Council on Foreign Relations, Inc.
Project Title
For support of the Open Source Observatory, an AI-driven library of translated Chinese resources
Date
Sep. 11, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
U.S. policymakers and analysts are at a distinct disadvantage compared to their Chinese counterparts since there are far more Chinese readers of English than Americans who read Chinese. American analysts who do speak Mandarin face other obstacles related to the lack of access to Chinese archives and government officials, as well as the paucity of recently published Chinese material in U.S. libraries. To address this critical gap, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has created the Open Source Observatory to be a central resource in contemporary China studies for English speakers. The Open Source Observatory will give individuals and libraries access to millions of pages of Chinese government documents and academic texts, translate this entire corpus into English using a Large Language Model specifically trained for this project, and create digital tools that scholars, journalists, students, and others can use to query this corpus and analyze the data found inside it.
Website
Project Title
For a project on managing global disorder
Date
Jun. 05, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
Threats to peace across the globe have intensified with the return of strategic competition between the major powers and the propensity of largely localized conflicts to escalate rapidly with destabilizing, internal, cross-border and cross-regional consequences. With these concerns in mind, the Council on Foreign Relations’ (CFR) Center for Preventive Action proposes a two-year project to directly help U.S. policy makers and practitioners adapt to the conflict prevention demands of this new era. Under the direction of Senior Fellow, Paul Stares, and building on its highly regarded past efforts, the proposed renewal grant will continue supporting three complementary components: 1) The Preventive Priorities Survey; 2) The Global Conflict Tracker, and 3) Contingency Planning Memoranda.
Website
Project Title
As a one-time grant for a project on the 2024 elections
Date
Mar. 07, 2024
Duration
12 months
Description
Geopolitical crises like Russia’s war with Ukraine, U.S. tensions with China, and the Hamas-Israeli war along with other conflicts and global trends are consequential to the United States and the world. As foreign policy does not feature prominently in U.S. elections, the Corporation supports initiatives to inform the American public about the world and U.S. foreign policy positions leading to presidential elections. For the 2024 elections, a project at the Council on Foreign Relations will provide a platform for an examination of key foreign policy issues and America’s role in the world through a set of activities, including a digital election hub, publications, podcasts, and public events throughout the country.
Website
Project Title
For a project on managing global disorder
Date
Jun. 08, 2023
Duration
24 months
Description
Geopolitical rivalry among the major powers is growing, with potentially profound implications for global order. Simultaneously, global security is being undermined by regional and localized disputes with the potential to become dangerous flashpoints, and the uncertain trajectory of the war in Ukraine and its aftermath. Increasing mistrust among the major powers also hinders cooperation on a range of common security concerns. With Corporation support,the Council on Foreign Relations’(CFR’s) Center for Preventive Action (CPA) is leading a project that brings together international policymakers, analysts, and academics to assess the growing risk of armed conflict between the major powers and practical ways it could be mitigated. CPA will also continue to monitor and analyze other threats to international peace and security.
Website
Project Title
For the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars
Date
Sep. 15, 2022
Duration
36 months
Description
Few tenured political scientists working on peace and security issues have experience working in government, while few government officials working on foreign and national security policy closely follow academic research. As a result, academic work is usually not informed by the constraints and demands faced by policymakers, while policymakers typically operate without the benefit of systematic scholarly research. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) proposes to address this gap by continuing a variant of its successful International Affairs Fellowship program (aimed primarily at untenured, junior academics) focused on tenured scholars. The program enables academic fellows to work in a U.S. government agency or international governmental organization to gain valuable hands-on experience in the international policymaking field and inform their teaching and scholarship. Selected scholars are required to arrange a paid sabbatical with their home universities, while CFR covers the balance of the academics’ salaries and assists with placement in policy positions.
Website
Project Title
For a project on managing global disorder
Date
Jun. 03, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
The current political context, including a new U.S. presidential administration, Brexit, China’s expanding global role, and the implications of COVID-19, raises important questions about how multilateralism and global institutions should operate. With Corporation support,the Council on Foreign Relations’Center for Preventive Action (CPA) is leading a program that brings together international policymakers, academics, and practitioners to consider how global institutions can respond and adapt to current and futurechallenges with the goal of decreasing the potential for violent conflict. The next iteration of the project focuses on convening and disseminating information about theshiftingglobal order and climate change, and buildson CPA’s previous work addressing critical global security threats.
Website
Project Title
For a public education and outreach project on U.S. foreign policy
Date
Jun. 13, 2019
Duration
16 months
Description
Today’s international security is facing significant challenges, many of which are of direct consequence to the United States. The unfolding developments affect, and are being affected by, the current administration and the one that will take office in January 2021. Yet, foreign policy issues are not factoring much in the U.S. national discourse and/or the election process. Responding to this reality, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) will launch a special initiative to improve public awareness of U.S. foreign policy choices. The initiative will include various virtual and in-person activities, including a dedicated website, video and podcast series, town hall forums hosted on social media, events at universities across the country, and extensive campaign coverage in Foreign Affairs magazine.
