CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues

We are now accepting applications for the Mid-Career Cadre Class of 2027. The Mid-Career Cadre is a select group of nuclear professionals that have been in the field for 7 or more years and demonstrate promise for moving into leadership positions or bringing new ideas and perspectives to the field. Cadre members come from technical, policy, academic, and military backgrounds. Applications are due by 11:59 PM EST on June 30, 2026. Learn More Here: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/mid-c…

✨Nuclear Scholars Initiative Spotlight ✨ Candace Huntington is a graduate student in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She is also an Intelligence Analyst for AMZ Risk Management. In June 2026, she’ll begin a year-long fellowship with the Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Her research interests include the impact of emerging technologies on deterrence, strategic stability, and space security. Previously, she worked as a Research Associate at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she conducted research on China’s military space and counterspace developments. She was also a Research Associate at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, where she worked on arms control and nuclear policy issues. In this role, she worked on track-II security dialogues with Russian, Chinese, and Indian counterparts. At Georgetown, she is the co-president of the student nuclear club “All Things Nukes” and writes for the Georgetown Security Studies Review. She earned a BA in Political Science from Skidmore College. Learn more about the 2026 Nuclear Scholars Initiative: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/nucle…

In On the Horizon Vol 8, 2025 CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) Nuclear Scholar Colin Levaunt outlines the Effects of Nonnuclear Strategic Weapons on First-Strike Stability Read the full article here: csis.org/analysis/horiz…

Yesterday, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) for a conversation with @heatherwilly , @tomkarako , and Kari Bingen as part of the HTK series to discuss the most consequential issues defining the future of U.S. strategic forces and her priorities as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee. csis.org/events/strateg…

✨Nuclear Scholars Initiative Spotlight ✨ Sam Clayton is a Program Manager in the Office of Defense Programs at the Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).  At NNSA, Sam’s program is responsible for modernizing the capabilities, facilities, and equipment necessary to produce components for the nuclear weapons stockpile.   Sam’s work also includes oversight of strategic material stockpiles to ensure reliable supplies for nuclear weapon production and other Department of War, DOE, and NNSA missions.  Prior to joining as a federal employee, Sam worked at NNSA as a program analyst for Defense Programs and the Office of Infrastructure where he informed strategic decisions in program planning, funding, execution, and project design.  Upon earning his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College, Sam worked in the United States Senate, where he developed an interest in strategic forces, deterrence, and escalation management. Learn more about the 2026 Nuclear Scholars Initiative: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/nucle…

In On the Horizon Vol 8, 2025 Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) chapter More Kill Vehicles, More Problems: The Next-Generation Interceptor and Crisis Stability, Nuclear Scholar Sam Lair explores the question of how will the use of multiple kill vehicles impact crisis stability between the United States and its nuclear-armed adversaries? Read the full article here: csis.org/analysis/horiz…

Join the @CSISDefense and Security Department HTK Series on April 20, 2026 for a conversation featuring Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), to discuss the most consequential issues defining the future of U.S. strategic forces and her priorities as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee. Register and watch live here: csis.org/events/strateg…

In On the Horizon Vol 8, 2025 CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) Nuclear Scholar Frank Kuhn argues that due to the deteriorating international security environment, the likelihood that the United States will find itself involved in a military conflict with another nuclear power in the coming years has increased substantially. Read the full article here: csis.org/analysis/horiz…

✨Nuclear Scholars Initiative Spotlight ✨ Emily Cheesman is a Young Global Professional at the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense team. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, she was a research associate at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where her research focused on NATO deterrence strategies and alliance unity. She previously interned with LLNL’s Nuclear Threat Reduction program and the U.S. Department of State. She was also a Young Fellow at the Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC) in South Korea. Her research interests include extended deterrence, nonproliferation and global governance. She holds a BS in International Politics from Georgetown University. Learn more about the 2026 Nuclear Scholars Initiative: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/nucle…

CSIS Defense and Security Department’s HTK Series welcomes a featured guest, Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), to discuss the most consequential issues defining the future of U.S. strategic forces and her priorities as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee. Join the CSIS Defense and Security Department HTK Series on April 20, 2026 for a conversation featuring @heatherwilly, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues, @tomkarako , director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, and Kari Binger, director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project. Register and watch live here csis.org/events/strateg…

As the U.S. and Iran agree to a two-week ceasefire agreement the options for ending this war are timelier than ever. Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) experts @heatherwilly and @NonproJoe explore the difficult choices facing the U.S. in addressing Iran’s nuclear program. Read the full analysis here: csis.org/analysis/optio…

✨Nuclear Scholars Initiative Spotlight ✨ Daniel Cebul is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), specializing in security studies and international relations. His research focuses on the implications of ambiguous crisis signaling for strategic stability and deterrence. Daniel’s broader interests include coercion and deterrence, nuclear strategy, wargaming methodology, and emerging technologies such as unmanned weapon systems and cyber. Before starting his PhD at MIT, Daniel worked in the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., researching how democratic backsliding states use emerging technologies to repress democratic opposition groups. Daniel also holds an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University, where he studied the potential effects of autonomous weapon systems on strategic stability, and a BA in Political Science from Kenyon College. Learn more about the 2026 Nuclear Scholars Initiative: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/nucle…

In On the Horizon Vol 8, 2025 CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) Nuclear Scholar Shawn Rostker talks about Reconstructing North Korea’s Nuclear Command and Control and Its Implications for Deterrence and Crisis Stability in his chapter Dangerous by Design. Read the full article here: csis.org/analysis/horiz…

The last nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia expired in February. And both Russia and China are testing weapons systems designed to evade US nuclear defense. PONI Nuclear expert @NonproJoe Rodgers joins CNN to weigh in on how a new nuclear arms race is developing. Watch the full video here: youtube.com/watch?v=UjE7jL…

Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) experts @heatherwilly and @NonproJoe explore the difficult choices facing the U.S. in addressing Iran’s nuclear program, from diplomacy to military action, and weigh the tradeoffs each path carries. Read the full analysis here: csis.org/analysis/optio…

In On the Horizon Vol 8, 2025 CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) Nuclear Scholar Ayazhan Muratbek examines Kazakhstan’s Strategic Use of Nuclear Diplomacy to Advance Its National Interests, answering the question of How do NNWSs use nuclear diplomacy to maintain regional stability and advance national interests? Read the full article here csis.org/analysis/horiz…

✨Nuclear Scholars Initiative Spotlight ✨ Dominic Brennan is a postdoctoral fellow in Technology and International Security with the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, based in Washington, D.C. In this fellowship, Dom is researching novel frameworks to identify and classify the interactions between AI decision-making and civil nuclear security.  The goals of this framework are three-fold: to better communicate the risks of AI-enhanced nuclear risk; to better develop robust, system-cognizant decision-making tools; and to better evaluate the trustworthiness of these tools.  Dom read for a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Birmingham and holds an M.Sc. in Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors from the same institution. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Cambridge University; his thesis developed bias-correcting optimization algorithms for nuclear power design, nuclear security, and economics. Learn more about the 2026 Nuclear Scholars Initiative: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/nucle…

🥳 We're excited to announce the 2026 PONI Congressional Fellowship! 🥳 Meet the cohort: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/congr… The PONI Congressional Fellowship aims to provide early- and mid-career professionals with an opportunity to develop the skills needed for effective bipartisan Congressional leadership on defense issues and to absorb practical insights from senior practitioners, allied partners, and technical experts. Fellows will leave the program equipped to contribute meaningfully to the policy debates shaping U.S. nuclear strategy, strategic deterrence, and arms control. Learn more here: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/congr…