The International Security and Foreign Policy Program has a number of priority areas of interest. In recent years, the Foundation has sought to assist the policy community’s efforts to combat global terrorism by supporting projects on critical issues, such as improving intelligence gathering. Because the battle against terrorism will also be fought on the ideological front, the Foundation has supported projects on improving U.S. public diplomacy in order to promote democracy and to give foreign publics a better understanding of U.S. policies.

The Foundation has continued to address traditional security issues even when pressing matters, such as terrorism, dominate the headlines. For example, the Foundation supports projects designed to improve the effectiveness of U.S. military forces through defense transformation and to develop recommendations for U.S. strategy and policy toward important regions and countries, including China, Southeast Asia, India, and Pakistan.

Within the academic community, the Foundation supports policy-relevant strategic studies and underwrites historical research with clear implications or lessons for current policy. The Foundation has a special program, known as the Junior Faculty Research Grant Program, to assist junior faculty who are engaged in policy relevant research and writing.

The Foundation also supports Ph.D dissertation research on American foreign policy, international relations, international security, strategic studies, area studies, and diplomatic and military history through its World Politics and Statecraft Fellowship.