CGSR Research Associate - Summer 2025 - Military Veterans

at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

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Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States' security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are committed to a diverse and equitable workforce with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This is essential to innovation and creativity for continued success of the Laboratory's mission.

Pay Range

$6,410.00 - $7,780.00 Monthly

This position is under a step structure. Please note that the step is determined by your academic level. Transcripts are required.

Job Description

The Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) was established at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in 1996 to bring together experts from the science, technology, and policy communities to address pressing national security challenges. For over 20 years, CGSR has engaged diverse perspectives on topics important to national security, deterrence, diplomacy, dual-use technology, arms control, nonproliferation, space, cyber, climate, biosecurity, and energy security.

We have openings in Summer 2025 for undergraduate, master's, and PhD students or recent graduates to engage in practical research on global security topics. Students will work with CGSR over the duration of three to four months as a research associate (RA). RAs will engage in practical research to further their educational and career goals, while also supporting the development of strategies for national security. Examples of relevant fields of research include nuclear deterrence, arms control, nonproliferation, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, space, biological & chemical security, and energy and climate security.

CGSR's objectives are as follows:

To explore the dynamics of potential 21st century strategic conflicts (i.e., those with a potential nuclear aspect) and to formulate ideas about how to achieve U.S. deterrence and other objectives in such conflicts.
To explore the sources and characteristics of strategic competition in the emerging security environment and to formulate organizing concepts to enhance the competitive position of the United States and its allies and partners over the long term.
To identify whether and how technically based approaches can address new challenges to national and international security.
To catalyze broader national and international thinking about the requirements of effective deterrence, assurance, and strategic stability in a changed and changing security environment.
To assist in the development of new generations of experts motivated by a clear view of the changed and changing security environment, including in the fields of biological and chemical security as well as energy and climate security.

More information on CGSR, its research focus areas, and its publications can be found at https://cgsr.llnl.gov/ .

This job will be closed to applicants on February 10, 2025.

In this role you will:

Conduct an independent research project on an agreed upon topic aligned with CGSR research priorities.
Support the CGSR organization through contributions to ongoing research activities. Tasks may include contributing to literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, and workshop summary reports.
Provide analysis to ongoing work, involving a moderate to high degree of technical and analytic complexity.
Assist in the planning and execution of workshops to support CGSR research efforts.
Gather and analyze data and information in support of broader CGSR research efforts.
Participate in research planning and evaluation discussions with other members of the CGSR staff.
Attend relevant research seminars, speakers' series, and workshops.
Present research to LLNL staff at end of the assignment.
Prepare end-of-assignment technical report or publication.
Perform all assignments in accordance with ES&H, security, and business practice requirements and policies.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Must be currently enrolled in an accredited university and actively pursuing a graduate degree or have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in a field of research aligned with CGSR analytic priorities. Areas of study include international relations and/or security, political science, economics, public policy, emerging technologies, nonproliferation, energy and/or climate studies, biosecurity, foreign language studies, or related fields.
Demonstrated academic and/or professional achievement in a relevant field of research aligned with CGSR analytic priorities.
Strong record of independent research and publication, or a strong proposal of research to be done while at CGSR and in future academic and professional settings.
Ability to work in a team environment.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

Included in 2024 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
Holiday Pay
Sick leave accrual
Individual 401(k) contributions
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity
Our core beliefs - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/our-values
Employee engagement - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/employee-engagement

Security Clearance

None required. However, if your assignment is longer than 179 days cumulatively within a calendar year, you must go through the Personal Identity Verification process. This process includes completing an online background investigation form and receiving approval of the background check. (This process does not apply to foreign nationals.)

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Wireless and Medical Devices

Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession. This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices.

If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas. Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

How to identify fake job advertisements

Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under "Find Your Job" of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.

To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision .

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request.

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here .

Livermore, CA

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Science and technology on a mission

For more than 60 years, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has applied science and technology to make the world a safer place.

Livermore’s defining responsibility is ensuring the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent. Yet LLNL’s mission is broader than stockpile stewardship, as dangers ranging from nuclear proliferation and terrorism to energy shortages and climate change threaten national security and global stability. The Laboratory’s science and engineering are being applied to achieve breakthroughs for counterterrorism and nonproliferation, defense and intelligence, energy and environmental security.

Our Mission

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has a mission of strengthening the United States’ security through development and application of world-class science and technology to:

Enhance the nation’s defense.
Reduce the global threat from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
And respond with vision, quality, integrity and technical excellence to scientific issues of national importance.

Our Vision

Lead the nation in stockpile science, innovation and sustainment.
Be the foremost national security laboratory, anticipating, innovating and delivering solutions for the nation’s most challenging security problems.
Be the premier destination for our nation’s very best scientists and engineers.

Our Values

Ideas. Livermore is the “new ideas” laboratory, and we continue to aspire to intellectual leadership, originality, and audacity. We support an environment that encourages open exchange and critique. Ideas also improve operations and lead to new, better ways of doing business.
Impact. Innovation happens when new ideas have impact—on our mission, on people’s lives. Ultimately, our success depends on applying frontier science and technology, through disciplined engineering, to deliver solutions for—have impact on—our mission.
Integrity. We serve the public interest and act to sustain the public trust through transparency, honesty, and objectivity. We act ethically in our research activities, our business practices, and our interactions with each other. We are dedicated to collective success, and committed to safety and security as an integral part of the mission.
Inclusiveness. The challenges of our mission demand that we draw on the widest possible diversity of talents, thought, and experiences. To capitalize on the range of individual and diverse talents needed for mission success, we form and work in teams, characterized by mutual respect and support.
Zeal. It’s good to love what you do. We value enthusiasm for and commitment to the Lab’s mission. We have a “fire in the belly” to excel, lead, and change the world. And as an institution, the Lab will aspire to be a place where people can find fulfillment and love their work. Our Priorities
- Deliver on our stockpile stewardship mission.
- Enhance and expand our mission in the broad national security space.
- Sustain and ensure that we are at the cutting edge in the science, engineering and technology capabilities our sponsors need.
- Ensure excellence in execution: deliver results of the highest quality, on schedule and on budget.
- Ensure excellence in operations: safety, security, environment and state of the art business practices and processes.
- Improve our cost effectiveness.
- Provide a first-class workplace environment to our employees.
- Expand our contributions to the local and national economy through partnerships with academia and industry.

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