National Security Innovation Network

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) is a program office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) and is authorized through Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2021. NSIN's mission is to build networks of innovators that generate new solutions to national security problems. The program aims to engage students, entrepreneurs, and the startup, venture, and academic communities to solve the problems of Department of Defense (DoD) entities from the Military Services, Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, Defense Agencies, and Field Activities. NSIN is organized around three core lines of effort: Network Building, Program Execution, and Transition Support. These lines of effort include regional engagement and community building to source problem solvers and solutions to national security problems, executing programs to attract new talent and solutions from students, entrepreneurs, and the startup community, and enabling transition by providing subject matter expertise to reduce ambiguity and provide reliable information to the NSIN network.

NSIN executes various programs and pilot activities designed to enhance DoD’s access to technologists and entrepreneurs for improving its talent pool, enabling collaboration with universities and the early-stage venture community to develop novel concepts and solutions for end-user problems and requirements. The program also prototypes and tests new technologies to place them on the path to becoming programs of record or integrated with existing platforms. Some specific programs include Technology and National Security Fellowship, X-Force Fellowship, Hacking for Defense, Bootcamp, Maker, Capstone, Forge/Foundry, Propel, Challenges, Emerge, Fulcrum, Dual-Use Fundamentals. NSIN also plans to establish project sites for various programs in multiple states while expanding its Mission Acceleration Center program across different locations in the United States. These efforts are aimed at fostering innovation in national security by engaging diverse talent pools from academia and industry.