Overview

The Foundation’s goals in the area of international peace and security grantmaking are to prevent nuclear terrorism and strengthen stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

What MacArthur Funds

Nuclear Security

1. Policy Research

   In this element of our work the Foundation focuses on preventing nuclear terrorism by denying terrorist access to fissile materials (highly enriched uranium and plutonium) -- the key ingredients for nuclear weapons. As nuclear power becomes an important means of diversifying energy portfolios and reducing carbon emissions, fissile material stockpiles are set to grow, raising the risk of theft or diversion.

   We view nuclear power as a potentially valuable element of the response to climate change, so we seek to incorporate approaches into U.S. nuclear policy and the global nuclear fuel cycle that prevent access to fissile materials and limit their production. We also seek to ensure that as policymakers review nuclear energy safety standards in the wake of the Fukushima accident, they do not unintentionally undermine critical security objectives and increase the risk of proliferation.

   Supported policy research projects aim to prevent the theft or diversion of fissile materials from military and civilian sites, and ensure that the inevitable growth in nuclear power does not increase the availability of fissile materials for terrorist groups.

   In addition, we support a limited number of innovative projects that: 1) seek to effectively address, in a stabilizing manner, the strategic implications of deeper reductions in nuclear arsenals; and, 2) provide new insights and approaches to security challenges arising from national efforts to acquire nuclear weapons (e.g. Iran and North Korea).

   MacArthur does not respond on an ad hoc basis to unsolicited letters of inquiry on Nuclear Security Policy Research, but will consider them twice a year; deadlines are March 1 and September 1. The format for these letters can be found in teh Applying for Grants section. Responses as to whether we would like to invite a full proposal will be issued within six weeks after each deadline.

2. Advanced Education

   Effective policymaking on nuclear security matters requires the best advice from diverse fields, including the natural and social sciences, industry, and policy world, among others. It also entails public debate, which takes different forms in different countries but is rarely altogether absent. As a result, policymakers and the public need advice from experts capable of using their specialized expertise to inform policy decision-making and debates.

   Because academic training does not normally build the skills needed to conduct effective policy analysis and because the study and practice of business and public policy do not normally entail specialized training, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to develop the expertise and skills for nuclear security policy analysis.

   The Foundation supports a small group of grantees that provide advanced interdisciplinary training in the field of nuclear security at the graduate and post-doctoral levels. The goal of this program is to produce a small, but highly qualified, international group of nuclear security policy experts equipped to lead the future formulation of nuclear security policies and engage effectively in the public debate.

   The Foundation does not consider unsolicited proposals in the area of Advanced Education in Nuclear Security.

Asia Security Initiative

Updated January 30, 2012