Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0601120D8Z/ — data as of August 12, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
National Defense Education Program
Budget Figures
$146.0M discretionary + $10.0M one-time reconciliation. Discretionary change vs FY2025 enacted: -14.1%.
Two official figures, one label— reconciled below
Fiscal Receipts uses P-1/R-1 workbook total obligation authority (TOA) as the headline figure sitewide. The workbook TOA includes budget rows (such as advance procurement) that the R-2/P-40 J-book program line excludes. How the two bases relate →
FY26 Request · $156.0M TOA − $146.0M J-book line = 10.0M (156.0 − 146.0 = 10.0)
Figures in the sentence are rounded for reading; the parenthesised arithmetic is the same subtraction in USD millions, at the precision where it closes.
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USASpending awards are reported on a rolling basis and the fiscal year does not close until September 30. why partial FY2026 data? →
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY24 | $157.1M |
| FY25 | $170.0M |
| FY26 | $156.0M |
All series figures: R-1 TOA · PB2026
The vertical scale does not start at zero: the baseline sits just below this program’s smallest year, so a low point on this line is not a small amount. Read the shape for direction and the grid below for the figures.
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY15 | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $54.6M | $52.8M | $77.0M | $100.8M | $132.7M | $139.0M | $132.5M | $140.1M | $168.5M | $157.1M | ||
| Enacted | $54.4M | $69.3M | $74.3M | $135.6M | $144.1M | $137.2M | $144.8M | $174.3M | $159.5M | $170.0M | ||
| Request | $69.3M | $74.3M | $85.9M | $92.1M | $100.2M | $112.2M | $132.3M | $159.5M | $170.0M | $156.0M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2020 book requested $92.1M for FY2020; the PB2022 book reported $139.0M as actual total obligation authority — $46.9M above the request. 139.0 − 92.1 = 46.9 USD millions — the compact figures above are rounded for reading.
Program Lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Mission — National Defense Education Program (NDEP)
This program supports the Department's strategy to Build Sustainable and Long-Term Advantage and Cultivate the Workforce that the DoD needs. The National Defense Education Program (NDEP) supports the National Defense Science & Technology Strategy in ensuring the foundations for research and development have the workforce it needs now and into the future, through investments at every level of education. NDEP: (1) Fosters and enhances the Department of Defense’s (DoD) ability to develop and access high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent vital to national defense; (2) Is executed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)); (3) Aligns to the Federal STEM Strategy, and addresses critical STEM education and talent development challenges across the PreK-20 education continuum through evidence-based approaches; (4) Activities align with the Department’s vision of a diverse STEM talent pool readily accessible to serve our Nation and evolve the Department’s competitive edge; (5) Activities engage in assessment and evaluation practices as outlined by the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office; and (6) Aligns to the DoD STEM Strategic Plan in support of the National Defense Strategy and the DoD science and technology (S&T) critical technology areas. NDEP is part of the broader Department-wide effort under DoD STEM, which works collectively with partners from academia, industry non-profit organizations, defense research laboratories and engineering centers, and other government entities to: (1) build strong foundations for STEM literacy; (2) increase inclusion, diversity, and equity in STEM; and (3) prepare the STEM workforce of the future. NDEP activities provide authentic learning experiences through a variety of education and outreach initiatives in the form of scholarships, internships, enrichment activities, project/research-based competitions, and mentorships through strategic partnerships. The NDEP programs span across all age groups, including Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade (PreK-12) students and teachers, and postsecondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. The NDEP’s portfolio includes: the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarship-for-service program; STEM Education and Outreach (E&O) efforts including the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC); and specific Congressionally directed programs, to include the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program (MEEP) per 10 U.S. Code 4843 and broader NDEP funding opportunities in STEM education and workforce development. The SMART Program enables the Department to transform its STEM workforce while addressing near-term workforce demands. Per 10 U.S. Code 4093, the SMART program awards highly competitive scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students in any of the 24 STEM academic disciplines critical to national security, and hires the students, upon graduation, into DoD's civilian workforce. As part of the SMART experience, scholars engage in internships that allow for relevant hands-on research and work experiences in DoD facilities and international partner research institutions, thereby enhancing their educational experience. The SMART program ensures the Department has a steady infusion of high-quality technical talent, prepared in areas of critical importance, and ready to apply their technical knowledge, skills, and abilities to fulfill the DoD mission. Through an annual competitive SEED grant, SMART offers transitioning Ph.D. scholars an opportunity to establish a foundational research and engineering effort in their area of expertise aligned with a DoD mission or critical technology area and supporting their development into subject matter experts. Additionally, per FY 2021 NDAA Sec. 250, SMART also offers a competitive funding opportunity through the Creative Research & Engineering Advancing Technical Equity in STEM (CREATES) Grant to expand and enhance connections and opportunities between the SMART program, SMART scholars, SMART sponsoring facilities, and students and faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Minority Institutions (MI), Minority Service Institutions (MSI), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) and Women’s Colleges (WC). Since its inception in FY 2005, SMART has awarded approximately 5,200 scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate STEM degrees. To date, over 3,400 scholars have completed their academic pursuit and transitioned into DoD employment. More than 1,300 scholars are currently pursuing their SMART-funded degrees. Over 2,000 participants have successfully completed the program through their DoD Service commitment. NDEP’s STEM E&O activities will continue to engage military-connected students in collaboration with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), external partners, and other stakeholders to support the preparation of dependents of members of the armed forces for careers in STEM as enacted under 10 U.S. Code 2192(b). Additionally, where feasible, NDEP activities will also support the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, enacted in FY 2020. Per 10 U.S. Code 2192, NDEP’s STEM E&O activities support a cohesive and coordinated approach by providing a continuum of preK to career opportunities for students, educators (formal and informal), administrators, and schools, especially for military-connected students. The primary effort under NDEP STEM E&O is the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC), which is a consortium-model approach, leveraging a collaborative ecosystem of partners that aims to develop America’s STEM workforce of the future ready to support the national security mission and the Warfighter. The DSEC is a multi-year investment through a cooperative agreement award comprised of a consortium of program partners that have a national reach, as well as regionally focused activities leveraging evidence-based approaches. In FY2025, about 40% of SMART Scholarship recipients previously participated in preK-12 programs such as those funded under DSEC. DSEC is designed to evolve over time, enabling the Department and the consortium the flexibility to bring in new strategic partners to address emerging issues in STEM education and talent development, and to align to DoD’s priorities. The Biotechnology Education and Workforce Development (BIOTECH) efforts will be consolidated into the STEM E&O beginning in FY 2026 and establishes new educational programs that align with biotechnology priorities through competitive grants and internal call for proposals.
