Military Graduate Research Associates Program

The Military Graduate Research Associates (MGRA) Program provides challenging opportunities to participate in Laboratory research programs as visiting staff; to learn about Los Alamos' role in national security, defense, and civilian programs; and to foster a long-term interest in science and technology. The program is open to recent graduates from the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and uniformed military officers attending graduate school. The program, a special employment and educational program, is administered by the Department of Defense (DoD) Programs Office at LANL, in cooperation with the Service Academies and other academic institutions.

Student Assignments

The Military Graduate Research Associates Program is administered on a case-by-case basis. The relationship between a Laboratory sponsor and the graduate student typically begins with informal discussions. When agreement is reached that a Laboratory assignment may be mutually beneficial to both the Laboratory and the student, the Los Alamos sponsoring organization contacts the DoD Programs Office to begin the formal process of bringing the student to Los Alamos.

Assignments vary in length depending on the student’s military duties and the nature of the research assignment. Student assignments at the Laboratory are typically several months (summer) to a semester (six months) in length. Research assignments are designed to afford an opportunity to engage in hands-on, applied research under the direct mentoring of a technical staff member. In typical assignments, students have conducted following work:

• Used gas chromatography to investigate catalysis reaction rates for dehydrogenation of butane using microwave energy deposition;
• Applied mass spectrometry to vaporization chemistry and thermodynamics of plutonium oxychloride;
• Benchmarked system performance of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks and switches;
• Measured and analyzed response of managing pressure gauges to shock waves as a function of orientation of incident shock plane;
• Assisted in the operation, maintenance, and modification of the Relativistic Electron Beam Experiment (REX) Accelerator for photo-cathode experiments;
• Performed cost analyses of alternative siting for a major hydrotest facility as part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); and
• Characterized titanyl nitrate decomposition reactions using thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry, and X-ray powder diffraction.

Work Environment

Student assignments can begin during the early summer months following graduation or the current school term. The normal work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., unless otherwise arranged with their supervisor. General Employee Training (GET) is mandatory; additional training may be required for all special and potentially hazardous activities. The dress code is informal civilian attire.

Clearances

The Laboratory sponsor will begin the clearance transfer process. MGRA students are granted Secret RD and Secret NSI clearances for the duration of their stay, as needed. Access to classified information is based on assignment and need-to-know guidelines.

Arrangements

The DoD Programs Office at Los Alamos serves as the coordination point for assignments. One round-trip between point of origin and Los Alamos is allowed per annum, including reimbursement of private vehicle mileage from the point of origin to Los Alamos to the point of origin. A lodging allowance of actual costs up to $500/month is provided. Students are given a per diem allowance of $38/day per diem. Students are encouraged to provide their own transportation to and from work. Local rental cars are provided only upon prior approval by the Los Alamos host organization. All arrangements for housing and transportation are made and costs are reimbursed by the host organization.

Eligibility

Service Academy graduates and uniformed military officers attending graduate school with a GPA of 3.0 or above are eligible.