The Pentagon’s startup arm postpones its internship program, citing ’emergent priorities’ in an internal email

Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary

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The Defense Innovation Unit will postpone its yearlong internship program until the spring of 2026.
Incoming interns were contacted in mid-September about the program, with some due to start at the end of the month.
The DIU didn’t elaborate on the reason for the postponement, but referenced “emergent priorities.”

The Pentagon’s startup arm, the Defense Innovation Unit, which is responsible for the military’s adoption of new commercial technologies, is postponing its full-year internship program until the spring of 2026, according to an email sent to incoming interns in mid-September.

The email, sent by Carrie Shideler, the DIU’s director of human capital, cited “emergent priorities” as the reason for the postponement.

“This is not a cancellation, but a concerted effort to provide the highest quality internship experience possible,” the email added.

A spokesperson for the DIU told Business Insider via email that the organization “is prioritizing the allocation of its resources and directing efforts toward critical initiatives that address the War Department’s most pressing and immediate needs.” Shideler didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Two offer letters viewed by Business Insider included proposed late September start dates. At least twenty people were notified of the postponement, according to two people with direct knowledge of the email.

In previous years, interns have worked in “operational support, engagement, and research” roles at the DIU, according to a LinkedIn post advertising a 2024-2025 internship.

The DIU, founded in 2015 by the Department of Defense, helps the military adopt commercial technologies. From 2016 to the end of fiscal year 2023, the DIU awarded 450 prototype contracts. The organization focuses on backing commercial AI, drone, logistics, manufacturing, and other startups.

Doug Beck resigned as director of the DIU in late August, Reuters reported. Emil Michael, the under secretary of defense for research and engineering, now serves as the group’s director. Michael previously worked as Uber’s chief business officer.

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Read the original article on Business Insider

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