The Biden administration is welcoming 40 new technologists to its inaugural cohort of the U.S. Digital Corps fellowship program, according to a new blog post from Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana.
The early-career technologists will be spread across 13 Federal agencies to help advance administration priorities, from improving critical services for Americans, enhancing cybersecurity, and implementing the Federal IT operating plan.
The White House announced the two-year fellowship program last year, in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA), the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“Launching the inaugural cohort of the U.S. Digital Corps is an important step towards delivering on a key pillar of the President’s Management Agenda – strengthening and empowering the Federal workforce,” said Pam Coleman, associate director of performance and personnel management at OMB.
“The Digital Corps has selected more than 40 talented early-career technologists to serve as fellows across Federal agencies, where they will help address key challenges the government faces in both the near and long term,” she said.
The White House expanded the program from 30 technologists to 40, after more than 1,000 candidates across the country applied within just one week, according to Martorana.
The fellows will support several projects, including helping the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the digital tools veterans rely on for services; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create a behavioral health treatment locator tool; and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to develop vulnerability, risk, and resilience assessments.
“I am honored to support the U.S. Digital Corps in my role as Federal Chief Information Officer,” Martorana said. “Creating new ways to bring technology talent into the Federal government is crucial to our efforts to protect, serve, and inspire the American people in today’s digital age.”
Martorana said the White House will provide more information on the fellows when they start later this month.
