CSIS launched the Project on Nuclear Issues in 2003 to develop the next generation of policy, technical and operational nuclear professionals through outreach, mentorship, research and debate.

Learn More

Projects

All Projects
  • Deterrence 101

    Deterrence 101 is a collection of three thirty-minute long videos that explore core deterrence theory. Each video describes basic deterrence concepts, roots these ideas in a historical timeline, and features interviews with leading nuclear policy experts.

  • On the Radar

    On the Radar provides analysis on emerging technologies that are expected to reshape situational awareness across the spectrum of conflict, and examines the implications of these technologies for nuclear strategic stability. It is a product of a two-year research collaboration between the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Nuclear Policy Working Group (NPWG) at the University California Berkeley, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

  • Nuclear Narrative

    This study aims to create a dialogue with the nation’s nuclear personnel about the rationales for the U.S. nuclear arsenal that already exist—some of which have been stated at the highest levels of leadership—to ask what the nuclear forces actually hear, what works and what does not, and what motivates them on a daily basis.

Programs

All Programs
  • Conference Series

    Each year PONI hosts four conferences that bring together people from across the nuclear enterprise to discuss a range of nuclear issues. The PONI yearly conference series brings together junior and senior level professionals from the laboratories, the military, and industry, academia and policy sectors to hear selected presentations on a range of topics related to nuclear weapons policy and strategy.

  • Nuclear Scholars Initiative

    The Nuclear Scholars Initiative aims to provide top graduate students and young professionals from around the country with a unique venue to interact and dialogue with senior experts on nuclear weapons issues. Those accepted into the program are hosted once per month over the course of six months at CSIS in Washington, DC where they participate in two-day workshops.

  • Mid-Career Cadre

    The PONI Mid-Career Cadre is a select group of nuclear professionals that have been in the field for 7 or more years and demonstrate particular promise for developing expertise and moving into leadership positions. Mid-career members come from technical, policy, and military backgrounds. Upon selection, Cadre members participate for three-year terms.

PONI Updates

All PONI Updates

In September 2024, Joseph Rodgers became Deputy Director and Fellow, and PONI closed applications to apply to the 2025 Nuclear Scholars Initiative. Caroline Ward joined PONI as a Program Manager in August 2024.

Next Gen Highlights

  • Samuel Lair

    Samuel Lair is a Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), where he works on the New Tools Team. At CNS he manages and conducts open-source intelligence investigations into adversary nuclear and missile programs using satellite imagery, state and social media, and archival sources. In addition to his open-source work, Sam writes about the relationship between domestic politics, bureaucratic politics, and missile defense technology during the Cold War. Sam holds a M.A. with Honors in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a B.A. with Honors in History and Political Science from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

  • Eliana Johns

    Eliana Johns is a senior research associate for the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, where she researches the status and trends of global nuclear forces and the role of nuclear weapons. Johns is also a master’s student in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she focuses on the intersection of technology and security. Previously, Johns was a Project Associate for DPRK Counterproliferation at CRDF Global, where she worked on WMD nonproliferation initiatives to curb North Korea’s ability to gain revenue to build its weapons programs. Johns holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in music and Korean from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Eliana has also completed a Critical Language Scholarship program for Korean through the U.S. Department of State.

  • Frank Kuhn

    Frank Kuhn is a Doctoral Researcher at PRIF Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Germany. His dissertation explores the motives of high-level U.S. decisionmakers to engage in strategic arms reductions talks with the Soviet Union and Russia, and which role the concept of strategic stability played in shaping U.S. nuclear arms control policy. He is also the project coordinator for the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR) at PRIF, which analyzes emerging technologies and developments in the natural and technical sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. Frank’s research interests include arms control and nonproliferation, nuclear deterrence, military technology, and military strategy. He holds an M.A. in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Studies from Goethe University Frankfurt and Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, and a B.A. in Political Science – also from Goethe University Frankfurt.

About PONI

The Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) cultivates young professionals by building relationships, deepening understanding, and sharing perspectives across the full range of nuclear issues and communities.
The content of this web site does not constitute an endorsement by or opinion of the Project on Nuclear Issues or any sponsor of PONI.

Director
Heather Williams
Deputy Director and Fellow
Joseph Rodgers