United States Air Force Academy
Dick and Rosalie Bush Fellowship in Economic Warfare
Institute for Future Conflict
This is a civilian 1099 position that works for a 501(c)3 non-profit that supports the Air Force Academy.
Institute for Future Conflict
The Institute for Future Conflict (IFC) is dedicated to creating and cultivating flexible warfighters who are prepared to prevail in conflict no matter what form it may take in the future. The IFC does this by working across all three major units at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) to develop warfighters in the classroom, on the training ground, and through athletic competition. The United States Air Force Academy, located just north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, awards the Bachelor of Science degree as part of its mission to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become officers of character, motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation.
Economic tools, such as sanctions and export controls, are increasingly used as instruments of national power. These tools are used in conjunction with or in place of military activities. To prepare future officers for the world into which they are about to commission, cadets need to understand the mechanics and impacts of these economic tools. This sabbatical or post-doctoral fellow should have expertise in both the historical use of economics as an instrument of power as well as modern applications with particular focus on interactions involving Russia, Iran, North Korea, and/or the People’s Republic of China.
Overview
The IFC is seeking qualified candidates for the full-time, on-site position of Bush Fellow for Economic Warfare, who will work within the IFC and be attached to the Department of Economics and Geosciences, teaching a 1-1 course load.
We are seeking a highly skilled sabbatical or post-doctoral fellow to provide support for the major units contributing to cadet development at the United States Air Force Academy, primarily teaching and conducting research for the Dean of Faculty but also supporting cadet training events organized by the Commandant of Cadets and Athletic Director. As part of their duties, the Bush Fellow will support economics courses and may design special topics courses unique to their area(s) of expertise. The Bush Fellow will contribute to cadet military training events, integrating economics as an instrument of power into military training scenarios as part of institution-wide exercises and events so cadets better understand the how “whole of government” tools are used in integrated deterrence.
The contract is for one year with an option to renew for a second year. The Bush Fellow will work with the Institute for Future Conflict along with the Department Head of Economics and Geosciences or a person delegated by this position. Compensation for this position is commensurate with experience but is estimated to be between $75,000 and $85,000 per year.
This is a 1099 independent contractor position and does not include benefits. The individual will provide progress reports as necessary to the IFC Senior Advisor, the Department Head or delegated person, and the Fox Senior Fellow to demonstrate progress towards achieving the requirements of the position.
Desired Areas of Focus
Applicants should have demonstrated expertise in international political economy, international trade, and/or economics as an instrument of national power. This may include
• Sanctions as a tool to deter adversary action, counter adversary aggression, and advance U.S. interests in both competition and conflict.
• Trade restrictions in the context of national defense for protecting domestic technology and tradeoffs between interdependence and nationalism.
• Defense industrial base revitalization incentivized through public policy as way to prepare the United States for future conflict.
• Weaponized interdependence as global powers exert influence through infrastructure development and other partnerships to reshape the global economic system.
Responsibilities
• Understand, uphold, and promote the standards, core values, and priorities of USAFA and the IFC
• Establish good working relationships with administration and faculty along with USAFA permanent party in the major units responsible for cadet development
• Teaching: The fellow will teach one course per semester. The expectation is one of these courses will be an economics course; the second course may be in an area of the fellow’s specialization. As applicable, specialized lessons or guest speaker engagements may be available to expand influence on a broader variety of academic disciplines.
• Training: The fellow will work with IFC’s Senior Fellow for Wargaming as well as Cadet Wing leadership to integrate learning experiences into training and exercises to illustrate how economic tools may be used to shape global engagements.
• Research: The fellow will be expected to maintain an active research agenda, which will be demonstrated by publications and presentations. The fellow will be expected to publish at least four pieces, or two per year, which may include shorter policy focused applications on platforms such as the IFC’s website, Future Conflict.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• A flexible and adaptable leadership style, able to positively influence strategic and tactical initiatives with keen attention to detail, to effectively lead teams and lift the performance of others
• Interpersonal skills adept at building, cultivating, and stewarding relationships with internal and external stakeholders and the ability to connect people and resources
• Motivated and organized professional who values working with committed colleagues in a fast paced collaborative environment to solve problems and manage multiple tasks concurrently
• Excellent written and oral communication skills are required, along with strong social skills, instincts, judgment and integrity
• A strong work ethic, a commitment to high performance and teamwork and a proven ability and desire to reach increasingly aggressive goals
Qualifications
• PhD in Economics or related fields such as Public Policy with demonstrated research on topics pertinent to the IFC and this fellowship’s charter. Applicants with degrees not in Economics must have a minimum of 18 credit hours of graduate work in economics for accreditation requirements. ABD candidates will be considered.
• Experience teaching and conducting research in university-level environments
• Experience applying economic tools to various disciplines is preferred
• The selected candidate will be subject to a background investigation pursuant to award of a security clearance. A valid driver’s license is required to initiate this process and necessary to attain access to the Air Force Academy military installation and the IFC offices. US citizenship is preferred.
Applications Instructions
Applications should include a curriculum vitae, copies of graduate transcripts, statement of teaching philosophy, a written research sample, and three letters of recommendation. Send complete packages in a single PDF file to Mr. Dave Scott (dave.scott@afacademy.af.edu) and Dr. Gregory Johnsen (gregory.johnsen@afacademy.af.edu) no later than July 31, 2025.