Applications for the 2022 Class of the Program for Emerging Leaders (PEL) will be accepted through midnight on 1 March 2022. We welcome applications from early to mid-career (approximately 5-15 years of government service) civilian U.S. government employees (GS-11/GS-12/GS-13 or equivalent) and commissioned military officers (O-3/O-4) with responsibilities related to national security. Successful candidates will demonstrate leadership potential within their agencies and have an interest in learning about weapons of mass destruction and related issues. Candidates are not required to have WMD expertise, but should have the ambition and career potential to reach the highest ranks of the U.S. government, either as a civilian SES, a military flag officer, or an equivalent position. All applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold an active SECRET clearance, have a minimum of a bachelor's degree and be able to attend the mandatory Summer Immersion to be held in Washington, DC during the week of 20 June 2022.
Founded in 2008, PEL shapes and supports the next generation of leaders from across the U.S. government to meet the challenges of countering weapons of mass destruction. Since the end of the Cold War, every U.S. administration has viewed the proliferation of WMD as a top national security threat. While concerns over the potential for a full-scale conflict involving WMD have largely receded, geopolitical and technological changes have complicated efforts to prevent, deter, and defend against the acquisition and use of WMD by hostile state and non-state actors. Today’s security environment features a broad array of antagonists with a wide range of conventional and unconventional capabilities, thus increasing the risk of so-called hybrid warfare and other modes of conflict. To meet the new and emerging WMD challenges of the 21st century, the National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction initiated PEL in 2008 to develop an interagency network of future military and civilian leaders with a deeper understanding of the role of WMD in U.S. and global security. Through education, outreach, mentorship, and debate, PEL seeks to cultivate trusting relationships among future leaders who may someday need to call upon one another to address WMD-related challenges.
Click here for more information: https://wmdcenter.ndu.edu/education/pel/