Robert L. Brown, Stanton Nuclear Security Junior Faculty Fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom/International Security Program discusses the IAEA. MTA Executive Director Martin Mail (right) and ISP/MTA fellow Sungyeol Choi took part.

"MacArthur Grant Enriches Managing the Atom Fellowships"

Newsletter Article, Belfer Center Newsletter, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Winter 2011-2012

Belfer Center Programs or Projects: Managing the Atom

The Belfer Center’s Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) has received a major grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support a fellowship and training program aimed at helping prepare the next generation of nuclear policy leaders.

The four-year [$2.2 million] grant extends and expands the MTA fellowship program, open to experts from around the world and across the academic disciplines. The fellows conduct policy research and receive training focused on reducing the risks from nuclear and radiological terrorism, stopping nuclear proliferation and reducing nuclear arsenals, and lowering the barriers to safe and secure nuclear energy use.

“Effective policy making depends on people who are comfortable grappling with both the technical and political challenges associated with nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and connections between the two,” said Associate Professor Matthew Bunn, the MTA project’s lead principal investigator. “The need is growing for more effective management of nuclear technologies and materials in almost every setting where they are used. The number of individuals capable of providing sound ideas for improving policies is not keeping pace,” Bunn said.

In addition to pursuing their own research during their stay at Harvard, MTA fellows participate in seminars, issue-focused working groups, and professional training sessions. They also have an opportunity to interact with high-level policy makers and other experts visiting the Belfer Center and Kennedy School.

“After their time at Belfer, some of our fellows will lead aspects of the development of their government’s nuclear policies. Others will provide much-needed independent policy analysis in non-governmental settings,” said MTA Executive Director Martin Malin. “This support from the MacArthur Foundation provides the time and space for talented people from around the world to learn from one another while they sharpen ideas, research, and policy proposals for improving national and international security.”

Established in 1996, the Project on Managing the Atom is the Harvard Kennedy School’s principal research group and fellows program focused on nuclear policy issues. John P. Holdren established the project and led the group until 2009, when he accepted the position of White House science advisor. The project is affiliated with the Belfer Center’s programs on Science, Technology, and Public Policy and International Security.

For more information about this publication please contact the Belfer Center Communications Office at 617-495-9858.

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