The Marine Corps is asking commands and individual Marines to submit research topic ideas for Manpower Systems Analyst (MSA) students doing graduate thesis work at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Manpower Plans and Policy Division (MP) runs this annually, collecting ideas into a priority research list that gets handed to NPS for consideration during thesis development. Submitting a topic does not mean a student will pick it. It just puts your idea in the pool.
Heads up: This is open to any Marine or command, and the deadline is 1 December.
Who it affects
This is open to the Total Force, meaning any Marine, unit, command, or staff agency can submit. There is no rank or MOS requirement. If you have a manpower problem that could benefit from graduate-level research, you can submit.
What you need to do
If your command received an ETMS2 tasker, respond through the ETMS2 response tab.
If you are submitting on your own (individual Marine, unit, or organization not in the ETMS2 process), do this:
- Download the MPRL Submission Template from the manpower portal. Go to
https://www.manpower.marines.mil/Divisions/Plans-and-Policies/Manpower-Plans-and-Policy/Plans-Programs-and-Budget-MPP/, scroll to MPP Focus Areas, find the Current Plans (MPP-11) card, and download the template and example. - Complete the template. Include a topic title, problem statement and relevance, specific research question(s), data considerations, and your contact info as the topic advocate.
- Name your file using this format:
Organization_TopicTitle_MilitaryDateFormat(example:IIMEF_RetentionIncentives_20261201). - Email the completed template to
MRA_MPP-11@usmc.onmicrosoft.comby 1 December.
Keep your topic focused. It needs to be scoped for a nine-month graduate thesis, tied to a real manpower decision or policy question, and specific enough that a student can actually research it. Broad or vague topics will not make the cut.
If you cannot access the template, contact the POCs below.
Key dates
- 1 October: Solicitation opens (annually)
- 1 December: All submissions due to MP
The official version
See MARADMIN 540/26 for the full message.
POCs at MP (MPP-11):
- LtCol John Strange:
703-432-4004/john.strange.mil@usmc.mil - Maj Benjamin Huggins:
703-432-7958/benjamin.p.huggins.mil@usmc.mil
The process is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding between Director, MP and the Chair, Department of Acquisition, Finance, and Manpower (DAFM) at NPS, dated 1 June 2026.
This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.