National Security Education Program

At the National Security Education Program (NSEP), our primary mission is to develop a pipeline of foreign language and culture expertise for the U.S. federal government workforce. NSEP was established by the [David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 (U.S. Code 50, 90 et seq.)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title50/chapter37edition=prelim "David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991"). NSEP represents an investment in vital expertise in languages and cultures critical to U.S. national security. The program is implemented by the Secretary of Defense, who has delegated his authority to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. Learn more about NSEP Administration. About NSEP NSEP is a key component of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO) in the U.S Department of Defense (DoD). DLNSEO’s mission is to provide strategic direction and programmatic oversight to the Military Departments, Defense field activities, and the Combatant Commands on present and future requirements related to language, regional expertise, and culture. As part of DLNSEO, NSEP plays an ever-increasing role in creating a workforce ready to serve 21st century national security needs. NSEP is a major Federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills. It consists of eight initiatives that represent broad strategic partnerships with the U.S. education community designed to serve the needs of U.S. national security and national competitiveness. These initiatives integrate the best components of language learning and international education developed in conjunction with progressively minded partners throughout the U.S. education community. NSEP focuses on the critical languages and cultures of Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Participants are involved in innovative, intensive, and long-term programs designed to provide meaningful opportunities to gain significant competencies in these languages and cultures. NSEP is unique in the commitment of its award recipients to proceed into public service upon completion of their academic studies. Each NSEP award recipient must demonstrate a commitment to bring his or her extraordinary skills to the Federal Government through employment within one of its many agencies and departments for at least one year. Mission And Objectives The David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 mandated that the Secretary of Defense create and sustain a program to award scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students; fellowships to U.S. graduate students; and grants to U.S. institutions of higher education. These awards are for study or program development in languages and regions critical to national security. Based on this legislation, the National Security Education Program (NSEP) was established. NSEP was created to develop a much-needed strategic partnership between the national security community and higher education, addressing the national need for experts in critical languages and regions. NSEP is one of the most significant efforts in international education since the 1958 passage of the National Defense Education Act, and it continues to play a critical role within the Department of Defense. The David L. Boren National Security Education Act outlines five major purposes for NSEP, namely: 1. To provide the necessary resources, accountability, and flexibility to meet the national security education needs of the United States, especially as such needs change over time, 2. To increase the quantity, diversity, and quality of the teaching and learning of subjects in the fields of foreign languages, area studies, and other international fields that are critical to the Nation's interests, 3. To produce an increased pool of applicants for work in the departments and agencies of the United States Government with national security responsibilities, 4. To expand, in conjunction with other Federal programs, the international experience, knowledge base, and perspectives on which the United States citizenry, government employees, and leaders rely, and 5. To permit the federal government to advocate the cause of international education.