Past Grants

Hal Brands will research and write a book that will draw on archival research to identify historical insights from the Cold War that may inform more effective U.S. strategies toward Russia and China.

Scott Snyder will direct an effort to enhance connections between U.S. and South Korean policy communities and to provide a deeper understanding of Korean affairs. He will explore approaches to preserve strategic stability on the peninsula; assess decisions regarding changes to command-and-control relationships between U.S. and South Korean armed forces; consider the future of the U.S.–South Korea trade relationship; explore the prospects of future bilateral nuclear cooperation; and evaluate the impact of evolving South Korean public opinion on U.S.–South Korea relations. The project’s findings will appear in a series of reports, monographs, and policy briefings.

Sheila Miyoshi Jager will research and write a book examining the competing worldviews among Koreans regarding the proper relationship between Korea and the outside world. She will undertake historical research and analyze the competition for power during the last days of the Yi dynasty, when one rival for the throne sought to exclude all foreign influences and the other sought to integrate the country into the modern world.

Jeff Chapman will lead an effort to explore whether state-level regulatory reform can promote economic development. In partnership with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, he will examine the effectiveness of reforms to reduce hurdles to business start-ups and expansion. The project’s findings will appear in a report and a series of policy briefs.

Tanvi Madan will research and write a book that assesses whether India could become a more active geostrategic player in the emerging great power competition between the United States and China. She will analyze primary and secondary sources and conduct interviews in China and India with current and former officials and experts from think tanks as well as the academic, business, and media communities.

Scott MacDonald will research and write a book examining how the United States should respond to growing Chinese and Russian assertiveness in the Caribbean region.

Valerie Lincy and Gary Milhollin will examine the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of Iran, the evolution of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and the sanctions regime designed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The project’s findings will be presented on the Iran Watch website and through policy briefings.

Clifford Winston will research and write a book exploring how and under what conditions ineffective government policy interventions can be corrected with market-oriented reforms. He will identify reforms in areas such as consumer protection, environmental protection, transportation, and education and training services that can address failures of government interventions.

Monica Bhatt and Jonathan Guryan will examine whether high-dosage tutoring can increase literacy among young children from disadvantaged backgrounds. They will field an experiment in two public charter schools in Chicago, in which approximately 320 first grade students will be randomly assigned to either a control group or a treatment group that receives daily two-on-one tutoring sessions. They will measure the extent to which tutoring improves children’s scores on reading and math tests as well as attendance rates and behavioral outcomes. The project’s findings will appear in a report and a series of papers.