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National Scholar Awards

ARCS National Scholar Award Program

The ARCS National Scholar Award Program is an important expansion of the ARCS mission, extending support to leading universities in regions not currently served by ARCS chapters. By investing in emerging areas of research critical to U.S. competitiveness, ARCS is helping strengthen the pipeline of U.S. STEM leaders whose discoveries will drive innovation and sustain America’s competitive edge.

Why ARCS Is Acting Now

ARCS is responding to current national pressures that make private support for American science more important than ever:

  • Recent reductions in federal research spending
  • Changes in international student enrollment
  • Increasing global competition in science and technology

The ARCS National Scholar Program was developed to meet this moment by helping ensure that critical scientific research and discovery continue to thrive.

Focus on High-Impact Scientific Fields

ARCS National Scholar Awards are administered by the ARCS Foundation National Organization, allowing ARCS to strategically expand its reach while maintaining the high standards that have defined the organization for more than six decades.

The new national program provides unrestricted financial awards to scholars pursuing doctoral research in designated high-impact scientific fields. All participating universities and academic programs must meet rigorous national standards, ensuring that ARCS funding supports Scholars working within the nation’s most respected research environments.

The National Scholar Award Program prioritizes scientific fields that are essential to U.S. technological leadership and global competitiveness. By supporting Scholars working in these high-impact fields, ARCS Foundation is helping accelerate research that will shape the future of science and technology.
 

High Priority Technologies: Advanced Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Computing, Microelectronics, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Quantum, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, Industrialization of Space. Identified by the Council on Competitiveness, National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontier.

ARCS National Inaugural Academic Partner: Purdue University

Approved Areas of ARCS Funding at Purdue

Click here to read our press release announcing the ARCS National Scholar Award Program

Click here to read the press release announcing our partnership with Purdue University

For additional questions about this program, please reach out to nationalscholarawards@arcsfoundation.org.

 

Donate Now to Support ARCS National Scholars

 

 

This initiative places ARCS National at the center of our founding mission–supporting exceptional STEM Scholars–while expanding our focus to high-impact scientific fields that will shape the future. By partnering with universities in regions not yet served by ARCS chapters, we can broaden our organizational reach while building on nearly seven decades of remarkable chapter leadership. Jill Bray
This relationship reflects a shared belief between Purdue and ARCS that investing in doctoral talent is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the nation’s innovation ecosystem. Sustained graduate funding enables top scholars to focus on high-impact discovery, strengthening the talent pipeline that powers Indiana’s Hard Tech Corridor and the industries shaping our future. Haley Oliver-Jischke