Nuclear Security Fellows Program

Overview

With the support of the Stanton Foundation, the Security Studies Program has launched a Nuclear Security Fellows Program for junior faculty as well as pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scholars. The Nuclear Security Fellows Program seeks to stimulate the development of the next generation of thought leaders in nuclear security by supporting research that will advance policy-relevant understanding of the subject.  With the support of the Stanton Foundation, fellowships are available for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scholars and for junior faculty.  Fellows are expected to produce policy-relevant research, including book manuscripts, draft articles, dissertations, chapters in edited volumes, or reports.  Nuclear security is defined broadly to include nuclear terrorism, nuclear proliferation and nonproliferation, nuclear weapons, nuclear doctrine and force structure, nuclear energy as it relates to nuclear security, and other topics that involve nuclear security.

Eligibility

Fellowships are available to scholars with a PhD or equivalent degree (e.g., MD or JD) from the United States or abroad.  PhD candidates must have at least three chapters of their dissertation completed, and their dissertation topic must be in nuclear security.  Proposed research for the fellowship must be consistent with the mission of the program described above.

Stipend Information

All fellows will receive a ten-month stipend.  Fellows are expected to be in residence at MIT.  Stipends at the pre-doctoral, post-doctoral and junior faculty level will be competitive and commensurate with experience.  MIT’s health insurance is included.  Office space and supplies, use of a computer, and access to MIT’s libraries and other facilities will be provided.

Application Procedures

Please see our new website for application procedures and application form for the 2017-18 academic year.

Contact Information

Fellowship Coordinator
Security Studies Program, MIT
Bldg. E40, 4th Floor
77 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
Telephone: 617-258-7608
Email:  ssp-fellowships@mit.edu

The Stanton Foundation

Frank Stanton, the president of CBS News from 1946-1971, established The Stanton Foundation. During his 25 years at the network's helm, Stanton turned an also-ran radio network into a broadcasting powerhouse. Stanton died in 2006, aged 98 years.

According to information provided by the foundation, Stanton was a strong defender of free speech and was determined to use television as an "instrument of civic education." For example, in 1960, he supported the first televised presidential debates with Richard Nixon and John Kennedy, which required a special act of Congress before they could proceed. These debates were credited with helping Kennedy win the presidency, and have since become a staple of U.S. presidential campaigns.

Throughout his life, Stanton was interested in international security and U.S. foreign policy. He served on several presidential commissions charged with preparing the United States for the challenges of living in a nuclear world. In 1954, Dwight Eisenhower appointed Stanton to a committee convened to develop the first comprehensive plan for the nation's survival following a nuclear attack. Stanton was responsible for developing plans for national and international communication in the aftermath of a nuclear incident. According to a statement from the foundation, "The Stanton Foundation aims, through its support of the Nuclear Security Fellows program, to perpetuate his efforts to meet [such] challenges."