Stay ConnectedActionable, expert advice on policy careers in AI, biosecurity, and emerging technologies. Learn how to break into US policy, where you can make a difference, and strategies to advance your career.
Narrations of emergingtechpolicy.org guides by the Horizon Institute for Public Service.
Copyright: © 2025 All rights reserved
NSF is an independent federal agency that advances US science and engineering progress through competitive research grants, partnerships, education, and workforce development. NSF investments drive developments across AI, biosecurity, and other emerging technologies.
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Outline:
(00:10) Overview
(02:01) Background on NSF
(03:54) Organizational structure
(05:49) NSF and AI policy
(06:50) AI-related developments at NSF
(07:03) AI-relevant offices at NSF
(09:27) NSF and biosecurity policy
(10:15) Biosecurity-related developments at NSF
(10:28) Biosecurity-relevant offices at NSF
(12:40) Working at NSF
(15:26) Further reading
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 3 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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Last updated:
November 12th, 2025
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/institutions/executive-branch/national-science-foundation
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Certain activities can tag you as partisan, like volunteering for a campaign, or donating to political candidates. This article provides advice on the potential impacts of partisan affiliations on your policy career.
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
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Last updated:
January 13th, 2024
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/tips/partisan-affiliation
Some non-Americans wonder whether they’re eligible for public policy work in the US. This post provides information on the main immigration categories and explains the challenges and opportunities facing foreign nationals.
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Outline:
(01:00) Summary
(02:57) Policy work by immigration status
(03:33) Types of policy work by immigration status
(05:22) Immigration category details
(06:38) Student visas
(10:23) Temporary work visas
(14:42) Green card (permanent residency)
(15:10) Family-based (FB)
(16:12) Employment-based
(18:00) Lottery-based
(18:51) Country-based green card caps
(19:45) Citizenship
(20:56) Appendices
(20:59) Dual intent
(23:51) Selective Service for male immigrants & US citizens growing up abroad
(25:01) Evaluation of Foreign Degrees
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 2 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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Last updated:
March 27th, 2024
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/pathways/foreign-nationals
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CDC’s mission is to protect America from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and domestic. It provides public health expertise, conducts research, and plays a central role in biosecurity.
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Outline:
(00:10) Executive branch
(00:24) Federal agency profiles
(00:41) Executive branch AI policy overview
(00:59) Executive branch biosecurity policy overview
(01:17) ARPAs \[AI+bio\]
(01:34) Executive Office of the President (EOP) \[AI+bio\]
(01:56) EOP National Security Council (NSC) \[AI+bio\]
(02:20) EOP Office of Management & Budget (OMB) \[AI+bio\]
(02:46) EOP Office of Science & Tech Policy (OSTP) \[AI+bio\]
(03:11) EOP National Economic & Domestic Policy Councils (NEC & DPC) \[AI+bio\]
(03:34) Department of Commerce (DOC) \[AI+bio\]
(03:57) DOC Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) \[AI+bio\]
(04:22) Department of Defense (DOD) \[AI+bio\]
(04:46) DOD Office of the SecDef (OSD) \[AI+bio\]
(05:09) Dep. of Energy (DOE) \[AI+bio\]
(05:32) Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) \[Bio\]
(05:56) HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR) \[Bio\]
(06:18) HHS Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) \[Bio\]
(06:45) HHS Food & Drug Administration (FDA) \[Bio\]
(07:10) HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH) \[Bio\]
(07:34) National Science Foundation (NSF) \[AI+bio\]
(07:58) Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) \[AI+bio\]
(08:26) DHS Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) \[AI\]
(08:48) Intelligence Community (IC) \[AI+bio\]
(09:11) Department of State (DOS) \[AI+bio\]
(09:33) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) \[AI\]
(09:54) US Department of Agriculture (USDA) \[Bio\]
(10:34) Federal agency research and application advice
(10:39) Researching federal agencies and offices
(11:00) Interviewing for federal positions
(11:19) Understanding federal job announcements and USAJOBS.gov
(11:47) Federal resume advice
(12:21) Executive branch fellowships
(14:15) Executive branch resources
(14:19) Job boards
(15:54) Websites
(16:33) Articles
(16:46) Newsletters
(17:06) Books
(18:10) Podcasts
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
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First published:
September 19th, 2023
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/institutions/executive-branch
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We generally advise against pursuing a PhD for policy work. This guide explains why, gives exceptions to this advice, and offers strategies for optimizing a PhD program for policy work.
