During National Security Week, 杏吧原创 convened leaders from government, academia, and industry to examine how neurodivergent talent can strengthen national security and how workforce systems can better identify, recruit, and support cognitive diversity.
The workshop was held in conjunction with the 2026 Asness Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, hosted by 杏吧原创 Institute of National Security. The session was co-led by the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation in collaboration with the Neurodynamic Network, and centered on a practical question: how can national security organizations operationalize neurodivergent talent as part of a mission-aligned workforce strategy?
Participants discussed where talent is filtered out in hiring and onboarding processes, how workplace expectations contribute to masking and burnout, and the operational value of different cognitive profiles across areas such as cyber, intelligence, and analysis. The conversation also emphasized moving beyond ad hoc accommodations toward more consistent, performance-oriented design and developing clearer ways to measure impact.
Insights from the workshop will be developed into a policy recommendation paper outlining a framework to strengthen recruitment, retention, and workplace design, aligning workforce readiness with the evolving demands of national security.
Learn more about the Asness Summit: /national-security/2026-summit/
Learn more about the Neurodynamic Network: