Earlier this summer, START Director William Braniff appeared on a panel during a virtual orientation for the incoming students of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP).
The NGFP identifies and develops the next generation of exceptional national security leaders to strengthen the nation through nuclear security.
During the panel, the incoming students got to hear from several alumni of the program, who shared highlights and lessons learned from their fellowship experiences.
Braniff, a member of the class of 2006-2007, spoke on his career within the national security enterprise.
“There are so many ways to serve,” Braniff said. “When I left military service to go to grad school, I wondered if I would ever find such a mission-driven job again. It was really eye-opening for me to experience working in nuclear counterterrorism with bi-lingual nuclear physicists who spent their time traveling to nuclear cities in Siberia! Through the NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program, I realized that you can pursue your intellectual passions and find a way to contribute to national security that you might not have even known existed.”
The NGFP is administered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and sponsored by the NNSA to provide students with training and practical experience that achieve the NNSA mission.
This year’s class comprises 63 fellows who will collectively support 12 NNSA organizations and field offices as well as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Department of State.
The application for the class of 2022-2023 is open at pnnl.gov/apply-ngfp and closes October 1, 2021. Interested students can learn more by tuning into virtual information sessions in late August and September. The schedule is available on the NGFP website.