Top 30 Scholarships for Cyber-Physical Systems & IoT Students

February deadlines

1. ISA Smart Manufacturing and IIoT Division Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the best true-fit picks on the page because ISA’s scholarship program explicitly supports students in automation and control, and ISA’s recent recipient list specifically includes a Smart Manufacturing and IIoT Division Scholarship. That makes it unusually relevant for students building connected machines, factory sensors, industrial analytics, digital twins, or edge-device systems. Even better, ISA uses one central application, so a single submission can put you in range for multiple automation-heavy awards.
Amount: Varies by division/endowment
Deadline: February 28
Apply/info: ISA Scholarships

2. ISA Automatic Controls and Robotics Division Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Cyber-physical systems are basically where software meets control loops and hardware in the real world, so a scholarship tied to automatic controls and robotics lands right in the sweet spot. This is a great fit for students doing control systems, autonomous devices, robotics, mechatronics, industrial automation, or sensor-driven machine behavior. It is also nice because ISA does not force you into a hyper-narrow “IoT” label to still be a strong match.
Amount: Varies by division/endowment
Deadline: February 28
Apply/info: ISA Scholarships

3. ISA Process Measurement and Control Division Scholarship
Why It Slaps: If your work touches instrumentation, calibration, telemetry, sensor fusion, or monitoring systems, this one is a practical fit. A lot of industrial IoT work is really “measurement plus control plus networking” dressed in new language, and this scholarship lines up with that reality. Students in EE, controls, instrumentation, embedded systems, and industrial systems should not overlook it just because the title sounds old-school.
Amount: Varies by division/endowment
Deadline: February 28
Apply/info: ISA Scholarships

4. ISA Safety and Security Division Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Connected devices are only getting more safety-critical, and the security side of IoT is a giant deal in healthcare, industrial systems, utilities, and smart infrastructure. This ISA option is a strong angle for students focused on secure automation, operational technology security, safety systems, or resilient cyber-physical design. It is especially smart for applicants whose projects sit between engineering and cybersecurity.
Amount: Varies by division/endowment
Deadline: February 28
Apply/info: ISA Scholarships

5. ISA Power Industry Division Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Smart grid, distributed energy monitoring, connected sensors, and remote power system controls are all classic cyber-physical and IoT use cases. This award works well for students whose IoT interests point toward energy systems, utility monitoring, industrial electrification, or grid intelligence. It is one of those scholarships that can look niche at first glance but is actually highly relevant for applied CPS work.
Amount: Varies by division/endowment
Deadline: February 28
Apply/info: ISA Scholarships

6. ISA Aerospace and Test Measurement Division Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Aerospace systems are packed with embedded sensors, controls, telemetry, testing, and reliability engineering, which makes this a sneaky-good CPS option. If your interests lean toward autonomous platforms, avionics-adjacent systems, sensor validation, or hardware-in-the-loop work, this scholarship fits better than many generic engineering awards. It is a strong pick for students who want “real devices in real environments” instead of pure software.
Amount: Varies by division/endowment
Deadline: February 28
Apply/info: ISA Scholarships

7. IISE Jabil Cares Foundation Excellence in Engineering Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This one is excellent for students whose CPS/IoT path runs through industrial and systems engineering, smart manufacturing, connected production, logistics automation, or hardware systems at scale. Jabil is a serious manufacturing name, so the scholarship carries a nice real-world industry signal. The renewable structure also makes it more valuable than a typical one-shot award if you stay on track.
Amount: $5,000, with potential renewal for an additional $5,000 senior year
Deadline: February 1 application; nomination due November 15
Apply/info: IISE Scholarships and Fellowships

8. IISE Kenneth E. Case Memorial Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a very solid fit for students in industrial and systems engineering or a closely related engineering field, which matters because many CPS and IoT careers live in systems integration rather than flashy product labels. Think smart factories, connected operations, manufacturing optimization, and industrial data systems. If your résumé leans toward systems thinking and chapter involvement, this one has a good logic to it.
Amount: Multiple $2,500 scholarships
Deadline: February 1 application; nomination due November 15
Apply/info: IISE Scholarships and Fellowships

