Marine Corps seeks AI problem-solvers for fourth fellowship class

The Marine Corps is seeking applicants for a fellowship that puts artificial intelligence to work on problems facing individual commands, from maintenance paperwork to cybersecurity testing. Members of I Marine Expeditionary Force use Dead Center, which uses artificial intelligence to aid operators of unmanned aircraft systems, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 20, 2025. (Trent Henry/U.S. Marine Corps) The five-month program pairs Marines and Defense Department civilians with faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and industry mentors to develop AI tools, according to an Oct. 1 Marine administrative message. Applications are open for the fourth class of the fellowship, which began as a pilot in August 2025. “It combines operational experience with technical instruction and expert mentorship to advance applied research, develop prototypes, and strengthen the Marine Corps’ AI workforce,” Maj.

Brett Vannier, a Headquarters Marine Corps spokesman, said by email Oct. 5. Participants work primarily from their home units and travel to Monterey three times. The fellowship becomes their primary duty, although their commands retain administrative control, according to the message. The arrangement keeps participants close to “the people, data, and processes associated with each fellow’s command problem,” Vannier said. Applicants must propose an unclassified, command-endorsed project and identify the necessary data, Vannier said. Fellows must produce a publishable research paper to graduate. Units pay about $5,000