NSEP Service Requirement 2005/06 - 2006/07
The following describes the NSEP service requirement in effect from 2005/06 - 2006/07. Applicants and award recipients for 2007 - 2008 and subsequent years should see their particular service requirement for more information.
The goal of NSEP is to enhance the capacity of the federal sector to deal effectively with the challenging global issues of the 21st century. NSEP David L. Boren Fellows represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. NSEP strongly emphasizes the importance of award recipients seeking and gaining employment in federal government organizations whose missions and functions are most directly related to national security.
Frequently Asked Questions about the NSEP Service Requirement
What is the NSEP service requirement?
The NSEP service requirement stipulates that an award recipient must make a full and good faith effort (according to the conditions and rules established by NSEP) to obtain work in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State, or the Intelligence Community.
What is the duration of the service requirement?
The duration of the service requirement is equal to the duration of assistance provided under the program, but in no case less than one year.
How much time is allotted to fulfill the service requirement?
NSEP Boren Scholars must begin to fulfill the service requirement no later than three years after the date of graduation from or termination of the program of study for which the scholarship was awarded.NSEP Boren Fellows must begin to fulfill the service requirement no later than two years after the date of graduation from or termination of the program of study for which the fellowship was awarded.
What is the Department of Defense?
The Department of Defense (DoD) provides the forces needed to deter war, protect the security of the United States, and render global humanitarian assistance as directed by the President. The department includes all offices and organizations that comprise the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, three Military Departments (Army, Navy, Air Force), nine Unified Combatant Commands, the DoD Inspector General, fifteen Defense Agencies, and seven DoD Field Activities. NSEP recipients have found employment in many different offices within the Department of Defense, including the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and National Defense University. For more information on the department, visit www.defenselink.mil
What is the Intelligence Community?
The Intelligence Community is a group of executive branch agencies and organizations that work both independently and collaboratively to carry out intelligence activities necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the protection of the national security of the United States. NSEP recipients have found employment in many different organizations within the Intelligence Community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research in the Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For more information on the Intelligence Community, including a list of organizations that comprise it, visit www.intelligence.gov
What is the Department of Homeland Security?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a network of 22 federal agencies and organizations involved in efforts to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters. NSEP recipients have found employment in many different offices within the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. For more information on the department, visit www.dhs.gov
What is the Department of State?
The Department of State is the lead federal agency responsible for U.S. foreign affairs. The department employs individuals in both Civil and Foreign Service positions. Many NSEP recipients are currently working for the Department of State as Foreign Service Officers throughout the world and as civil service employees in offices within the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, among others. For more information on the department, visit www.state.gov
What is an NSEP Boren Scholar or Fellow required to do to find a job that fulfills the service requirement?
All NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows must make a full and good faith effort to identify and secure positions in the federal government. Scholars and Fellows should seek employment on their own and with the assistance of NSEP. This effort includes a requirement to create and routinely update an online resume that will be made available to hiring officials in the U.S. federal government departments and agencies listed above. NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows must also document specific efforts to identify employment opportunities in the federal government that would fulfill the NSEP service requirement.
How do NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows identify opportunities that would satisfy the service requirement?
NSEP is committed to working with each NSEP Boren Scholar and Fellow before and after graduation to help identify federal job opportunities. NSEP has developed an interactive website - NSEPNET (www.nsepnet.org) - to help Scholars and Fellows simplify and organize their job search efforts. NSEPNET maintains an online collection of federal job search tips, job notices, and resumes posted by recipients of NSEP awards. These resumes are made available to hiring officials in all federal departments and agencies where relevant employment opportunities exist. NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows should also use other widely available employment resources, such as college and university career offices, www.usajobs.opm.gov, and www.studentjobs.gov
How do NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows document their searches for appropriate positions in the three departments or the Intelligence Community?
In addition to serving as a repository of resumes prepared by NSEP award recipients, NSEPNET is also a tool that NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows must use to document their job search efforts. Through NSEPNET, award recipients are required to maintain a Job History Log of their activities to identify and to pursue opportunities in the federal government that would satisfy the NSEP service requirement.
What happens if NSEP Boren Scholars or Fellows are unable to identify and to obtain positions in one of the three departments or the Intelligence Community?
A Job History Log on NSEPNET must demonstrate to NSEP that he or she has made a full and good faith effort to identify and to apply for federal employment with the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State, or the Intelligence Community. By maintaining detailed log entries, award recipients demonstrate specific efforts that were made to identify suitable job opportunities and, in particular, the types of positions that were available to them at the time they were seeking to fulfill their service requirement.
NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows have not been successful in identifying positions in the three priority departments or the Intelligence Community, they may request a waiver of the service requirement. In order to request a waiver, they must document having made a minimum of 25 formal federal job applications, a minimum of 15 of which must be for positions in the Department of Defense or the Intelligence Community. The remaining 10 may also be made to the Departments of State and/or Homeland Security. The awardee must demonstrate that these applications were appropriate for his or her background and qualifications, were of a reasonable quality, and were made as part of a good-faith effort to obtain federal employment.
Are opportunities to gain federal employment improved by having an NSEP Boren award?
NSEP Boren award recipients enjoy several advantages as they seek federal employment. First, NSEPNET connects award recipients directly with potential federal employers. Federal hiring officials perform searches of NSEP Boren award recipients' resumes for specific types of expertise. Second, NSEP maintains staff that is available to guide and assist Scholars and Fellows in their job search efforts. Further, NSEP Boren award recipients benefit from several legal provisions that allow them to be hired in the federal government without regard to most federal hiring restrictions.
What types of federal positions are NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows required to accept?
NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows are required to accept only paid positions commensurate with the level of education and experience they possess. NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows may elect to satisfy the service requirement by accepting suitable paid or unpaid full-time, part-time, temporary, and/or internship positions. NSEP does not have the authority to require an individual to accept any position. Employment in the federal government prior to receipt of an NSEP Boren award does not count toward fulfilling the service requirement.
Can NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows defer the service requirement?
NSEP encourages continued language and area studies for NSEP Boren Scholars and Fellows. Deferrals of the service requirement and their duration will be considered on a case-by-case basis for NSEP Boren Scholars who pursue an advanced degree, and for NSEP Boren Fellows who pursue an additional advanced degree. Scholars and Fellows must demonstrate a commitment to sustain or advance their expertise in the language and/or geographic area for which the NSEP Boren Scholarship or Fellowship was awarded.
What happens if a NSEP Boren Scholar or Fellow fails to fulfill the service requirement?
Award recipients who fail to demonstrate a full and good faith effort to fulfill the service requirement are required to reimburse the U.S. government for the full amount of assistance provided from the NSEP Boren award.The service requirement described above applies to all NSEP recipients for the 2005-2006 academic years. NSEP Boren alumni who received awards in previous years must comply with the service requirement that was in effect at the time they applied for the award.