Apply through Reed Fellowships and Awards Committee
Internal Deadline: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at noon pacific time
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Description
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship Program's mission is to identify, encourage, and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this nation’s next generation of research leaders. The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the oldest and most prestigious national undergraduate scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States. Each scholarship provides up to $7,500 per academic year toward tuition, mandatory fees, books, and housing and meals.
The program selected 454 new scholars in the 2026 competition out of 1,485 nominees from 482 academic institutions.
Eligibility
To be eligible for nomination for a Goldwater Scholarship, a student must:
- be a matriculated sophomore or junior pursuing a degree at Reed and be a full-time matriculated student during the academic terms when receiving scholarship support from the Foundation;
- intend to pursue a research career in a natural science, mathematics, or engineering. Careers in medicine, veterinary medicine, and engineering qualify only if research is central to your career goals (see the Goldwater website for a detailed list of eligible fields of study);
- have a Reed College grade point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale;
- be a U.S. citizen or national from the 50 states, District of Columbia, any territory or possession of the United States, or a permanent resident (permanent residents must submit a photocopy of their Permanent Resident Card, also known as the Green Card).
The Foundation does not award scholarships to students whose career interests are clinical practice in medicine (translational research is supported), design work in engineering, or social/behavioral work and research in psychology (neuroscience research is supported). If you are unsure where your interests fall, ask us by emailing clbrfellowships@reed.edu — do not count yourself out without that conversation.
Students on Leave
Students on leave in fall semester are eligible to apply during that academic year in most years, as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements, are returning that spring, and as long as the start of the spring semester is before the last Friday in January, which is the national deadline for the Goldwater.
Study Abroad
Students who are participating in a Reed authorized study abroad semester or year are typically eligible to apply, as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements.
Selection Criteria
What the foundation looks for in a Goldwater Scholar:
- A strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering
- Intellectual intensity in those fields, demonstrated in coursework and research
- The potential for a significant future contribution to research in their chosen field
To be a strong applicant, the Goldwater Foundation recommends that you get involved in research as early in your undergraduate experience as possible (or even in high school).
Application Procedure
Interested students should review our internal application instructions, as an internal application is required for consideration. Contact CLBR Fellowships with any questions.
Hear from Reedie Awardees
Check out this interview between CLBR advisor Shania Siron and Goldwater awardees Simon Couch '21 and Patrick Park '22: