National Security Undergraduate of the Year: Eshaan Niraj

"How can I use science to create a better world?"

On Friday 25 April, Eshaan Niraj was announced as the winner of the 2025 National Security Undergraduate of the Year Award, a title he little expected to achieve when he submitted his application back in January.

“I applied at the very last minute,” Eshaan admitted as we discussed his journey. Having not made it past the first round in 2024, the awards had been in the back of his mind until email reminders from the Careers Service empowered him to try again. Eshaan was drawn to the National Security category as his previous experience in the Royal Navy Cadets had attracted his attention to the field. “It’s about protecting the interests of the UK,” he explained, “locally, nationally, around the world and up in space as well!” More important to Niraj, however, is its human impact; how it uses “the transformational power of science to keep people safe”.

The application process was straightforward and not a large time commitment. As a second-year Physics with Theoretical Physics student, Eshaan was already balancing his university workload, placement submissions and social life. He was therefore pleased to find that the Undergraduate of the Year application consisted of three questions and a couple of short assessments. Two months later he was invited for a friendly interview which lasted about half an hour and one month after that, he received an email letting him know that he was a finalist.  “Just go for it!” he advised any students considering pursuing an award but worried about the commitment involved. 

"Passion itself is what keeps you going in times of hardship."

Eshaan also encouraged future applicants not to let the fear of failure hold them back. He was refreshingly open about his past rejections, from colleges, internships and, of course, the 2024 awards. He shared that it was his love of physics that motivated him in the face of difficulty and that he strives to keep a positive outlook; “[new] opportunities will always come”. 

Looking to the future, Eshaan is hoping “to do something valuable” and is eager to explore the possible paths open to him. His placement with AWE Nuclear Security Technologies in 2026 (part of his prize as Undergraduate of the Year) will allow him to do just that, connecting with physicists and engineers in various roles. In the long term, Eshaan would also like to complete a PhD in Theoretical Physics but first, he’ll be spending this summer working with Harris Academy and perhaps setting up a YouTube channel too!