WASHINGTON, April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) has been awarded a brand new cooperative settlement to proceed managing the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB). The award reaffirms USRA’s dedication to strengthening the science, know-how, engineering, and arithmetic (STEM) workforce in assist of nationwide protection priorities.
Since its launch in 2017, the AFRL Scholars Program at Eglin AFB has supported 668 individuals by hands-on analysis experiences in mission-critical disciplines. The new settlement spans 5 years, with non-obligatory one-year extensions, and has an preliminary worth of $2.5 million.
The program supplies paid analysis internships for college students from the highschool to graduate degree. Scholars work alongside AFRL scientists and engineers, gaining sensible expertise in real-world protection analysis environments. Through mentorship and continued engagement with returning Scholars and alumni, this system strengthens the STEM expertise pipeline and helps long-term workforce improvement throughout the protection and analysis communities.
“The continuation of the AFRL Scholars Program at Eglin underscores the importance of investing in future STEM leaders who will drive innovation in support of our nation’s defense,” mentioned Bernie Seery, Vice President of Science and Technology at USRA. “USRA is proud to expand its partnership with Eglin Air Force Base through this new cooperative agreement, which also supports the Faculty Fellowship Program and connects emerging talent and leading faculty with AFRL’s world-class research environment.”
The AFRL Scholars Program delivers significant analysis experiences which are extremely impactful to the AFRL and Air Force mission,” mentioned Brian Mitchell, Pipeline Coordinator, Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base. “Our continued partnership with USRA helps attract and acquire the next generation of scientists and engineers while advancing research critical to national defense.”
Dr. Amanda Hackler Smith, Director of STEM Education Programs and Principal Investigator at USRA, added, “By connecting students with expert mentorship and impactful research opportunities, we are preparing a skilled workforce to address the nation’s most pressing challenges. This agreement strengthens USRA’s longstanding commitment to high-impact STEM workforce development and expands access to AFRL’s research environment for students and faculty.”
About USRA
Founded in 1969, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is an unbiased, nonprofit group that advances space- and Earth-related science, engineering, and know-how by revolutionary analysis, schooling, and workforce improvement applications. USRA companions with authorities companies, educational establishments, and business to tackle a number of the nation’s most complicated scientific and technical challenges. For extra info, go to www.usra.edu.
About the AFRL Scholars Program
For extra details about the AFRL Scholars Program and USRA’s workforce improvement initiatives, go to https://afrlscholars.usra.edu
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SOURCE Universities Space Research Association
