Clarification from the agency

This position is open to U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals and lawful permanent residents who have a graduate degree (or higher) from an accredited college/university in the U.S. no earlier than 2 years prior OR within 6 months after acceptance into the program. Acceptance into the program is the Fellow's Entry on Duty (EOD) date. There is no preferential authorities or provisions for veterans who apply to the McCain Fellowship.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026.

The Department of War is seeking applicants for the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellowship Program.

The application period opens on December 1, 2025, with an initial cut off date of January 5, 2026. Applications received before 11:59pm on January 5, 2026 will be evaluated and assessed for current, available positions. Subsequent cutoff dates include March 5, 2026; May 5, 2026; July 6, 2026, and September 30, 2026. Qualified applicants that apply after the initial cut off date will be considered and referred if initial vacancies are not filled and if future vacancies become available.

This Public Notice is to gather applications which may or may not result in a referral or selection.

This position is being filled under Section 932 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, and its later amendments Section 1113 of the NDAA Fiscal Year 2024 and Section 1112 of the NDAA Fiscal Year 2025.
NDAA FY25 Sec 1112
NDAA FY24 Sec 1113
NDAA FY19 Sec 932

Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Assignments during the Fellows program are to an Excepted Service position either in the Office of the Secretary of War or other Department of War Components.

Typical work assignments may include the following:

• Conducts studies, reviews, and analyses of programs, management structures, and operations to identify areas for improvement and recommend modifications.
• Performs research and fact-finding to develop briefing papers, position papers, and responses to inquiries on a variety of subjects.
• Analyzes data, legislation, regulations, and policies to assess impact on program operations and management effectiveness.
• Collaborates with colleagues and stakeholders to gather information, share findings, and develop recommendations.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship, U.S. National or lawful permanent residency is required
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
• Total salary varies depending on location of position
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
• The incumbent must adhere to DoD Standards of Conduct
• Position may require occasional travel away from your normal duty station for official business on military or commercial
• The incumbent may be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime
• This position requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a Secret or Top Secret security clearance depending on organization's needs

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below.

You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: 1) Providing support and guidance on administrative programs and/or management processes; and 2) applying law, policy, regulations, and methodology to ensure compliance; and 3) Researching and analyzing a wide variety of issues to formulate solutions

You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the Federal Service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability in: 1) Providing support on administrative programs and/or management processes ; and 2) Researching and analyzing a wide variety of issues to formulate solutions

OR

Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education must have been completed in a college or university in the U.S. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification)

OR

Have a combination of specialized experience and education.

You may qualify at the GS-10 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
Have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education must have been completed in a college or university in the U.S. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification)

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the cut-off date for which you applied for and clearly documented in your resume.

Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Note: Under this hiring authority, veteran's preference does not apply.

Your application (resumes and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet program eligibility requirements, education requirements, and minimum qualifications required as listed in this announcement.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS. You MUST upload the applicable documents with your application package. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience. Your resume must address your technical qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages. Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 1" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will receive no further consideration.

If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."

If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you will not be considered for this vacancy.

List of required documents:

1. Resume:
   • All applicants must submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (as stated above) showing all relevant experience.
   • It must include your name and contact information (telephone number and email)
   • For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present).
   • For additional information see: What to include in your resume
2. Two Letters of Recommendation - from previous employers, professors, coaches, internship supervisors, volunteer activity leads, or work colleagues addressing work ethic, academic ability, and any extra-curricular activities.
3. Endorsement Letter - From the applicant's graduate institution (e.g. registrar office) addressing the applicant's academic history and overall character (i.e., no record of honor investigation, plagiarism, accusations, suspension, misconduct, etc. This must be on a university letterhead.
4. Unofficial Transcripts at the Undergraduate level and Graduate Level - To be eligible, applicants must have either completed their graduate degree at the time of acceptance into the program; OR applicants who will complete their graduate degree within six months after acceptance into the program. Transcripts must show degree conferral dates or anticipated degree completion dates. If selected, it is mandatory that you provide official transcripts.
   • If the graduate transcript does not have a degree conferral date or anticipated degree conferral date, applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of enrollment from their graduate institute to support their eligibility. The letter of enrollment must include the graduate program they are in and the anticipated degree conferral date.
5. Academic Writing Sample - Examples include published articles, dissertation, thesis, academic paper, etc.
6. Compelling Narratives to one or more of the following prompts:
   • Career goals. Describe your career goals and areas of interest and how the McCain Fellows Program will help you achieve those goals.
   • Accomplishments. Describe and provide examples/evidence of any learning, professional, leadership, and work accomplishments.
   • Benefits for Department of Defense. Describe how your selection benefits the DoD and your motivation for service in the Department.
   • Essay. Describe what you want to accomplish and achieve during the fellowship.

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and,
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Next steps