The DISF program offers opportunities for university students to serve their country through collaboration with the United States military to address real-world challenges over a summer long paid fellowship. Students will tackle problems defined by base POC’s that require both technical and entrepreneurial expertise.
Program Options
- DISF Fellowship: a full-time, 10-week, in-person, paid summer fellowship program
- Monthly stipend provided and a small budget for travel, materials, and other expenses for delivering a product to the sponsor.
Program Activities
DISF participants will engage with Department of Defense (DoD) partners for three months of applied problem solving. Participants will work on problems sponsored by their DoD hosts potentially including:
- Technical (e.g. software development, data analytics, mechanical design/prototyping)
- Strategy (e.g. communications and social media strategy)
- Research (e.g. emerging technology scouting) projects.
Participants will be expected to deliver a prototype capability to their military sponsors by the end of the program.
Ideal Candidates
- Minimal experience working with the military is preferred. (Applicants with prior military or government work will be evaluated and accepted by exception.)
- Robust technical skillset
- Solid project-based work
- Entrepreneurial mindset or experience
- Demonstrated leadership ability
- Open to undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates
- Participants must be U.S. citizens.
Important Dates
December 23, 2024 – applications open
January 31, 2025 – applications close
February/March 2025 – fellow interviews and notification of acceptances
June 2, 2025 – DISF 2025 cohort kickoff
August 8, 2025 – DISF 2025 cohort concludes
How to Apply
Applications can be found on the Defense Innovation Summer Fellowship website.
DISF at WashU is made possible through a partnership with the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit. For more information about DIU at WashU, contact Mike Seper.