Omar N. Bradley Officer Research Fellowships in Mathematics

Omar N. Bradley Officer Research Fellowships in Mathematics

Image courtesy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Omar N. Bradley Officer Research Fellowships

General of the Army Omar N. Bradley served as an instructor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the United States Military Academy (USMA) in the 1920s and had a well-documented lifelong passion for mathematics. The last will and testament of his late wife, Esther Dora Bradley, has a provision for 10 annual fellowships, $2,000 each, to be awarded to military officers actively engaged in the study of mathematics with the hope that these monies may shape “another Bradley” to serve and to lead our nation in the future.

Each year, the Omar N. Bradley Foundation grants 10 Omar N. Bradley Officer Research Fellowships in Mathematics.  The USMA Department of Mathematical Sciences head shall constitute a faculty board to review applications and recommend deserving recipients. The Foundation Board of Governors of the Omar N. Bradley Foundation, acting on behalf of the Chief of Staff of the Army, is the approving authority for fellowship awards. Funds will be disbursed directly to award recipients.

Selection will be made without regard to rank, branch, or affiliation with the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Funds will be granted to officers “actively engaged” in the study of mathematics who have the best-developed plans for conducting significant work, have demonstrated analytic research ability, and have the potential for the fellowship to result in a high-quality effort. Officers may reapply annually.

Who May Apply

Active or reserve duty officers of any branch of service who are actively engaged in the study of the Mathematical Sciences. Active engagement in the study of Mathematical Sciences includes any activity related to the learning of mathematics, the teaching of mathematics, or the applications of mathematics to a military problem.  Proposals should be able to be completed within three years. Officers who have been awarded a fellowship in the past may apply again. However, these applicants should provide details in their new application about the progress they have made on previous awards and how the previously received funding has been used to support their efforts with regard to the awarded proposal. 

How to Apply

Interested officers who meet the eligibility requirements specified above should apply to the Secretary of the Faculty Board for the Omar N. Bradley Officer Research Fellowships in Mathematics. Submit completed applications electronically to math.research@westpoint.edu. Applications are due no later than 15 January.

Application Requirements

  • Name, rank, and duty position
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Curriculum vitae (a biography or officer record brief is acceptable in lieu of a curriculum vitae)
  • Title of the effort
  • Project description including an overview, prior results (if any), project objective, methodology to be used, and a proposed timeline.
  • Proposed budget for the requested funding (provide detail on the breakdown of the budget as it pertains to travel or supply).
  • Proposed method of publishing or disseminating the results of the project.
  • Status of progress on projects associated with previous awards (if necessary).
  • Additional materials that will assist the committee in evaluating the application (optional). These additional materials might include writing samples, articles or manuscripts, letters of recommendation, or academic transcripts.
Status Report Requirements

Whether the results are published or presented, a reference will be made that the effort was funded (either fully or partially) by the Omar Nelson Bradley Fellowships. 

Recipients should provide a status report to an address provided in the year after receipt of funding. It should provide a summary of progress completed on the study efforts associated with the original proposal. The report should also indicate how the funding supported the study efforts, and if the funding was used to support travel, data purchases, contracted research assistance, or software purchases. 

If the funding was used for other purchases in support of the study efforts, the recipient should specify how the funding was used. The report should include a revised budget for any remaining funds as well as a revised timeline for any remaining activities associated with the original proposal.  

Selection Process for Fellowships

The head of the USMA Department of Mathematical Sciences constitutes a faculty board to review applications and recommend deserving recipients. The faculty board shall consist of at least four voting faculty members of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Each year, the faculty board will convene in January and forward its recommendations to department head in February. That person will forward recommendations to the Board of Governors of the Omar N. Bradley Foundation in late February.

For questions, please email the Department of Mathematical Sciences Research Team