Drake University students interested in a career in mathematics, the physical sciences, natural sciences, or engineering are invited to apply for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.
Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation operates an educational scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for outstanding U.S. students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in, and potential for, careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering.
In April 2026, the Foundation will award scholarships to students who will be college juniors or seniors during the 2025-2026 academic year. To be considered for an award, students must be nominated by their institution. The national DEADLINE for RECEIPT of all nominations is January 30th, 2026. There are earlier on-campus deadlines, however. Please note them below.
The scholarship award covers eligible expenses up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Sophomore scholarship recipients can expect to receive a maximum of two years of support. Junior scholarship recipients are eligible for a maximum of one year of support.
Who is eligible to apply?
1) Any Drake University student pursuing a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering is eligible if he or she majors in mathematics, physical sciences, or natural sciences.
2) Students must currently be full-time sophomores or juniors pursuing a baccalaureate degree.
3) Students must have a cumulative Drake G.P.A. of 3.75 or better.
4) Students must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, or U.S. national.
5) Students who plan to study medicine are eligible only if they plan a research career rather than a career as a medical doctor in a private practice.
6) Strong candidates may have had the opportunity to participate in research or held internships in research facilities, either industrial or academic.
The application consists of 2 to 3 pages student essay on a research problem in science, three letters of recommendation, most likely from Drake University faculty, transcripts, and a nomination from the Goldwater Scholarship Faculty Representative (Dr. Gholam Mirafzal). In the case of students with research experience, one of the three letters of recommendation must come from the research advisor.
Apply at: https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/
Drake University can nominate up to four individuals. Qualified individuals will submit their essay to Dr. Mirafzal. They will then be read by the Drake Goldwater Scholarship Committee. From this pool of essays, four will be chosen and will be forwarded to the national scholarship committee. The internal review of essays will begin on January 12, 2026.
To be considered, interested sophomores and juniors should contact: Dr. Mirafzal, (Department of Chemistry, 213 Morgan E. Cline Hall of Pharmacy and Science, gholam.mirafzal@drake.edu) no later than December 12th. I would encourage you to speak to me earlier than that, however, to get a start on the essay and on the other application material.
Several Drake students have received this scholarship in recent years and our hope is for that to continue. The scholarships are prestigious and the students that have received them have gone on to well-known institutions for graduate studies.
Thank you and I hope you consider applying!
— Gholam Mirafzal, Windsor Professor of Chemistry
