Authorized by Congress to foster and encourage excellence in science and mathematics, the Goldwater Scholarship recognizes STEM students who have outstanding potential and intend to pursue PhD level education and research careers.
Deadline: November (Internal); January (External)
Value: Up to $7,500 per full academic year to cover the cost of tuition, mandatory fees, books, and room and board (minus the amount of support provided by other sources).
Eligibility: U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident; sophomore and junior STEM majors who intend to pursue a research career in natural science, mathematics, or engineering (as defined by the number of semesters left at UNH – i.e. sophomore has 3-4 semesters left and junior has 1-2 semesters left by the due date); GPA of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
Major: STEM
Fellowship Type: Undergraduate
UNH Supported Award: The Office of National Fellowships offers information sessions/handouts and other programming to assist you with your application.
Nomination: Yes; Please contact the Office of National Fellowships.
Website:
Goldwater Application Deadlines
- Internal Deadline: November 1, 2026
- National Deadline: January 29, 2027 at 5:00pm EST
Looking for a student perspective on the Goldwater application process?
Read this blog post featuring a former UNH applicant’s experience!
Goldwater Recommended Steps and Timeline
- By September 30, 2026: and complete the
- By October 7, 2026: Ask research mentor to write a letter of recommendation for your Goldwater nomination and send their name and email address to national.fellowships@unh.edu.
- By October 18, 2026: Meet with Leigh in the Office of National Fellowships to assess eligibility for Goldwater and to discuss recommenders (you will only ask your research mentor for a nomination at this time).
- November 1, 2026, 11:59pm ET: INTERNAL DEADLINE
- Complete all portions of Goldwater application on Goldwater website. and email to Office of National Fellowships.
- Confirm that research mentor e-mailed recommendation to Office of National Fellowships.
- By November 20, 2026: All applicants will receive notification of their nomination status.
- Nominees will be asked to:
- Complete FERPA form and send it to the Office of National Fellowships (national.fellowships@unh.edu) to request a copy of official UNH transcript.
- Complete the .
- Request letters of recommendation from their remaining 2 recommenders. Recommenders will be asked to submit draft letters to the Office of National Fellowships by January 10th.
- **All nominees are required to complete at least 2 revisions following the nomination.
- Nominees will be asked to:
- By December 20, 2026: Nominees should submit a revision of all materials to the Office of National Fellowships.
- By January 10, 2026: Nominees should submit a revision of all materials to the Office of National Fellowships. Letter writers must submit a draft of letters to the Office of National Fellowships by this date.
- January 25, 2026 by 11:59pm: Applicants should submit application through online portal.
- January 29, 2027, 5pm CT: NATIONAL DEADLINE
