Project on Nuclear Issues

Founded in 2003, PONI is the premier networked community of next generation professionals prepared to meet the nuclear challenges of the future

PONI programs provide inclusive, diverse, and creative opportunities for emerging experts to learn about nuclear issues and engage thoughtfully with the nuclear community. PONI also conducts cutting-edge research and analysis on three main topic areas: deterrence and escalation, risk reduction and arms control, and disarmament.

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Next Generation Nuclear Network

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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Conference

Capstone Conference

Hosted by Project on Nuclear Issues
June 15, 2023 • 8:30 am – 3:45 pm EDT

Featured Analysis

Photo: Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Alternative Nuclear Futures: Capability and Credibility Challenges for U.S. Extended Nuclear Deterrence

In the next 10 years, U.S. extended deterrence could look notably different than it does today. To explore these issues, the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues used an alternative futures methodology to unpack how key drivers might affect the U.S. extended deterrence mission.

Report by Heather Williams , Kelsey Hartigan , Joseph Rodgers , and Reja Younis — May 8, 2023

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Upcoming
In Person

Capstone Conference

Presented by Project on Nuclear Issues
June 15, 2023 • 8:30 am – 3:45 pm EDT
Featured Project: 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.

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A Nuclear Iran Is Not Inevitable

A nuclear-armed Iran would pose a serious threat to the United States, and Washington must not treat that future as inevitable—instead, it must try to prevent the emergence of an Iranian bomb in the first place.

Commentary by Eric Brewer — November 17, 2021

The Adversary Gets a Vote

The strategic concept of “integrated deterrence” is gaining prominence as the Department of Defense further develops it—but how might advanced situational awareness capabilities erode stable nuclear deterrence and fuel reactionary arms racing?

Report by Reja Younis and Rebecca Hersman — September 27, 2021

The Nuclear Policy Trilemma

​Please join PONI on September 21 and 22, 2021, for a virtual two-day conference to explore the nuclear trilemma. Additional speakers to be announced shortly.

Event — September 21, 2021

PONI 2021 Virtual Summer Conference

Please join the Project on Nuclear Issues and Los Alamos National Laboratory for our 2021 Summer Conference.

Event by Eric Brewer — July 13, 2021

Reading the Nuclear Tea Leaves: Policy and Posture in the Biden Administration

The nuclear policy community is in the grips of pervasive anxiety that U.S. nuclear policy is either about to dramatically change or fail to change as dramatically as it should. While neither side appears poised for victory, neither appears to face imminent defeat.

Report by Joseph Rodgers and Rebecca Hersman — June 14, 2021

What’s Next for Iran Nuclear Talks?

Talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal fell short of a final agreement. Odds are good that a deal can be reached eventually, but events between now and the middle of June could generate some turbulence that U.S. negotiators will need to manage.

Commentary by Eric Brewer — May 19, 2021