$3.2 Million in Grants to Reduce Nuclear Dangers Awarded by Carnegie Corporation of New York

New York, NY, October 14, 2025 – The philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York announced today that seven organizations will each receive grants of between $300,000 and $500,000 for work aimed at reducing the modern risks of nuclear war. The grants are the result of a competitive request for proposals issued in January 2025 to invest in projects that analyze how technological developments — especially in areas related to outer space, artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and quantum — affect nuclear risks.

“A dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging as arms control regimes have become severely weakened and nearly all nine nuclear-armed states continue their intensive nuclear modernization programs,” said James McKeon, program officer in Carnegie’s International Program. “As a longstanding funder of nuclear security, Carnegie is well-positioned to lead new thinking at the intersection of advanced technologies and nuclear dangers, which are complicating and increasing the risks of nuclear conflict.”

Over the past four decades, Carnegie’s nuclear security program has awarded over 600 grants totaling more than $160 million, not adjusted for inflation, making it the largest remaining philanthropic funder of work in this area. In addition to the latest grants, Carnegie is leading a consortium of private funders to support policy-relevant research and next-generation expertise on nuclear issues. In April 2025, the consortium announced funding commitments of approximately $10 million and issued its first call for proposals in June.

For the grants announced today, the foundation prioritized projects with a demonstrated ability to address the following knowledge gaps:

• How new and emerging technologies fundamentally alter longstanding notions of nuclear deterrence and stability.
• How these technologies could increase or reduce the risks of nuclear crises.
• How these technologies could increase or reduce the chances of future bilateral or multilateral agreements related to arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament.

The Selected Grantees:

Arms Control Association, in partnership with the European Leadership Network and the Center for AI Risk Management and Alignment ($500,000)
To develop concrete and practical safety recommendations for artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear operations

Federation of American Scientists, in partnership with the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) ($500,000)
To assess the destabilizing impacts of emerging and disruptive technologies on mobile nuclear launch platforms, specifically land-based and sea-based platforms

Foreign Policy Research Institute ($320,000)
To develop a roadmap with commercial space actors that strengthens space security and reduces the risks of conflicts in space

Princeton University ($500,000)
To evaluate the capabilities of key emerging and disruptive technologies for the future of nuclear stability

RAND Corporation, in partnership with the Atlantic Council ($500,000)
To analyze whether emerging and disruptive technologies can offset growing nuclear threats and enhance deterrence without a large-scale nuclear expansion

Rhode Island School of Design ($500,000)
To assess how emerging and disruptive technologies affect nuclear decision-making and escalation dynamics during a crisis

University of Texas at Austin, in partnership with the Nuclear Threat Initiative ($390,000)
To model the disruptions of nuclear detonations in space and estimate the potential economic and sociopolitical impacts

The grantees will conduct research, tabletop exercises, and dialogues to develop actionable recommendations for governments, international institutions, and industry to reduce the risks associated with emerging technologies and nuclear weapons.

Read more context from the selected grantees in the Q&A How Are Modern Technologies Affecting Nuclear Risks?