Four RoboMasterminds interns have been awarded the Department of War’s (DoW) SMART Scholarship, a competitive, merit-based opportunity created to help STEM students advance their education while preparing for civilian careers with the DoW. These scholars will continue their education while building their professional experience at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) or the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), two of the DoW’s many Sponsoring Facilities.

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship provides full tuition at any U.S.-accredited college or university, an annual stipend, summer internships at DoW facilities, and guaranteed civilian employment after graduation. Through this scholarship-for-service model, students also gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and a direct pathway from STEM education into a DoW career.

SMART scholars work at Sponsoring Facilities on technologies and research that support national security and help maintain the United States’ technological edge. With more than 150 Sponsoring Facilities across the DoW, scholars have opportunities to gain experience in fields across STEM.

For Ardon Floros, Matthew Winn, Hudson Garrett, and Aidan Metzger, the SMART Scholarship builds on the STEM experiences they gained through RoboMasterminds and other Energetics Technology Center (ETC) workforce development programs. ETC helps students explore STEM careers and connect with opportunities like SMART, creating a pathway from hands-on learning and internships to higher education and careers with the Department of War.

Ardon Floros first came to RoboMasterminds as a student and later returned as a mentor. He said this experience gave him a unique perspective on both sides of the program.

“Being a former summer student, current computer science student, and newly college student gave me a great idea of how to go about mentoring the students, as well as great advice to give to the students,” Floros said. Working at ARL also allowed him observe robotics research and testing firsthand, which he says influenced his coursework and career direction, prompting him to add a new concentration to his major and later join a robotics-focused computational motion and autonomy lab at school.

Now headed to ARL’s Networks, Electromagnetic Warfare, and Cyber Sciences division, Floros will work in the Advanced Computing Branch on bringing intelligent decision-making to the edge through machine learning. One of his focuses will be optimizing neural networks to run on accelerator devices in place of power-hungry GPUs, enabling faster, more efficient decision-making on platforms like drones.

Reflecting on the moment he found out he’d received the scholarship, Floros described a mix of relief and validation. “The scholarship meant I had both summer work and a future job lined up, saving me the stress of applying to dozens of positions and going through interviews for each,” he said. “With the job market being so competitive nowadays, receiving the award felt especially liberating.”

Matthew Winn started as a Naval Energetics Technology Apprenticeship Program (NETAP) intern before being invited by ETC team member, Catherine Shingleton, to join RoboMasterminds, where he spent his internship teaching STEM topics to students in Indian Head, MD.

“When I found out I received the SMART Scholarship, I felt like I accomplished a huge milestone,” Winn said. “Everything I had done up to that point had finally paid off.”

Winn will join NSWC IHD’s Engineering (E) Department, where his work will focus on ensuring drones and energetics are safe for use by the U.S. military. He credits his time with RoboMasterminds, particularly the program’s UGV challenge, with shaping his understanding of autonomous systems. “The autonomous part of the UGV challenge has shown me the work that goes into making a robot autonomous, but also the amazing tasks it can perform,” he said.

Looking ahead, Winn says he’s excited to carry the skills and experience from his RoboMasterminds internships into his new role, though he acknowledged the bittersweet nature of moving on. “I am going to miss my time working here.”

For students like Floros and Winn, the SMART Scholarship represents a continuation of the hands-on STEM experiences that helped shape their interests and career goals. The program is designed to accelerate the transition from STEM student to STEM professional, giving scholars the opportunity to focus on their education while gaining experience at world-class DoW facilities and preparing for careers that contribute to national security and technological advancement.

ETC additionally congratulates Hudson Garrett and Aidan Metzger, who received the SMART Scholarship with NSWC IHD.

Students pursuing degrees in eligible STEM disciplines can learn more about the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program, including eligibility requirements, scholarship benefits, Sponsoring Facilities, and the application process here.