The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

Posted: **Tue Mar 22, 2022 10:18 pm**

Just wondering for those who have received : do all recipients need to do the security clearance process? The website isn’t super clear it says everyone should be prepared to but I am wondering if everyone has to. Not sketchy or anything it just seems intimidating.

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:27 am**

From what I've heard in the past year of being at my SF I don't believe everyone on the program has to go through the security clearance process. Just individuals that have the potential to be dealing with sensitive information, and that can be anything from "top secret info" (I don't actually know if anyone from SMART deals with this but it would be a valid reason to need a security clearance) to just dealing with propriety information like machinery schematics etc. As far as what all is entailed with the process on our end as scholars its very simple: you get your fingerprints taken (push each of your fingers individually against a little light box that acts the same as a photocopier) and I think answer a couple questions that are usually the same as your standard "I forgot my password" questions so they can match it with whatever data they get through their background check process. So long as you don't have any criminal history or things to be worried about you'll be fine. I think it's the same type of background check you have to get when you apply to an apartment or for a passport, I would imagine it would be a little more in-depth but realistically I don't know. Being on the scholar side its very low stress and there's not much you have to worry about. Best of luck!

Posted: **Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:33 pm**

Vandal wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:27 am
From what I've heard in the past year of being at my SF I don't believe everyone on the program has to go through the security clearance process. Just individuals that have the potential to be dealing with sensitive information, and that can be anything from "top secret info" (I don't actually know if anyone from SMART deals with this but it would be a valid reason to need a security clearance) to just dealing with propriety information like machinery schematics etc. As far as what all is entailed with the process on our end as scholars its very simple: you get your fingerprints taken (push each of your fingers individually against a little light box that acts the same as a photocopier) and I think answer a couple questions that are usually the same as your standard "I forgot my password" questions so they can match it with whatever data they get through their background check process. So long as you don't have any criminal history or things to be worried about you'll be fine. I think it's the same type of background check you have to get when you apply to an apartment or for a passport, I would imagine it would be a little more in-depth but realistically I don't know. Being on the scholar side its very low stress and there's not much you have to worry about. Best of luck!

Thanks for your reply! So you are scholar and this was your process? This makes me feel much better as someone I know that did security clearance for a contracting job was describing and it sounds what they had to do would just be super intimidating haha

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2022 12:09 pm**

Guest wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:33 pm
Thanks for your reply! So you are scholar and this was your process? This makes me feel much better as someone I know that did security clearance for a contracting job was describing and it sounds what they had to do would just be super intimidating haha

Correct, I'm currently a scholar and what I described was just my experience, not guaranteed to be the same as all others that have to go through this process. But regardless, unless you can think of a very specific reason/instance of something you wouldn't want your SF to uncover during a background check you're most likely fine. Best of luck!

Posted: **Wed May 04, 2022 8:39 am**

Your SF decides what level clearance you need to have! Mine requires a TS/SCI clearance with MADO but other places might not require anything. It all depends on what information you'll be working with. For a bit more of a timeline, I filled out information in July, interviewed in August, and had my adjudicated clearance by December.

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