George Washington University
Project Title
For the Project on Media and National Security
Date
Dec. 11, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
In an era where national security threats are increasingly complex and global, accurate and fact-based reporting is crucial. The Project for Media and National Security (PMNS) responds tothis need. Through its flagship initiative, the Defense Writers Group (DWG), PMNS enhances fact-based journalism by improving reporters’ access to senior leaders who offer essential context and insights into security challenges. This ensures more informed and truthful media coverage of these critical issues. Reporters use these interactions and conversations to craft articles and stories that are published worldwide. Beyond the DWG, PMNS also hosts seminars on topics for students and manages the archive of transcripts from the journalist convenings.
Project Title
A final grant for the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS)
Date
Jun. 05, 2025
Duration
24 months
Description
Since 2009, the Corporation’s grantmaking on the Arab Region has prioritized the mobilization of expert communities to facilitate both public understanding and policy development on regional trends. The Program on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) has been a central pillar of International Program strategy to support positive change in the Arab region through the policy-relevant knowledge sector. Directed by political science professor, Marc Lynch, POMEPS has uplifted a global network of scholars and promoted their expertise to academic, public and policy audiences, starting in the United States and spreading to the Arab region. In a final round of support, POMEPS will continue to mentor and expand internationally, produce podcasts and publications, hold thematic workshops and book launches, and develop innovative virtual initiatives.
Project Title
As a One-Time Grant for the Russia Program
Date
Dec. 12, 2024
Duration
24 months
Description
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions, Russia becamelargely inaccessible to Western scholars for conducting research, fieldwork, or in-person engagements. The Digital Research Laboratory (DRL), part of the Russia Program at George Washington University, will engage with academics and big tech industry to create a data platform for innovative academicresearch and teaching onRussia. To facilitate thewide use anddisseminationof DRL’s resources and outputs, the programwill conduct online seminars,recruit graduate and early-career scholars to participate in its activities, and producepublic op-eds, academic articles, and policy reports.
Project Title
For the Project for Media and National Security
Date
Jun. 06, 2024
Duration
24 months
Description
The Project forMedia and National Security expands public awareness of peace and security issues through far-reaching media coverage of those issues. Its flagship activity, the Defense Writers Group, convenes national security correspondents in Washington, D.C. with senior defense and military officials who provide the context and nuances of security challenges to ensure more informed and accurate media coverage of these issues. The reporters use the interactions and findings for articles and stories thatappear in print around the world.
Project Title
As a final grant for the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia
Date
Sep. 14, 2023
Duration
36 months
Description
The Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS)—a network of over 150 scholars based in the United States and in the countries of the former Soviet Union—was launched by the Corporation in 1996. Through individual and collective research, writings, publications, public events, and policy-oriented conferences, PONARS addresses an array of foreign, security, and domestic policy challenges related to Russia and Eurasia. It is designed to connect scholarship to policy and to foster community among scholars committed to developing and disseminating policy-relevant and collaborative research. With renewed funding, PONARS will continue activities and outputs, while also striving to deepen and expand its impact, broaden and empower its international network of social scientists, and develop and institutionalize innovative modes of partnership, collaboration, and exchange within the network and beyond.
Project Title
For the Project for Media and National Security
Date
Jun. 09, 2022
Duration
24 months
Description
In the area of national security, public understanding of defense and international issues is essential to both good government and the effective functioning of democracy. The Project for Media and National Security provides media and the public with both the context and the nuances of security challenges by offering forums for in-depth conversations that deepen the dialogue between high-level decision-makers and journalists. With continued support, the project will convene policymakers, reporters, broadcasters, and security experts to promote quality, fact-based journalism and strengthen news coverage.
