NSI Faculty Affiliates Program
Become an NSI Faculty Affiliate
Interested CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß faculty can begin by contacting NSI or submitting a short statement of interest and CV to infoNSI@colorado.edu. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Advance National Security Research at CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß
NSI Affiliates are supported end-to-end—from concept to contract—ensuring research reaches the national mission space.Ìý
CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s Center for National Security Initiatives (NSI) unites the university’s research excellence with the nation’s most pressing security challenges. Through the NSI Faculty Affiliates Program, faculty gain access to strategic partnerships, proposal development expertise, compliance infrastructure and sponsor engagement that transforms ideas into national impact.
Benefits of Affiliation
NSI empowers CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß researchers to pursue complex, mission-driven projects that strengthen the nation’s defense, intelligence, and security capabilities.
Benefits include:
ÌýÌýStrategic Sponsor Engagement
Affiliation with NSI opens direct pathways to the national security community—connecting CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß faculty with decision-makers, funding opportunities, and strategic partnerships that position researchers to lead in shaping the nation’s defense, intelligence and security future.
- Direct engagement with sponsors and collaborators across the national security enterprise—including the Department of War (DoW), Intelligence Community (IC), federal mission partners, and industry—through NSI-led outreach and engagement campaigns.
- Invitations to exclusive sponsor meetings, technical exchanges, and NSI-hosted events featuring senior government, defense and industry leaders.
- Priority access and consideration for participation in NSI-led white papers, proposal teams and multi-institutional initiatives that define emerging national security priorities.
- Early visibility into upcoming solicitations, Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), and collaborative opportunities through NSI’s network of federal, academic and industry partners.
ÌýÌýComprehensive Proposal & Award Support
Securing national security research awards requires precision, speed and strategic insight. The NSI Faculty Affiliates Program provides dedicated support throughout the proposal and award process—transforming innovative ideas into funded, mission-aligned projects.
- Full-service proposal development—from initial concept to submission—including strategy, budgeting, compliance and document preparation.
- Seamless coordination with the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) and sponsor contracting officers to streamline reviews and reduce administrative turnaround time.
- Access to early funding intelligence and targeted opportunities aligned with CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s national security strengths.
- Assistance during award negotiation and project kickoff to ensure a smooth transition from proposal to execution.
ÌýÌýProgram Management & Compliance Support
Through its Program Management Office (PMO) and compliance experts, NSI provides the structure, expertise and tools necessary to execute complex national security projects with precision and integrity.
- Access to NSI’s Program Management Office (PMO) for hands-on support with project planning, milestone tracking, deliverables and sponsor reporting.
- Expert guidance on export control, CUI, DFARS/CMMC, and classification requirements, ensuring compliance and protecting research integrity.
- Streamlined tools and best practices for documentation,Ìýreporting,Ìýand communication on defense-oriented projects.
- Curated training and on-demand resources to accelerate reviews and project starts while maintaining regulatory compliance.
ÌýÌýEnhanced Visibility & Collaboration
Affiliation with NSI elevates faculty visibility, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and integrates CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß researchers into a dynamic community advancing research and mission impact across technical, human and social domains.
- Visibility in NSI communications, sponsor materials, and on NSI’s website and organizational chart, integrating faculty into CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s interdisciplinary national security research community.
- Connection to a cross-campus network of faculty and research professionals with shared national security interests and complementary expertise.
- Opportunities to collaborate on interdisciplinary proposals leveraging CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s broad research strengths—including space, aerospace, autonomy, artificial intelligence/machine learning, quantum technology, geospatial analytics, space weather, remote sensing, and human and social systems—along with other emerging domains critical to national security.
- Participation in NSI-organized workshops and working groups focused on advancing innovation, collaboration and sponsor alignment across CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s national security portfolio.
To apply, submit a short statement of interest and CV toÌýÌýÌýinfoNSI@colorado.edu. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.