National Security Education Program
The National Security Education Program is a U.S. federal government initiative to enhance the national security of the U.S. by increasing the national capacity to understand and interact effectively with foreign cultures and languages. NSEP oversees nine critical initiatives designed to attract, recruit, and train a future national security workforce. Some funding comes in exchange for a commitment to U.S. federal government service upon completion of academic study. NSEP is aimed at building a wider pool of Americans with foreign language and international skills by involving participants in "innovative, intensive, and long-term programs designed to provide meaningful opportunities to gain significant competencies in these languages and cultures."
NSEP was established by the National Security Education Act. Oversight for NSEP is provided by the National Security Education Board, which meets "to review and make recommendations based on program mission and objectives." The NSEB consists of a 13-member board including representatives from seven Cabinet-level departments. Six non-federal members, appointed by the President also serve on the NSEB. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness provides policy oversight to NSEP.
On February 6, 2012, the Defense Language Office and the National Security Education Program were merged to form the Defense Language and National Security Education Office.
Initiatives
NSEP has nine initiatives:| Name | Description | Summary |
| David L. Boren Scholarships | "Up to $20,000 for undergraduate students" | "Through a competitive, national, merit-based annual competition, successful applicants distinguish themselves as highly motivated in their academic and career goals and in their strong commitment to public service. In return for support, award recipients agree to work in qualifying national security positions for at least one year." |
| David L. Boren Fellowships | "Up to $30,000 for graduate students" | Through a competitive, national, merit-based annual competition, successful applicants distinguish themselves as highly motivated in their academic and career goals and in their strong commitment to public service. In return for support, award recipients agree to work in qualifying national security positions for at least one year. |
| The Language Flagship | "Creating global professionals" | "The Language Flagship seeks to graduate students who will take their place among the next generation of global professionals, commanding a professional-level of fluency program provides intensive English language instruction to professionals who are U.S. citizens and native speakers of critical languages. Participants receive scholarships to participate in the EHLS program at Georgetown University, which provides eight months of instruction. This training allows participants to achieve professional-level proficiency in the English language and prepares them for key federal job opportunities. This project is the first of its kind to help nonnative-English-speaking individuals develop such high-level English proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in preparation for public service." |
| National Language Service Corps | "A federal corps of expert language specialists" | "The National Language Service Corps is designed to provide surge language capabilities by creating and maintaining a readily available corps of civilians who are highly proficient in English and have certified expertise in one or more languages important to the security and welfare of the nation. NLSC members agree to offer their certified language skills in support of federal response to domestic or foreign disasters and nonemergency activities related to national security and welfare. |
| Project Global Officer | "Preparing future officers for international leadership" | The Project Global Officers program is an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office that promotes critical language education, study abroad, and intercultural dialogue opportunities among Reserve Officer Training Corps students in order to develop future military officers who possess the cross-cultural communication skills required for effective leadership in the 21st Century operational environment. To accomplish this mission, DLNSEO works with Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC Headquarters, and 25 U.S. institutions of higher education. Project GO has provided funding for a total of 13 critical languages, including: Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, Hausa, Hindi, Korean, Pashto, Persian, Russian, Swahili, Tatar, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek, and Wolof. |
| The African Languages Initiative | "Promoting the study of critical African languages" | "The African Languages Initiative is designed to help meet the critical need for specialists in a range of academic and professional fields who are able to operate effectively in major African languages. All AFLI participants are funded through either a Boren Scholarship or Boren Fellowship. The languages targeted through the pilot include Akan/Twi, Moroccan Arabic, Portuguese, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba, and Zulu. Boren Scholars and Fellows participating in AFLI study a targeted language, completing domestic language training at the University of Florida, Gainesville, followed by intensive, semester-long language study overseas. |
| Pilot Flagship/ROTC Initiative | "Developing future military officers with professional-level language proficiency" | "The objective of the Pilot Flagship/ROTC Initiative is to increase the number of ROTC students completing their undergraduate degrees with professional-level proficiency in critical languages. To achieve this goal, NSEP has established three Pilot ROTC/Flagship programs to serve the ROTC population. This initiative draws upon the substantial knowledge and experience accumulated from efforts funded under The Language Flagship and Project GO, and works in collaboration with each service’s regional and national ROTC headquarters to ensure active outreach and recruiting. |
| Language Training Centers | "Building the language skills, regional expertise, and cultural capabilities of the Department of Defense" | "Language Training Centers are an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office to increase DoD's training capacity in critical and strategic languages and regional area studies for DoD personnel. In 2011, DLNSEO funded five Language Training Centers. These first awardees include: California State University-Long Beach, North Carolina State University, North Georgia College and State University, San Diego State University, and the University of Montana. DLNSEO anticipates that the LTCs will provide new opportunities to meet DoD total force language training needs, enabling the DoD workforce to be better prepared and equipped with the language, cultural and regional expertise necessary for foreign nation cooperation and operations. |