Project Title
For the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS)
Date
Mar. 10, 2022
Duration
0 months
Description
Academic and policy challenges of the Arab region have grown more urgent with the proliferation of political unrest, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,and unresolved governance issues. Founded in 2009 with Corporation support, the international scholars network known as the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) is responding to these challengesby increasing the public impact and policy relevance of political science specialists on the Middle East. With Corporation support, POMEPS has developed a distinctive model combining a network of junior and senior scholars, events and workshops, career development activities, and successful publication platforms. With renewed support, POMEPS will continue to mentor and expand internationally, produce podcasts and publications,hold thematic workshops and book launches, and developinnovative virtual initiatives designed to adapt to difficult new realities.
Project Title
As a final grant for the Technological Future of Major Power Nuclear Competition
Date
Jun. 03, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
During the Cold War, experts developed an extensive repository of strategic studieson the potential for nuclear weapons to target and destroy an adversary’s nuclear arsenal. Increased international tensions and the rapid pace of technological development requireupdates to this foundational research. Recent studies have offered a new round of assessments on nuclearoffense-defense competition that integrates new and emerging technologies.Experts at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs are furthering these assessments by involvingmulti-disciplinaryteams of technical experts. Their work will aim to inform U.S. nuclear strategy for dealing with both major and minor nuclear powers, with a specific focus oncooperative and diplomatic measures to de-escalate military tensions withChina and Russia.
Project Title
For Johnson's Russia List
Date
Mar. 04, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
News about Russia and its neighbors is important to U.S. foreign policy considerations in the region. Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) is an Internet-based newsletter of information, analysis, and opinion pieces about foreign and domestic developments inRussiaand other post-Soviet states.JRL curates from a variety of international publications and reaches thousands of scholars, policymakers, journalists, nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector entities in the United States and abroad. Housed at George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, JRL also offers archival and searchable data on Russia and the post-Soviet region. Renewed support is targeted toward JRL’s production and dissemination.
Project Title
For the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia)
Date
Sep. 02, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
For almost three decades, the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia), created with Corporation support, has served as an international network of scholars from North America, Russia, and other countries in post-Soviet Eurasia, aimed at advancing the members’ research, publications, and outreach in the areas of security, politics, economics, and society. Currently comprised of over 140 academics, PONARS Eurasia has become a source of authoritative information and analyses, as well as policy-relevant conferences in the United States, Russia, and select countries of Eurasia. With continued support, PONARS Eurasia will sustain and expand its activities that include policy-relevant workshops, conferences, task forces, briefing papers, and a podcast series.
Project Title
For the Project for Media and National Security
Date
Jun. 04, 2020
Duration
24 months
Description
In the area of national security, public understanding of defense and international issues is essential to both good government and the effective functioning of democracy. The Project for Media and National Security (PMNS) broadens public access to trustworthy information on the pressing security issues of our time by providing a forum for in-depth conversations between correspondents and national security leaders. With continued support, the project will convene policymakers, reporters, broadcasters, and security experts to promote quality, fact-based journalism and strengthen the news coverage.
Project Title
For the Project for Media and National Security
Date
Sep. 12, 2019
Duration
10 months
Description
Public understanding of international peace and security issues is essential to good governance and an effective democracy. To that end, the Project for Media and National Security at the George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs aims to strengthen the critical role of high quality, fact-based journalism. The project helps to create a better-informed public by providing a forum for meaningful, serious conversations between journalists and national security leaders. With renewed Corporation support, the project will continue its signature breakfast sessions for reporters, develop a Cyber Media Forum to address the rapidly changing area of cybersecurity, and pilot a private roundtable series centered on nuclear weapons issues.
Project Title
For Johnson's Russia List
Date
Mar. 07, 2019
Duration
24 months
Description
Russia’s relevance to key U.S. foreign policy priorities calls for in-depth understanding of Russia and its neighborhood. Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) is an internet-based newsletter of information, analysis, and opinion pieces about Russia’s domestic and foreign policy developments. JRL uses a variety of publications around the world as sources for its newsletter, which reaches thousands of users in governments, information agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private-sector entities in the United States and abroad. JRL is housed at George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. In addition to regular newsletters, JRL offers archival and searchable data on Russia and the post-Soviet region.
