Nuclear Enterprise Researcher

AFIT's mission is to educate our Total Force military and civilian defense professionals to innovatively accomplish the deterrence and warfighting missions of the U.S. Air and Space Forces, today and tomorrow. We provide unique defense-focused, research-enabled, multi-disciplinary advanced academic education, as well as globally deliver career-long, action-based, functional professional continuing education, over a continuum of learning, on-command and on-demand. Our success is measured by the career-long contributions of our graduates, faculty and staff. AFIT accomplishes this mission through four schools: the Graduate School of Engineering and Management, the School of Systems and Logistics, the Civil Engineer School, and the School of Strategic Force Studies. To learn more about the research performed at AFIT, please visit www.afit.edu.

The Nuclear Expertise for Advancing Technologies (NEAT) center was formed in response to long-term strategic needs laid out by the Secretary of Defense in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. The primary focus is providing the Air Force with strong technical expertise, and the ability to develop that expertise to support the workforce required for current and future nuclear modernization and deterrence operations. Members of the center come from a broad background in science and technology and have experience in nuclear operations and defense applications, which enables NEAT to tackle difficult, multi-disciplinary research and human capital challenges facing the nuclear enterprise. The NEAT center seeks to be the first place organizations will turn when they require intellectual capital, knowledge, or assistance in solving technical nuclear acquisition and warfighting challenges.

AFIT, in collaboration with AFNWC/NC, the Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Integration Directorate, is seeking highly motivated research interns to pursue research in fields such as communications, mathematics, networking, and nuclear effects. Specialty focus areas include RF, satellite, and quantum communications; cryptography; software defined networks, mesh networks, and network optimization; and EMP and radiation effects mitigation.

AFIT, in collaboration with AFNWC/NX, Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) Program Office, is seeking highly motivated research interns to pursue research in fields such as radiation transport, reentry weather and plasma environments, and nuclear effects on materials and microelectronics. Other opportunities may be available in the fields of reentry vehicle heat shield design, reentry boundary layer transition, missile propulsion studies, missile guidance technologies, and Scientific Test and Analytical Techniques (STAT).

Additional opportunities in the fields of logistics, operations research, and cost estimation may also be available. During the research appointment, participants are able to pursue AFIT graduate degrees with tuition reimbursement. After the research appointment, participants will be eligible for a full-time AF civilian position at the respective sponsoring AFNWC Directorate.

The selected participant may be involved in support of coursework, laboratory practice, application of computer technologies, and interact with government (Military and National Laboratory), and civilian university collaborators. In addition, the participant will conduct measurements and experiments, evaluate data, interpret the results, and document the findings and have opportunities to present the research to their peers, mentors, and other DoD Scientists and Engineers at meetings and conferences.

This appointment is a twelve month research appointment, with the possibility to be renewed for additional research periods. Appointments may be extended depending on funding availability, project assignment, program rules, and availability of the participant.

Participants will receive a stipend to be determined by AFIT. Stipends are typically based on the participant’s academic standing, discipline, experience, and research facility location. Other benefits may include the following:

The participant will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DOD, or any other office or agency. Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment.