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(FEATURED!) RESEARCH FOR INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY CHALLENGES (RISC) INTERNSHIP
Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, University of Maryland

Overview

Open & Closing Dates
12/11/2025 to 02/02/2026

Work Schedule
Full-Time

Appointment Type
Internship

Location

City
College Park

State
MD

Duties

Summary
History & Mission

In 2020, ARLIS launched the Research for Intelligence & Security Challenges (RISC) initiative to help fill the deficit of government employees needed to address today’s intelligence and security challenges, particularly those with training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and rigorous research-driven analysis. The ARLIS RISC program provides a pipeline of student talent at both graduate and undergraduate levels, providing students an opportunity to work on real-world problems within ARLIS focus areas.

RISC Internship

Every year, the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland seeks talented undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the Research for Intelligence & Security Challenges (RISC) Initiative internship program. This 10-week paid and mostly virtual program pairs students with faculty mentors from INSURE consortium member institutions and the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Eligible interns may receive security clearances and be considered for future employment with the U.S. government.

Competitively selected RISC interns (RISCers) work in teams with mentorship from university faculty and government practitioners. They work on real security and intelligence problems posed by the government.

Over the 10 weeks, students will conduct research and participate in lectures and regular team development meetings in a shared virtual work environment. The summer program concludes with several days of in-person activities in College Park, MD to discuss project outcomes with peers and visiting experts from DOD/IC and to gain greater context on how the work fits into government sponsors’ mission space.

The program is structured for team interactions and engagement with government sponsors. Interns attend weekly seminars and regular team development meetings in a shared virtual work environment (though select projects may require on-site work). Interns then participate in final week briefings and activities in person (with travel support).

How It Works

Each year, ARLIS holds simultaneous solicitations for DoW- and IC-provided problem topics that could yield mission-relevant impact (to address as a RISC innovation sprint) and for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students across the country to design and carry out the quick-turn work in partnership with ARLIS researchers. This 10-week paid and mostly virtual program pairs student researchers (with faculty mentors from INSURE consortium member institutions to conduct applied research in support of the DoW and IC mission. RISCers have the opportunity to be sponsored for a security clearance and to be considered for future employment with the U.S. government.

The program is structured to facilitate interactions within teams, between teams, and with government sponsor representatives. RISCers attend weekly seminars and regular team development meetings in a shared virtual work environment (though select projects may require on-site work). The summer program concludes with several days of in-person activities in College Park, MD, to discuss project outcomes with peers and visiting experts from DoW/IC and to gain greater context on how the work fits into the government sponsors’ mission space.

Given mutual interest between the sponsor and interns and available funding, RISC projects often continue into the academic year, sustaining connectivity between interns and sponsors through ARLIS.

Student researchers will be paid on an hourly basis equivalent to between $9,000 and $12,000 over the ten weeks, commensurate with education and experience. Given the virtual platform, housing accommodations, transportation, and food allowances are not provided. However, for those local to the DC area, part-time physical campus workspace can be provided. For in-person final week activities, all travel expenses will be covered as required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment
We seek outstanding graduate and undergraduate students with expertise in the disciplines listed below. All U.S. citizens enrolled in an accredited university program during the preceding fall term -- particularly rising juniors and seniors and early graduate students -- are eligible and encouraged to apply.

The initiative is a 40-hour-a-week commitment and second employment and summer courses are strongly discouraged. Candidates with questions should engage the RISC program office.

The RISC Initiative is particularly seeking student researchers with expertise in one or more of the following disciplines:

Computer Science, Information Science & Engineering: AI/ML algorithmic development, HCI, software engineering, systems engineering, media analysis and forensics, information systems design, geographic information systems, AI Assurance, Human Systems Integration;

Mathematics and Statistics: Data analytics, quantitative modeling, experimental design, graph analytics;

Social & Behavioral Sciences: cognitive/neuroscience & psychology, sociology, criminal justice, teamwork and group dynamics, communications, disinformation and misinformation, social network analysis, anthropology, human geography (e.g., pattern of life/mobility modeling), political science, international relations;

Languages and Linguistics: languages of interest to global security, including but not limited to Mandarin, Russian, Farsi, Korean, and Arabic; computational linguistics and natural language processing; natural language understanding;

Data Science: Data and knowledge engineering, data curation, tagging, metadata, repositories, data visualization, library sciences;

Additional topics may include measurement and evaluation of learning outcomes, environmental modeling and remote sensing, human factors, and regulatory public policy.

Security Clearance

Not Required

Required Application Materials

Resume, Cover Letter, Academic Transcripts

Application Instructions

How to Apply

Review the information on the https://www.arlis.umd.edu/apply-risc2026 page regarding eligibility and application guidance. To begin your application go to the https://www.risclink.org/register.php to register for an account. Then use the https://www.risclink.org/login.php to begin your application. ARLIS is seeking outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the RISC Initiative internship program.

If you have questions, you can attend one of the Information Session webinars.

Information Session Details:

At ARLIS RISC information sessions for interested students – they will give an overview of the program and share some of the previous projects. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to hear from past RISCers and ask any questions you may have about the program. The next two information sessions are as follows:

Dates & Times:

• Tuesday, December 16th at 3pm EST

• Thursday, January 8th at 4pm EST

Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 992 237 515 30

Passcode: uU67su9T

RISC Applications are due by February 2nd, 2026.

Competitiveness

Annually, the ARLIS RISC program receives approximately 700 applications and selects around 100 interns. Those selected undertake an engaging 10-week paid internship experience that pairs students with faculty mentors from INSURE consortium member institutions, the Department of War, and the Intelligence Community. Additionally, RISC offers the opportunity to be sponsored for a security clearance and to be considered for future employment with the U.S. government.
Apply at the following website or click Apply below: arlis.umd.edu/apply-risc2026

Additional Notes

All contract work for service credit is considered on a case-by-case basis. In general, the NSEP Service Committee considers requests for service credit at a contractor if the company is receiving funding from a Tier One federal agency. The federal funding for the position must come in the form of a contract or cooperative agreement. Work performed under federal grants will not qualify for service credit.

When applying to contracting positions, please be sure to verify with the hiring manager that the position is funded by federal contracts or cooperative agreements and reach out to the NSEP Service Team at nsep@nsep.gov if you have any questions.

Please note that this is NOT an NSEP-sponsored position. Please find more information and apply on UMD's website via the links above.

Apply

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