9. SWE Rocky Mountain Section College Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a strong regional option for women in engineering, computing, or engineering technology programs in Colorado or Wyoming. It works well for CPS/IoT students because the section explicitly includes computing alongside engineering, which gives embedded, control, and connected-device applicants more room to fit naturally. Regional scholarships like this can also be less crowded than national mega-pools.
Amount: Three scholarships, $1,000 minimum
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Apply/info: SWE Rocky Mountain Section Scholarships

April deadlines

10. IET Postgraduate Research Awards
Why It Slaps: For master’s-to-doctoral-level researchers, this is one of the cleanest high-value options on the page. The IET explicitly offers awards for engineering and technology research, including a £10,000 top prize plus several £5,000 and £2,500 awards. If your work touches embedded intelligence, networking, electronics, manufacturing, controls, or systems research, this is absolutely worth a serious application.
Amount: One £10,000 prize, three £5,000 prizes, and three £2,500 prizes
Deadline: April 2, 2026
Apply/info: IET Postgraduate Research Awards

11. NSPE Steinman Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a strong broad engineering scholarship for juniors in ABET-accredited programs, which makes it a practical match for many EE, CE, mechanical, and systems students doing CPS or IoT-adjacent work. It is not branded around IoT, but that is actually a good thing because it keeps the door open for students whose projects involve devices, controls, firmware, or integration work. The award size is also solid for a general engineering scholarship.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: April 15, 2026
Apply/info: NSPE Steinman Scholarship

12. NSPE Auxiliary Legacy Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This one is especially useful for women in ABET-accredited engineering programs who are moving into junior year. For Cyber-Physical Systems and IoT students in engineering-heavy majors, it gives you a legit national engineering scholarship without needing the scholarship title itself to say “embedded” or “connected devices.” It is a strong complementary application alongside SWE and AFCEA options.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: April 15, 2026
Apply/info: NSPE Auxiliary Legacy Scholarship

13. NSPE George B. Hightower, P.E. Fellowship
Why It Slaps: This one stands out because it is open to both undergraduate and graduate engineering students, which helps applicants who are already moving deeper into systems, devices, or research. If your CPS/IoT work involves serious engineering design, professional goals, and a long-term path toward licensure or advanced practice, this is a smart add. It is especially good for students who want their application to sound like “future engineer,” not just “future coder.”
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: April 15, 2026
Apply/info: NSPE George B. Hightower Fellowship

14. ACM-W Research Conference Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This one is fantastic for women in computer science and related fields who want to build research exposure, especially in areas like HCI, embedded AI, systems, networking, mobile, or security. The money is not huge, but the upside is bigger than the dollar value because conference access can unlock mentors, labs, publications, and internships. For CPS/IoT students trying to move from class projects into research credibility, that is gold.
Amount: Up to $600 intra-continental or up to $1,200 intercontinental
Deadline: April 15, 2026 for the June 1 to July 31 conference window; other cycles run throughout the year
Apply/info: ACM-W Scholarships

15. SWE New York Einah Reza Manalo Pelaez Memorial Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a live regional SWE scholarship with a current 2026 deadline already posted, which makes it more actionable than a lot of generic “apply sometime” advice online. It is a good fit for women headed into engineering and STEM, including CPS/IoT pathways through EE, CE, CS, or related majors. Region-based scholarships often deserve more attention because they can be less crowded than national award pools.
Amount: Varies
Deadline: April 16, 2026
Apply/info: SWE New York Scholarship

16. SWE Scholarship Program
Why It Slaps: This is one of the biggest national scholarship ecosystems on this page for women in engineering, engineering technology, and computer science. That matters for IoT and CPS students because the field is naturally interdisciplinary, and SWE gives you room to fit through multiple majors instead of one narrow label. It also has real scale, with 300-plus scholarships and about $1.5 million awarded in recent cycles.
Amount: Typically about $1,000 to $5,000 per scholarship
Deadline: Varies by scholarship fund and cycle
Apply/info: SWE Scholarships

17. IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative
Why It Slaps: This one is excellent for students working on smart grid, energy monitoring, utility analytics, edge sensing, connected infrastructure, and other power-flavored cyber-physical systems. IEEE PES explicitly includes majors like electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, data analytics, mechanical, civil, and renewable energy, which is unusually friendly for interdisciplinary applicants. The total value can be big enough to matter, and the mentoring angle is a major bonus.
Amount: Up to $10,000 total under the posted progression
Deadline: April 30
Apply/info: IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative

May deadlines

18. AFCEA STEM Major Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is one of the cleanest broad-fit scholarships for IoT and CPS students because AFCEA explicitly lists majors like computer engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, telecommunications engineering, network engineering, and robotics-related fields. If your path touches connected devices, embedded systems, defense tech, communications, or secure infrastructure, this belongs on your list. The application is also efficient because one form feeds multiple AFCEA scholarship tracks.
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA STEM Majors Scholarships

19. AFCEA Cyber Security Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Even if your main identity is “IoT” rather than “cyber,” connected devices create attack surfaces everywhere, which makes this scholarship highly relevant for students working in secure embedded systems, OT security, networked sensors, device hardening, or cyber-physical resilience. It is one of the better ways to monetize the security side of IoT without hunting for a tiny niche scholarship nobody updates.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA STEM Majors Scholarships

20. AFCEA Student Member Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a nice companion award for students already engaged enough to join the professional side of the field. In practice, that is useful because CPS/IoT hiring often rewards students who look plugged into communities, conferences, and real-world engineering ecosystems. If you already lean toward communications, embedded platforms, networking, security, or defense-adjacent tech, it is a very sensible extra application.
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA STEM Majors Scholarships

21. AFCEA Shrader Graduate Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Graduate students in CPS, IoT, and embedded systems often hit an awkward zone where they are too advanced for undergrad awards but not yet in a fully funded research position. This scholarship fills that gap nicely for U.S. graduate students in eligible STEM majors and also explicitly considers financial need. It is especially appealing for master’s students in EE, CE, CS, cybersecurity, or systems-heavy tracks.
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA Shrader Graduate Scholarship

22. AFCEA iWorks Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a standout if you are the spouse or child of an active-duty service member or veteran and you are pursuing a qualifying STEM major tied to AFCEA’s mission. It is especially attractive for CPS/IoT students because AFCEA’s qualifying majors include computer engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, network engineering, telecommunications engineering, and robotics. It is not enormous, but it is highly practical and very targeted.
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA iWorks Scholarship

23. AFCEA Col. Kathleen Swacina Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This award is strong for students with a STEM profile that leans into leadership, logistics, networks, and military or public-sector tech relevance. The scholarship explicitly honors a leader associated with building one of the military’s first MPLS cloud networks, which gives it a subtle but very real connected-systems vibe. It is also transfer-friendly for community college students moving to four-year programs, which is a big plus.
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA Col. Kathleen Swacina Scholarship

24. AFCEA VADM Jon L. Boyes Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This one is narrower, but that is part of the appeal. If you are a Navy ROTC student in electrical engineering, the fit is direct and clean, and electrical engineering is still one of the most reliable degree paths into embedded systems, controls, communications, and IoT hardware. When a scholarship lines up tightly with your status and major, you should usually give it serious attention.
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA ROTC Scholarships

25. AFCEA Oracle Leadership Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a good niche option for active-duty military students pursuing STEM degrees. For CPS/IoT students coming through engineering, cybersecurity, networking, or computer systems, it offers a practical way to combine service background with a tech-forward academic path. Scholarships like this are worth real attention because the applicant pool is naturally narrower than general national engineering awards.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Apply/info: AFCEA Oracle Leadership Scholarship

26. ASHRAE Freshman Engineering Scholarship
Why It Slaps: Smart buildings, building automation, sensor networks, environmental monitoring, and control systems are all real cyber-physical domains, which makes ASHRAE more relevant than many students realize. This particular scholarship is especially useful for early engineering students entering sophomore year who want a recognized engineering award on the board early. It is a very good match for students interested in controls, HVAC automation, building IoT, and systems efficiency.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: May 1
Apply/info: ASHRAE Freshman Engineering Scholarship