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (3)
Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program
SMART is a scholarship-for-service program that provides support to high performing U.S. graduate and undergraduate students in 24 academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines identified as critical to the national security mission. SMART Scholars receive full tuition, a stipend, allotments for books and health insurance, internships at a sponsoring DoD laboratory, engineering center, or agency, and guaranteed employment with the DoD upon degree completion. Students fulfill a one-for-one service commitment to the Department as a civilian employee for every year of scholarship provided. The disciplines awarded to align with the Department’s Science and Technology (S&T) priorities and emerging scientific research areas, such as: Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Biosciences; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science and Engineering; Cybersecurity; Data Science; Electrical Engineering; Environmental Sciences; Geosciences; Industrial and Systems Engineering; Information Sciences; Materials Science and Engineering; Mathematics; Mechanical Engineering; Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering; Nuclear Engineering; Oceanography; Operations Research; Physics; and Software Engineering. Currently, over 1,300 SMART scholars are in academic pursuit and will transition into the civilian workforce in the next few years at more than 100 sponsoring facilities across the Department, including the military departments of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other Defense Agencies. Over 90% of the participants have successfully completed, or are on track to complete, both their SMART- funded degree pursuit and their DoD employment agreement. Oversight of the SMART program falls under the purview of Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) with execution at the Component level. There are two participant categories in the program: (1) retention scholars who are current DoD employees; and (2) recruitment scholars who are students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs and represent new technical expertise for the Department. Internships provide Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholars with the opportunity to engage in the DoD science and technology enterprise through research and work experiences in defense laboratories, thereby enhancing their educational experience and understanding the relevance of DoD research priority areas. SMART internships ensure that scholars are ready to support the national security mission and the Warfighter upon transition into the DoD workforce. The SMART program is executed through an existing five-year cooperative agreement awarded in FY 2022.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Outreach
The STEM Education and Outreach activities provides learners and educators across the pre-K to 16+ continuum unique experiences aimed to inspire, cultivate, and develop exceptional STEM talent poised to tackle evolving defense technological challenges. In order to build a workforce that solves national defense needs and challenges, the DoD recognizes the necessity for increased participation of underserved groups in STEM activities and education programs, to include military-connected students. NDEP’s DSEC effort reaches close to 60,000 students and more than 5,000 educators across the PreK-16 grade levels, and spanning the 50 states and U.S. Territories. Investments are made to promote participation in national-level STEM programs and initiatives and provide authentic learning experiences for students and teachers across the globe. STEM E&O activities are primarily executed through a 10-year DSEC cooperative agreement awarded in FY 2024. Other activities are executed through internal call for proposals and/or external Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Biotechnology (BIOTECH) Education Program
In order to build a Biotechnology Education Program (BIOTECH) workforce that solves national defense needs and challenges, the DoD recognizes the importance of supporting domestic programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in biotechnology.
Budget Line Items(workbook-cited)
P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | OSD | FY24 Actuals | $157.1M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | OSD | FY25 Enacted | $170.0M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | OSD | FY25 Total | $170.0M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | OSD | FY26 Disc. Request | $146.0M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | OSD | FY26 Reconciliation | $10.0M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | OSD | FY26 Total | $156.0M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
J-book detail basis (R-2/P-40, USD millions) · PB2026 — a different accounting basis from the P-1/R-1 workbook TOA above; where the two disagree, the reconciliation strip under Budget Figures shows both.
Wider than this screen — swipe the table sideways for the remaining fiscal-year columns.
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $168.5M | $157.1M | $170.0M | $146.0M | $146.0M |
| 120: National Defense Education Program (NDEP) | $168.5M | $157.1M | $170.0M | $146.0M | $146.0M |
No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 17 of 1,741 programs). why coverage is partial? →
Awards
No awards are linked to this program element at high confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.
Lobbying Mentions
No Senate LDA lobbying filing in the tracked data mentions this program element by code or alias.
Oversight
Department-level designation (not specific to this program)
GAO lists 5 high-risk areas for DOD as a whole. That designation covers the department, not National Defense Education Program — no program-specific GAO finding for this line is in the ingested data. See the DOD oversight record.
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1,741 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →