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.

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Projects

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  • The Arms Control Knowledge Transfer Initiative

    The homepage for the Arms Control Knowledge Transfer Initiative digital archive.

  • 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.

Programs

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  • 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 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. In certain cases, PONI will also consider applications from individuals with less than 7 years of experience in the field, such as from those from individuals shifting career paths. Cadre members come from technical, policy, academic, and military backgrounds.

PONI Updates

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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

  • Ariel (Phantitra) Phuphaphantakarn

    Ariel (Phantitra) Phuphaphantakarn is an IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie scholar in Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a Graduate Research Assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Ariel is a non-resident Vasey Fellow with Pacific Forum, an Indo-Pacific Maritime GENIE Fellow at YCAPS, and was a 2024 summer fellow at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Ariel’s past research included nuclear strategy and policy in relation to quantum technology, escalation management, undersea deterrence, integrated deterrence, and strategic empathy. Her thesis examines AI’s implications in nuclear domains, focusing on risk identification and challenges concerning the two near-peer competitors. Ariel has received multiple scholarships and has been invited to speak on nuclear issues at events such as the Alva Myrdal Annual Conference, CSIS PONI Fall Conference, and the EUNPDC next generation workshop. Additionally, she is selected to serve in the role of the Chair at the NPT simulation class led by Dr. William C. Potter (CNS director).

  • Captain Adam Reynolds

    Captain Adam Reynolds is an Army FA52 Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Officer. He is currently assigned to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as a Program Manager working to provide cloud-ready nuclear modeling interfaces and applications for the Department of Defense. He commissioned from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2017 with a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering. Additionally, he holds a M.S. degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He previously served as an Aviation Officer, piloting the AH-64E Apache in Camp Humphreys, South Korea. CPT Reynolds is currently interested in artificial intelligence’s future role in NC3 and its impact on strategic deterrence.

  • Philipp Rombach

    Philipp G. Rombach is a Research Associate at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. At LLNL, his research explores issues of space deterrence and inadvertent escalation in an increasingly contested space domain. Previously, he pursued an MA in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he focused on security studies and the nexus between emerging technologies and nuclear deterrence. For his master’s thesis, he conducted an elite survey examining the perceived impacts of artificial intelligence on nuclear strategic stability. Philipp earned a BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from Technical University of Munich while simultaneously obtaining a BA in Political Science and Economics from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Philipp was born and raised in the Black Forest mountains outside of Freiburg, Germany, and is dedicated to deepening transatlantic relations.

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