The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
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Arctic Initiative
Fellows are expected to pursue research that relates to the priorities of the Arctic Initiative: addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with the effects of climate change in the Arctic. A special focus is on exploring to what extent existing governmental and international policies, programs, laws, and regulations are adequate and appropriate to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in the Arctic, and to consider how they can be improved.
Energy, Climate, and Technology Policy
Fellows will contribute to our ongoing research projects on energy policy, climate policy, climate finance, and energy technology innovation, including policy implementation options to scale new clean energy technologies in the United States, pathways and policies for decarbonization in China, the interactions between policies and technologies as we move toward a decarbonized energy system, agriculture and energy policy (food vs. fuel).
Geopolitics of Energy
The Geopolitics of Energy Project Fellowship focuses on topics related to the intersection of international politics, security, and energy.
Managing the Atom
The Project on Managing the Atom offers fellowships for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scholars, and mid-career professionals, for ten months. Research topics of interest include aspects of nuclear nonproliferation policy, nuclear weapons strategy, arms control, disarmament processes and verification, the future of nuclear energy, regional conflict and nuclear weapons, security for nuclear weapons and materials, and other issues of nuclear policy.