Past Grants

Herman Pirchner will lead an effort to develop scenarios for the evolution of Russia after Vladimir Putin’s rule. He will undertake research, conduct interviews, and convene roundtable meetings of U.S. and Russian experts to develop the basis from which to project various scenarios for post-Putin Russia and to reflect on their implications for U.S. policy. The project’s findings will appear in a monograph and a series of policy briefings.

Thomas Mahnken will lead an effort to examine the defense and policy requirements of the new era of great power competition. He will lead a team that will analyze the systems, structures, and organizations needed to deter conflict, maintain a favorable balance of power, and, prevail in combat. The project’s findings will appear in two monographs and a series of policy briefings.

Sergey Sukhankin will examine Russia’s current use of private military companies and assess how they are likely to be used in the future. He will undertake primary source research and field interviews in Georgia and Ukraine. The project’s findings will appear in a series of reports.

Paul Kennedy will lead a program that supports graduate student research and field work on topics related to international history.

John Friedman, Raj Chetty, Nathaniel Hendren, and David Deming will direct the research and publications program of the Equality of Opportunity Project. They will assess the impact of neighborhoods on economic opportunity, work with approximately 500 colleges and universities to understand better why some schools are more effective than others at promoting upward mobility among their students, and examine the intergenerational transmission of disability by assessing the extent to which children whose parents are enrolled in Social Security Disability Insurance enroll in the program as adults. The project’s findings will appear in a series of papers, short articles, and interactive web-based maps and tables.

Doug Besharov will examine whether and under what circumstances early-childhood education programs can contribute to increasing social mobility and economic opportunity. He will undertake a systematic review of the research evidence on the effectiveness of early-childhood education programs. The project’s findings will be presented in a report.

Mireya Solis will research and write a book examining why Japan might be immune to the populist political currents affecting other major industrialized democracies. She will analyze Japanese- and English-language primary and secondary sources, conduct field work in Japan, and convene panels and roundtables with Japanese and U.S. experts.

Scott Snyder will direct an effort to enhance connections between the 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.

Robert Knake will explore whether and how the security of the electric grid could be improved by separating its operations from the public internet. He will undertake research, analysis, and a modeling exercise to examine the feasibility and optimal design of a dedicated and secure critical infrastructure network. The project’s findings will appear in a series of white papers and briefings.