Bluestaq Graduate Research Scholar — NDSU Partnership

About the role

This program connects academic research directly to national-security mission impact. As a Bluestaq Graduate Research Scholar, your work will advance real capabilities in LLMs, knowledge graphs, NLP, and agentic AI used by defense and national-security customers. It builds a direct pipeline from sponsored academic research into hands-on delivery at Bluestaq and positions you as part of a select, founding cohort of scholars at the leading edge of applied AI research.

Responsibilities

• Conduct Bluestaq-defined research in one or more of the following focus areas: Large Language Models, Data Sourcing & Tagging, Knowledge Graph / Graph Store, Agentic AI, Natural Language Processing, and Prompt Engineering.
• Work independently and with NDSU faculty advisors, with research direction and technical alignment provided by Bluestaq.
• Bring genuine intellectual curiosity — while projects are Bluestaq-defined, student interest and alignment are valued in shaping the work.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Currently enrolled, or incoming, M.S. or Ph.D. student at North Dakota State University.
• Target disciplines: Computer Science; Electrical & Computer Engineering; Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Software & Security Engineering (other aligned fields considered).
• Strong academic record and genuine interest in applying AI/data to national-security challenges.
• Selected through a joint Bluestaq/NDSU review process; a Bluestaq technical representative serves on the selection committee alongside NDSU faculty.
• Education Enrollment in (or admission to) an M.S. or Ph.D. program at NDSU in a qualifying discipline is required.
• Clearance Requirement: U.S. citizenship is required, and candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. Supervising faculty must also meet citizenship and clearance requirements, as sponsored work involves Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and pre-existing Bluestaq intellectual property.

Location

• Academic-year research is based at NDSU (Fargo, ND).
• Mandatory summer internship placement is on-site at Bluestaq HQ, Colorado Springs, CO.

Program Timeline

• Fall 2026: Research project begins.
• Summer 2027: Paid internship at Bluestaq HQ.

Benefits

• Full tuition, fees, stipend, and health insurance — funded for the complete duration of your M.S. or Ph.D. degree.
• Summer internship compensation: MS students: $28–35/hr ($1,120–$1,400/week at 40 hrs), PhD students: $34–42/hr ($1,360–$1,680/week at 40 hrs).

Intellectual Property

This is a standard industry-sponsored research arrangement: Bluestaq retains full ownership of all intellectual property developed under the sponsorship, consistent with students advancing the company's pre-existing IP portfolio.

Schedule

Applications will be accepted for 60 days beyond the posting date, or until the position is filled, whichever comes first.

About Bluestaq

At Bluestaq, we build secure data platforms that matter for space missions, national defense, healthcare systems, and commercial innovation. Founded in 2018, we've become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management by staying focused on what counts: modern architecture, operational excellence, and mission impact. We're engineers, problem-solvers, and builders who take the mission seriously, but not ourselves. We automate the repeatable, question the status quo, and design systems that are as reliable as they are scalable. Whether we're supporting space, defense systems, or healthcare advancements, we build with the same principles: cloud-native solutions, security by design, and relentless simplicity.

Relocation

This position does not offer relocation. Candidates must live in the immediate area or relocate at their own expense.

Date the Position Closes

Applications will be accepted for 60 days beyond the posting date, or until the position is filled, whichever comes first.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by state or local law.