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 creative opportunities for emerging experts from a wide range of backgrounds 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.

Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

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Photo: Airman 1st Class Jack Rodriguez

Photo: Airman 1st Class Jack Rodriguez

HTK Series

A public discussion series with Heather Williams, Tom Karako, and Kari Bingen offering real-time context and commentary on national security developments and strategic forces issues

Featured Analysis

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Game On: Opportunities for Euro-Atlantic Strategic Stability and Arms Control

Europe is likely to remain a theater of instability despite pressure for a peace settlement in Ukraine. As the United States shifts toward the Indo-Pacific and Russia continues to pursue its territorial ambitions, what might arms control look like after the war in Ukraine?

Report by Heather Williams, Nicholas Adamopoulos, Lachlan MacKenzie, and Catherine Murphy — April 21, 2025

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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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Audio Briefs

What Trump’s Submarine Threat and Russia’s INF Exit Really Mean

An audio version of “⁠What Trump’s Submarine Threat and Russia’s INF Exit Really Mean⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Heather Williams. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Heather Williams — August 7, 2025

Audio Briefs

Damage to Iran’s Nuclear Program—Can It Rebuild?

U.S. and Israeli strikes imposed significant damage on Iran’s nuclear sites but failed to eliminate its program. The fate of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions now rests on a political decision, creating a window for diplomacy.

Commentary by Joseph Rodgers, Heather Williams, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — August 6, 2025

Audio Briefs

Damage to Iran’s Nuclear Program—Can It Rebuild?

An audio version of “⁠Damage to Iran’s Nuclear Program—Can It Rebuild?⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Joseph Rodgers, Heather Williams, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Joseph Rodgers, Heather Williams, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — August 6, 2025

Audio Briefs

U.S.-UK Strategic Cooperation

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on recent developments in U.S.-UK strategic cooperation. 

Event — July 30, 2025

High-Altitude Nuclear Explosions: Myths and Reality

What would happen if a nuclear weapon detonated in the sky, not on the ground? Would there be survivors? Would your iPhone work? This briefing dispels common misconceptions about high-altitude nuclear explosions and summarizes the current state of research on the subject.

Brief by Scott Pence and Adam F. Reynolds — July 14, 2025

U.S. Bombs Iran: What Comes Next?

Join CSIS Directors Heather Williams, Kari Bingen, and Tom Karako for a discussion on the future of Iran's nuclear program.

Event — June 27, 2025

The Truth of the Matter

Did U.S. Strikes Prevent an Iranian Bomb—or Provoke One?

CSIS’s Heather Williams, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues, joins the podcast to discuss the uncertain status of Iran’s nuclear program following Operation Midnight Hammer and what we should be watching for next.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Heather Williams — June 27, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter

U.S. Bombs Iran: What Comes Next?

CSIS’s Heather Williams, Tom Karako, and Kari Bingen discuss U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran's nuclear program, the potential Iranian response, risks of a wider regional war, and more.

Transcript — June 27, 2025

Audio Briefs

The Fallout Factor in Targeting Iran’s Nuclear Program

An audio version of “⁠The Fallout Factor in Targeting Iran’s Nuclear Program⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Doreen Horschig and Bailey Schiff. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Doreen Horschig and Bailey Schiff — June 23, 2025

Audio Briefs