The Samuel Eliot Morison Scholarship provides financial aid to one active duty commissioned officer of the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps with demonstrated leadership potential and high academic qualifications who is already pursuing graduate study in history, international relations, or a related field. The award is to help pay for expenses related to research, travel, and the purchase of books or other educational materials. Research that applies the lessons of naval history to provide insights for the analysis of Great Power Competition and challenges facing the current navy is preferred but not required.
Named in honor of the late Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, USNR, an eminent naval and maritime historian and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the purpose of the scholarship is to promote the development of a broad understanding of naval history within the American national experience. Historical knowledge is an invaluable tool to place current issues in context and for leaders to make sound decisions.