August reopen / planning-ahead category

27. SMART Scholarship-for-Service
Why It Slaps: This is one of the most powerful funding programs on the whole page if you can handle the service commitment. SMART provides full tuition, annual stipends, internships, and a path into Department of Defense employment, and it covers a long list of STEM disciplines that overlap heavily with CPS/IoT, including electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering. For the right student, this is not just scholarship money. It is a full career runway.
Amount: Full tuition plus annual stipend and paid internships
Deadline: Reopens August 1, 2026; annual deadline is the first Friday in December
Apply/info: SMART Scholarship

September deadlines

28. IET Launch Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This is a very useful option for UK residents in IET-accredited engineering pathways who have faced financial or personal challenges. It is broad enough to work for electronics, control, communications, embedded systems, and related technology degrees, which makes it a nice fit for CPS/IoT students in the UK pipeline. The multi-year support is the real attraction here because it can help stabilize your finances across a longer stretch of study.
Amount: £1,500 per year for up to four years
Deadline: September 11, 2026
Apply/info: IET Launch Scholarship

29. IET Boost Scholarship
Why It Slaps: This one is ideal for students already progressing well in an IET-accredited degree and moving into the final stretch of their program. If your CPS/IoT path is coming through electrical, electronic, communications, or technology-heavy engineering, the academic-achievement angle can work in your favor. It is also nice for students who want scholarship support without needing the award title to mirror their exact specialization.
Amount: £1,500 per year for up to two years
Deadline: September 11, 2026
Apply/info: IET Boost Scholarship

December deadlines

30. ASHRAE Undergraduate Engineering Scholarships
Why It Slaps: This is a great late-year application bucket for students in engineering programs tied to HVAC&R, controls, thermal systems, smart buildings, and sensor-rich environmental systems. The posted range is strong, and the named scholarships inside the program create multiple chances to land money through one ecosystem. For building automation, energy controls, and connected facilities work, this is one of the better broad scholarships on the board.
Amount: $3,000 to $10,000
Deadline: December 1
Apply/info: ASHRAE Undergraduate Engineering Scholarships

Suggested FAQ section

What counts as a Cyber-Physical Systems or IoT major for scholarship purposes?
Usually not a major literally called “IoT.” Most students fit through electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, robotics, automation, systems engineering, industrial engineering, cybersecurity, telecommunications, or related control/instrumentation fields. AFCEA, ISA, IEEE PES, SWE, and IET all use broader degree language, which is why those programs matter so much here.

Should IoT students apply to electrical engineering and automation scholarships too?
Yes. In real life, a lot of IoT and CPS work sits inside automation, controls, embedded electronics, networking, smart manufacturing, and power systems. If you only search scholarships with “IoT” in the title, you will miss a lot of your best-fit money.

Are there scholarships here for graduate students too?
Yes. Good graduate-friendly options on this list include the AFCEA Shrader Graduate Scholarship, NSPE George B. Hightower Fellowship, IET Postgraduate Research Awards, and parts of the SWE and ISA ecosystems depending on your program and location.

What if my major is computer science, not engineering?
You still have real options. ACM-W directly supports students in computer science and related programs, IEEE PES explicitly includes computer science and data analytics in its posted eligibility list, and AFCEA includes several computing and security majors on its STEM list.

What if a scholarship deadline already passed?
Do not toss it out immediately. Many of the best scholarships here recur annually, and some programs clearly post recurring windows, like AFCEA, ISA, SMART, IEEE PES, ASHRAE, and IET. Build a spreadsheet or reminder system now so you can hit the next cycle early instead of scrambling late.

How many of these should I apply to?
For most students, the smart move is a layered approach: a few high-value national scholarships, a few identity- or region-based scholarships, and a few field-specific scholarships tied to automation, controls, or computing. That mix gives you more realistic odds than chasing only the biggest national names.