Website
Project Title
For the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars
Date
Sep. 12, 2019
Duration
36 months
Description
Few tenured political scientists focused on peace and security issues have experience working in government, while few government officials working on foreign and national security policy closely follow academic research. As a result, academic work is usually not informed by the constraints and demands faced by policymakers, while policymakers typically operate without the benefit of systematic scholarly research. With initial Corporation support, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) began to address this gap by a variant of its successful International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) program, which is aimed primarily at junior academics, to focus on tenured faculty members. With renewed support, the program will continue to place academic fellows in U.S. government agencies or international governmental organizations to gain valuable hands-on experience in the foreign policymaking field.
Website
Project Title
For a project on managing global disorder
Date
Jun. 13, 2019
Duration
24 months
Description
Geopolitical rivalry among the major powers is growing, with potentially profound implications for global order. Global security is being undermined by localized disputes with the potential to become dangerous flashpoints. Increasing mistrust, if not outright hostility, among the major powers will also hinder cooperation on a range of common security concerns—including the proliferation of highly dangerous technologies, the threat of deadly pandemics, and the complex cluster of challenges associated with global climate change. Building on previous Corporation-funded work, the Council on Foreign Relation’s Center for Preventive Action will assess the scope of future major power cooperation on these common security concerns and potential sources of regional disorder, while continuing to monitor and raise public awareness of ongoing threats to international peace and stability. The work will result in a publication.
Website
Project Title
For a project on managing global disorder
Date
Jun. 01, 2017
Duration
24 months
Description
Building on previously Corporation-funded work, the Council on Foreign Relation’s (CFR) Center for Preventive Action (CPA) will launch a new Project on Managing Global Disorder. The project will focus on two areas: First, the project will explore how the major powers—with an initial focus on the United States, Russia, China, and the European Union (EU)—perceive current threats to world order, where they agree and disagree on matters of policy prescription, and what they can do individually and cooperatively to address these challenges. Second, the project will strengthen the CPA’s complementary public outreach work through its highly-regarded Preventive Priorities Survey, Global Conflict Tracker, and “Flashpoints” roundtable series on potential or ongoing crises.
Website
Project Title
As a one-time grant for an education initiative to strengthen literacy in global affairs
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
36 months
Description
This grant supports CFR Campus, an initiative to promote higher literacy in global affairs and help future generations of Americans prepare for an increasingly globalized world. CFR Campus uses an innovative digital platform to inspire college and high school students, especially those with no prior specialization in global affairs. These educational products use activities and assessments to build essential skills in critical reading and thinking, persuasive speaking and writing, and teamwork. Interactive modular learning materials explain the fundamentals of international relations and U.S. foreign policy, and will help build a higher level of global literacy in the U.S. and beyond. The project reinforces Carnegie Corporation’s mandate to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.
Website
Project Title
For the International Affairs Fellowship: for tenured international relations scholars
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
36 months
Description
Few tenured political scientists working on peace and security issues have experience working in government, while few government officials working on foreign and national security policy follow academic research. As a result, academic work is usually not informed by the constraints and demands faced by policymakers, while policymakers typically operate without the benefit of systematic scholarly research. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) proposes to address this gap by creating a variant of its successful International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) program (aimed primarily at young academics) restricted to tenured scholars. The program would enable these academics to work in a U.S. government agency or international governmental organization and thereby gain valuable hands-on experience in the foreign policymaking field. The scholars selected would need to arrange a paid sabbatical with their home university, with CFR covering the balance of the academics’ salary and assisting with placement in policy positions.
Website
Project Title
For a project to assess future conflict prevention challenges and priorities, and conduct timely and in-depth policy analysis of the Arab region, Russia's periphery, and sub-Saharan Africa
Date
Jun. 04, 2015
Duration
24 months
Website
Project Title
For a project at the intersection of economics and security
Date
Jun. 04, 2015
Duration
30 months
Website
Project Title
As a final grant for a series of media guides on global challenges
Date
Sep. 17, 2015
Duration
45 months
Website
Project Title
For support of the Center for Preventive Action
Date
Jun. 06, 2013
Duration
24 months
Website
Project Title
For a series of media guides on global challenges and the Council of Councils initiative
Date
Jun. 14, 2012
Duration
34 months
Website
Project Title
For support of the Center for Preventive Action
Date
Jun. 09, 2011
Duration
24 months
Website
Project Title
Toward a journalism fellowship for covering international affairs
Date
Mar. 04, 2010
Duration
12 months
Website
Project Title
As a one-time grant for Crisis Guides, an online series depicting global challenges
Date
Sep. 10, 2009
Duration
24 months
Website
Project Title
Toward support on New Preventive Priorities at the Center for Preventive Action
Date
Sep. 11, 2008
Duration
33 months
Website
Project Title
Toward an independent task force on U.S. nuclear weapons policy
Date
Jun. 12, 2008
Duration
20 months
Website
Project Title
Toward a comprehensive program on engaging Iran
Date
Sep. 27, 2007
Duration
39 months
Website
Project Title
Toward research and outreach on new security threats
Date
Sep. 28, 2006
Duration
24 months
Website
Project Title
Toward a consortium of Arab policy institutes focusing on policy alternatives for reform and modernization in the Muslim world
Date
Dec. 01, 2005
Duration
12 months
Website
Project Title
Toward research and outreach on new security threats
Date
Sep. 30, 2004
Duration
24 months