October 10, 2008

Homeland security STEM scholarships available for Purdue students

The Purdue Regional Visualization and Analytics Center and Purdue Homeland Security Institute in Discovery Park are leading the university program, now in its second year, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Students from all majors across the university who are interested in fields related to homeland security can apply.

The scholarship application deadline is Nov. 3. Winners will be announced Nov. 20, in time for the scholarships to be used in the spring. Scholarships are available only to junior and senior undergraduate students and graduate students and vary for Indiana and non-resident applicants:

* Undergraduate recipients: Scholarships for full-time Indiana residents are $8,697 per semester and $5,000 during the summer for a total of $22,394, or a two-year maximum of $44,788. Non-resident students can receive $16,101 per semester and $5,000 each summer for a total of $37,202, or a two-year maximum of $74,404.

* Graduate recipients: Scholarships, which will be disbursed in the form of fellowships, are $27,600 a year, or a maximum of $82,800 over three years.

This year, the goal is to award two undergraduate scholarships and up to five for graduate students, said program leaders David Ebert, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Regional Visualization and Analytics Center, and Sandra Amass, a professor of veterinary clinical sciences and associate director of the Purdue Homeland Security Institute.

To download an application form, go to https://purvac.org/  or contact Marti Burns at (765) 494-2216 for more information.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the national scholarship program in 2007 to bolster the agency's research efforts and to support a new generation of scientists capable of advancing homeland security goals and aid in faculty retention.

In the initial year, seven Purdue graduate students received scholarships as part of a $500,000 grant from the federal agency and are now participating in research in terrorism and infectious diseases, cyber threats, analysis of linked animal and human health data, explosive and radiation detection, border security, and cargo container detection.

Writer: Phillip Fiorini, (765) 496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu

Sources: David Ebert, (765) 494-9064, ebertd@ecn.purdue.edu

Sandy Amass, (765) 494-8052, amasss@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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