The Pitch 2023: A Competition of New Ideas

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is hosting The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas, its annual premier event to elevate emerging and diverse voices in national security. Selected applicants will make their pitch for innovative policy ideas to meet new challenges in U.S. national security policy in front of a distinguished panel of judges.

Like last year, the Pitch will be split into two rounds. The first round will take place virtually on Wednesday, April 26, with winners from each category and a People’s Choice winner advancing to the grand finale. The winners of the first round will present their pitches in person at the grand finale during the 2023 CNAS National Security Conference, which will take place June 6–8. The exact date and time of the finale is to be determined.

During the first round of the competition, participants who win their heat, as well as the People’s Choice winner, will receive a $250 honorarium. Additionally, first-round winners who reside in the continental United States will have the opportunity to travel to and stay in Washington, D.C., paid for by CNAS, to compete in the Pitch finale during the annual conference and attend VIP conference sessions. The Best in Show winner, selected during the grand finale, will receive a $1,000 honorarium, as well as attendance at a CNAS Next Generation Program dinner of their choice.

In addition, the three heat winners and the People’s Choice winner will have the opportunity to contribute a written version (500–1000 words) of their pitch to a special CNAS commentary collection.

Read the commentary pieces from two of last year’s winners, Jacqueline White Menchaca and William Coffin.

White Menchaca won the People’s Choice Award for her pitch on institutionalizing climate diplomacy in the Foreign Service.

Coffin won the Safeguarding Against Threats to Democracy heat for his pitch on using declassified intelligence to combat adversary disinformation.

The deadline for the 2023 Pitch competition has been extended to Monday, March 20 at 11:59 ET.

Applicants must make their pitch for a new U.S. national security or foreign policy idea responding to one of the following prompts:

• Technology and National Security: What new ideas in U.S. technology policy (whether that’s financial technology, industrial policy, communications technology, defense technology, etc.) can address growing national security challenges for the United States and strengthen the safety and prosperity of the American people?
• Institutions and People Power: What specific reform to critical U.S. national security institutions (including structures, processes, and human capital) can improve their effectiveness and public confidence in the face of new challenges?
• Military Modernization: What new ideas, strategies, or reforms could the U.S. Department of Defense implement (across personnel, hardware, institutions, or processes) to better meet the challenges of the future?

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be between 25 and 35 years old, as of June 6, 2023.
• Be available to present their pitch virtually at the first round on April 26, 2023, and in person on June 6–8 for the final round, should they be selected.
• Be one of the following:
  • A U.S. citizen OR
  • Enrolled in a U.S. educational institution OR
  • Reside in the United States.

Complete applications include:

• A résumé
• A 280-character (including spaces) summary of your idea
• A 30-second video pitch of why your idea should be selected
  • Please note that your application will be judged on the quality of your idea, not the video’s production quality. Videos do not need to be high quality and should be shot on a camera phone or comparable recorder. Please see our example videos from a past competition for reference.

The deadline for the 2023 Pitch competition has been extended to Monday, March 20 at 11:59 ET.

If you have any questions about the application process, please see the FAQs or email thepitch@cnas.org.

If a prospective applicant is unable to submit the required video due to disability, please contact thepitch@cnas.org to obtain a reasonable accommodation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

Who can submit a pitch?

If you are a U.S. citizen, enrolled in a U.S. educational institution, or reside in the United States, and are between the ages of 25 and 35 on June 6, 2023, then we want to hear your innovative idea on American security.

I’m not local to Washington, D.C., can I still apply?

Yes! Participants will present their pitches virtually during the first round on April 26. For the grand finale that will take place June 6–8, first-round winners who reside in the continental United States will have the opportunity to travel to and stay in Washington, D.C., paid for by CNAS, to compete in the finale and attend VIP conference sessions.

Am I required to be available for the entire event in order to participate?

Yes.

If I participated in the competition previously, can I apply again?

Yes, if you meet the age requirements and are a non-winning participant from a previous year, you are eligible to apply and participate once again but only with a different idea than submitted previously.