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Outline:
(01:21) Why we typically advise against PhDs
(02:54) The high opportunity cost of PhD programs
(05:12) PhDs are optimized for academic careers, not policy careers
(06:58) When a PhD makes sense for policy work
(07:17) You're targeting institutions that prize PhDs
(09:57) You want to keep the option of an academic career open
(11:05) You want to specialize deeply in a technically complex topic (and alternatives to PhDs are insufficient)
(12:27) You aim for specific high benefit-to-cost PhD programs
(13:55) PhD programs optimized for policy careers
(14:13) Key criteria for policy-focused PhD programs
(16:34) Policy-oriented PhD programs to consider
(21:14) Optimizing your PhD for policy impact
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 15 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
November 24th, 2025
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/pathways/graduate-school/phd-advice-for-policy-careers
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We generally advise against pursuing a PhD for policy work. This guide explains why, gives exceptions to this advice, and offers strategies for optimizing a PhD program for policy work.
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Outline:
(01:22) Why we typically advise against PhDs
(02:54) The high opportunity cost of PhD programs
(05:14) PhDs are optimized for academic careers, not policy careers
(06:59) When a PhD makes sense for policy work
(07:18) You're targeting institutions that prize PhDs
(09:57) You want to keep the option of an academic career open
(11:06) You want to specialize deeply in a technically complex topic (and alternatives to PhDs are insufficient)
(12:27) You aim for specific high benefit-to-cost PhD programs
(13:55) PhD programs optimized for policy careers
(14:13) Key criteria for policy-focused PhD programs
(16:41) Policy-oriented PhD programs to consider
(21:21) Optimizing your PhD for policy impact
---
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 15 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
---
First published:
November 24th, 2025
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/phd-advice-for-policy-careers
---
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Passing a background check and receiving clearance is among the biggest barriers to federal employment. This can make holding an active clearance (or being eligible for one) one of the most valuable assets for advancing your federal career.
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Outline:
(01:12) Levels of background checks and security clearances
(04:24) What's the process for getting a security clearance?
(07:54) What roles do you need a security clearance for?
(08:34) What can disqualify you (and how to mitigate it)
(23:34) Security clearance tips
(26:10) FAQ
(26:27) Further resources
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 17 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
---
Last updated:
November 12th, 2025
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/tips/partisan-affiliation/security-clearance
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NNSA maintains and secures the US nuclear weapons stockpile, works to prevent nuclear proliferation and terrorism, powers the US Navy through nuclear propulsion, and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies domestically and abroad.
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Outline:
(00:10) Overview
(01:22) Background on NNSA
(02:40) Organizational structure
(04:28) NNSA and AI policy
(06:08) Recent AI developments at NNSA
(08:56) NNSA components working on AI policy
(09:15) Working at NNSA
(09:18) Full-time roles
(10:45) Internships and fellowships
(12:08) Further reading
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 5 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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Last updated:
November 10th, 2025
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Passing a background check and receiving clearance is among the biggest barriers to federal employment. This can make holding an active clearance (or being eligible for one) one of the most valuable assets for advancing your federal career.
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Outline:
(01:12) Levels of background checks and security clearances
(04:23) What's the process for getting a security clearance?
(07:55) What roles do you need a security clearance for?
(08:34) What can disqualify you (and how to mitigate it)
(23:32) Security clearance tips
(26:08) FAQ
(26:25) Further resources
---
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
The original text contained 17 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
---
Last updated:
November 11th, 2025
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/security-clearance
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This profile focuses on the civilian activities of the Department of Defense (DOD) under the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and how they relate to AI and biosecurity.
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Outline:
(00:10) Introduction
(02:33) OSD and AI policy
(05:52) AI-relevant offices within OSD
(06:12) OSD and biosecurity policy
(08:24) Biosecurity-relevant offices within OSD
(08:44) Further reading
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If you’re interested in pursuing a career in emerging technology policy, complete our Policy Career Interest Form, and we may be able to match you with opportunities suited to your background and interests.
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Last updated:
October 3rd, 2024
Source:
https://emergingtechpolicy.org/institutions/executive-branch/office-of-the-secretary-of-defense
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