The Nuclear Scholars Initiative is an annual program of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI).
Graduate students and young professionals meet at CSIS in Washington, DC once a month from February to July for two-day workshops with senior experts, covering deterrence, operations, arms control, nonproliferation, disarmament and emerging technology.
Benefits & funding
- Six monthly two-day workshops: expert discussions, professional-development seminars, debates, simulations and table-top exercises.
- Scholars may publish a short analytical piece on PONI’s Next Generation Nuclear Network blog and may present research at a PONI conference.
- PONI can cover travel costs for select participants based outside the Washington, DC area; no stipend is published.
Eligibility
- Graduate students and young professionals.
- Candidates with less than seven years of professional experience are welcome; PONI recommends those with more apply to its Mid-Career Cadre instead (a recommendation, not a stated bar).
- Non-U.S. citizens can apply, but places for them are limited (the page states this for the 2026 cohort).
Can you apply?
Check who can apply
No nationality, residency, education, experience, gender or age limit is listed. The other conditions are under Eligibility.
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Complete the online application form linked from the program page, attaching a resume/CV.
- 2Have one recommender email a letter of recommendation directly to poni@csis.org.
- 3Submit by Monday 2 November 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Program timeline
2 Nov 2026, 11:59 PM ET
Application deadline (2027 cohort).
Monthly two-day workshops in Washington, DC.
February–July 2027