will then be sent an automated email from Goldwater to begin the online application 

• Request Three (3) Letters of Recommendation 
  • Use the Recommender Name Submission Form to request letters 

• Apply for UNC Endorsement with the Application for UNC Endorsement Form 
  • Prepare and upload a single PDF that includes (in this order) 
    • Your CV 
    • The completed Goldwater Application downloaded from the online portal 
    • Research Essay
    • All relevant unofficial transcripts 

Nomination by a UNC Faculty or Staff Member

Eligible students who are interested in pursuing a Goldwater Scholarship must be nominated by a UNC faculty or staff member before they can apply for endorsement. Students may reach out to a UNC faculty or staff member and ask to be nominated.

In order to nominate a student: a faculty or staff member must send a short e-mail to ODS (ods@unc.edu) by the nomination deadline with the following information:

• The student’s name
• The student’s PID
• The student’s UNC email address
• The nominator’s name and email address

Resources for applicants