Careers in Nonproliferation
The Nonproliferation Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP) is a full-time fellowship program for students interested in exploring a career in nuclear nonproliferation. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA's) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and administered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The mission of the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) is to detect, prevent, and reverse the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, while mitigating the risks from nuclear operations.
In support of this mission, NGFP fellows are assigned to a specific DNN program office. Working with select supervisors and mentors, NGFP fellows assist with programs that involve
- conducting cutting-edge nonproliferation and national security research and development
- securing nuclear materials, nuclear weapons, and radiological materials at potentially vulnerable sites in Russia and elsewhere
- reducing the quantities of nuclear and radiological materials
- bolstering border security overseas
- strengthening international nonproliferation and export control regimes
- downsizing the nuclear weapons infrastructure of the former Soviet Union
- mitigating risks at nuclear facilities worldwide.
Nonproliferation Graduate Fellowship Program Objectives
NGFP objectives are to
- promote awareness of careers in nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and U.S. national laboratories
- provide participants with specialized training and valuable practical experience in the field of nonproliferation
- aid NNSA in achieving its mission
- develop a talent pool that can assist NNSA with its international security and nonproliferation programs.
This program is a perfect complement to my academic career because it adds invaluable practical and professional experience on policy formation (from concept to implementation), U.S. foreign policy, and international relations to my academic work. Further, my academic experiences have prepared me to try to apply theoretical models of international relations and nonproliferation to real-world situations, with varied results.
—Pritham Khalsa, NGFP graduate