Submissions

When is my application due?

Applications are due on Monday, March 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

What kind of ideas are you looking for?

We’re looking for new, innovative ideas—big or small—that answer one of the three questions below. While successful ideas are likely to be creative and original, the judges will also have to be persuaded that your idea could be implemented and would achieve its intended objective.

Technology and National Security: What new ideas in U.S. technology policy (whether that’s financial technology, industrial policy, communications technology, defense technology, etc.) can address growing national security challenges for the United States and strengthen the safety and prosperity of the American people?

Institutions and People Power: What specific reform to critical U.S. national security institutions (including structures, processes, and human capital) can improve their effectiveness and public confidence in the face of new challenges?

Military Modernization: What new ideas, strategies, or reforms could the U.S. Department of Defense implement (across personnel, hardware, institutions, or processes) to better meet the challenges of the future?

What if my idea does not fit into one of the three categories?

Please only submit ideas that answer one of the three questions posed.

What if my idea fits into more than one of the three categories?

Please choose the category where you believe your idea best answers the question. CNAS reserves the right to reassign your idea to a different category than the one you select.

I’m having trouble uploading my application. Can I email it to you?

If you are having technical difficulties with your application, please let us know at thepitch@cnas.org. Email submissions will only be accepted if we are unable to troubleshoot the issue. That said—to avoid technical problems, please do not leave applying until the last minute!

Does my résumé need to be in a specific style?

No, your résumé does not need to follow a specific style. We only ask that it be clear and concise and that you upload it in a PDF file format.

How do I record and upload a video for the application?

Your video can easily be recorded on your camera phone, selfie style. Just open the camera app on your phone (or your friend’s phone) and start recording! Then you can email the video file to yourself and upload it directly to the application portal. No video editing required. Video submissions will not be judged on their production quality as long as we can hear you clearly. Video submissions must be no more than 30 seconds in length. If you submit a longer video, your application will be disqualified.

Selection

How will the competition participants be selected?

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of CNAS staff. Applicants will only be evaluated based on the contents of their 280-character pitch summary, 30-second video submission, and résumé.

Can I apply with more than one idea?

No. We want your best idea. Please submit that one!

When will I be notified if I am selected?

Selected participants will be notified via email in late March/early April.

Are there any prizes?

During the first round of the competition, participants who win their heat, as well as the People’s Choice winner, will receive a $250 honorarium. The Best in Show winner, selected during the grand finale, will receive a $1,000 honorarium, as well as attendance at a CNAS Next Generation Program dinner of their choice. In addition, the three heat winners and the People’s Choice winner will have the opportunity to contribute a written version (500–1000 words) of their pitch to a special CNAS commentary collection.

The Event

What is the event?

The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas is CNAS’ premier event to elevate emerging and diverse voices in national security. Selected applicants will make their pitch for innovative policy ideas to shape a new American security in front of a distinguished panel of judges. Like last year, the Pitch will be split into two rounds. The first round will take place virtually on April 26, with winners from each category and a People’s Choice winner advancing to the grand finale. The competitors will present their pitches in person at the grand finale during the 2023 CNAS National Security Conference, which will take place June 6–8. The exact date and time of the finale is to be determined.

How will the competition be judged?

Participants will be evaluated based on the ingenuity, practicality, and academic rigor of their idea, as well as the clarity of their presentation/public speaking ability.

If selected, how long will I have to prepare my final presentation?

Participants will have a minimum of two weeks to prepare their pitches for the first round and final round, if selected.

Will our final presentations have to follow a certain format?

Participants will be given further details to aid in the development of their final presentations once selected.

Who advances to the final round?

During the virtual first-round competition, one winner from each category (decided by our panel of judges), and a People’s Choice winner (decided by our virtual audience) will each compete in the final round during the 2023 National Security Conference in June.

Contact

If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us at thepitch@cnas.org.

2022 Winning Commentary

Watch the first round of the 2022 competition: