GSA recruits diverse tech talent to drive innovation across the federal government

GSA recruits diverse tech talent to drive innovation across the federal government

Did you know GSA offers two fellowship programs that enable technologists to help improve the federal government? Every year, U.S. Digital Corps (USDC) and Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF), part of GSA's Technology Transformation Services (TTS), recruit talented people from diverse career backgrounds including recent graduates, academia, nonprofit, and the private sector.

Fellows offer far more than mere technical expertise. USDC fellows and PIFs also possess strong mission orientation and nontechnical skills like problem solving, stakeholder management, and communication - all crucial to successfully develop and implement organizational and programmatic change.

PIF and USDC also took part in the National AI Talent Surge created by the White House Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. The programs are on track to hire over 100 technologists in 2024, and will collectively have over 150 total active fellows, including those in AI and AI-enabling roles.

How the fellowships differ

While USDC and PIF both recruit individuals with a technology background, the fellowship programs differ in length of service, project focus, and the required level of subject-matter expertise.

Presidential Innovation Fellows

PIF is a full-time, paid, one-year tour of service in Washington, DC for mid-to-senior level leaders in tech and other innovative fields. Fellows serve as senior advisors to leaders in the federal government on projects impacting the American public, with the opportunity to extend their service for an additional year.

PIFs are subject-matter experts in areas including data strategy and AI, software and cloud infrastructure, product, design and experience, or digital transformation and strategy. They're also leaders who have experience in change management.

In June, PIF welcomed its second cohort for 2024 overall, and the first to be exclusively AI-focused. Eleven experts from top tech companies, startups, and organizations around the country joined 21 PIFs from the March cohort already supporting AI projects.

Members of the June cohort will support initiatives such as:

• Researching the responsible use of AI to address the energy and climate crises at the Department of Energy,
• Exploring AI capabilities for improving the healthcare system and service delivery at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and
• Evaluating how AI can drive transparency and increase access in mortgage lending at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

"The increasing global attention to AI and other transformative technologies has created an urgent need for government agencies to understand how to use these increasingly powerful capabilities for public good, while setting up the proper controls to anticipate negative consequences. Ensuring we are human centered and forward thinking is imperative to ensure our country's competitiveness. It appears the timing is right to do work that is foundational and consequential. I expect the PIF AI program to offer that possibility." Dr. Nandini Nayak, Presidential Innovation Fellow assigned to a project at the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Since its inception in 2012, PIF has recruited more than 260 fellows to support more than 50 agencies across the federal government. Many fellows choose to pursue careers in the federal government after their tour of duty, taking on roles across agencies including Veterans Affairs (VA), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the White House, and more.

U.S. Digital Corps

USDC is a two-year paid fellowship for early-career technologists in five tracks: cybersecurity, data science and analytics, design, product management, and software engineering. Fellows can convert to a full-time career position when they successfully complete the program.

The program launched its first cohort in 2022:

• Of the 38 fellows in USDC's inaugural cohort, 97% remained in government for the entire the fellowship;
• Of the graduating cohort, 95% opted to stay with the federal government post-fellowship and continue their service to the American people.

Interest in USDC is growing. During the recruitment cycle for the third cohort, which concluded last year, the program received more than 2,000 applications, the largest number the program has received. The third cohort will include more than 50 AI and AI-enabling fellows and is set to begin in August of 2024.

"I want my work to strengthen communities and increase equitable access to public resources. As someone who cares about community learning, I also resonated with the Digital Corps' mission to help new technologists learn the skills and knowledge to better understand the impact we want to make in the public sector," Erin Song, Software Engineering Fellow assigned to a project at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.

Since its inception, USDC has recruited more than 80 early-career technologists and has supported projects of national significance at 19 agencies.

Interested in joining?

The 2025 Presidential Innovation Fellowship program cohort application period begins later this summer 2024. Please visit apply.pif.gov and subscribe for updates.

The recruitment cycle for the 2025 U.S. Digital Corps cohort opens later this fall 2024. Please visit digitalcorps.gsa.gov for more information and sign up for their newsletter to get notified when applications open.