Project Title
For the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia)
Date
Sep. 12, 2019
Duration
24 months
Description
For almost three decades, the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia), created with Corporation support, has served as an international network of scholars from North America, Russia, and other countries in post-Soviet Eurasia, aimed at advancing the members’ research, publications, and outreach in the areas of security, politics, economics, and society. Currently comprised of over 130 academics, PONARS Eurasia has become a source of authoritative information and analyses, as well as policy-relevant conferences in the United States, Russia, and select countries of Eurasia. With continued support, PONARS Eurasia will sustain and expand its activities that include policy-relevant workshops, conferences, briefing papers, and podcast series.
Project Title
For the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS)
Date
Jun. 13, 2019
Duration
36 months
Description
Academic and policy challenges of the Middle East have grown more urgent with the proliferation of political unrest, popular movements, and unresolved governance issues. The international scholars network known as the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) is responding to these developments by increasing the public impact and policy relevance of political science specialists on the Middle East. With Corporation support, POMEPS has developed a distinctive model combining a network of junior and senior scholars, events and workshops, career development activities, and successful publication platforms. With renewed support, POMEPS will continue to mentor and expand internationally, produce podcasts and publications, and hold thematic workshops and book launches.
Project Title
For the Media and National Security Project
Date
Sep. 13, 2018
Duration
12 months
Description
Public understanding of defense and international security issues is essential to the democratic process. Through its Project for Media and National Security, George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs fosters relationships between the media and foreign policy communities to encourage knowledgeable journalism on these issues. With renewed funding, the project will continue to hold expert panels, public conferences, and other events linking journalists, policymakers, scholars, students, and the public. It will also hold sessions of the Defense Writers Group, an association of correspondents that brings journalists together with American national security officials and experts to discuss current events and emerging foreign policy issues.
Project Title
For Johnson's Russia List
Date
Mar. 02, 2017
Duration
24 months
Description
Because Russia is central to key U.S. foreign policy priorities, news on and about Russia and its near neighbors remains important. Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) is an Internet-based newsletter of daily news, analysis, and opinion about Russia gathered from sources both within and outside the country and made available to numerous users, including governments, information agencies, NGOs, intelligence agencies, and civil society in the United States and throughout the world. Housed at George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, JRL provides information and highlights current events in and around Russia. Beyond the West, JRL is distributed in Russia and other post-Soviet Eurasian states among citizens, experts, and leaders who use it to gain a sense of how Russia is perceived abroad, as well as a more objective understanding of what is happening domestically.
Project Title
For a project on building bipartisan consensus on managing nuclear operations in the 21st century
Date
Sep. 07, 2017
Duration
51 months
Description
As part of its mission, the Elliot School of The George Washington University (GWU) sponsors scholarship that advances an understanding of international problems and educates the next generation of national and international leaders. Over the next two years, support to the Elliot School will help it continue to solidify its reputation as the foremost place to develop knowledge needed for the study and conduct of policy. Three specific projects of the Elliot School are recommended: the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia), an international network of scholars; a research project to analyze current and future challenges of deterrence and escalation control between the United States and major powers; and support to continue efforts to encourage bipartisan consensus on a challenging nuclear security agenda.
Project Title
For a project with Henry L. Stimson Center on South Asian Nuclear Transparency
Date
Jun. 01, 2017
Duration
33 months
Description
While the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit called for states to “secure, account for, and consolidate” civilian plutonium and highly-enriched uranium stockpiles, there has been limited progress in South Asia. Through this project, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in partnership with the Henry L. Stimson Center (Stimson), will address India’s and Pakistan’s lack of reporting on their rapidly-growing fissile material stockpiles. India and Pakistan face bilateral tensions and significant challenges from terrorist organizations. This project will leverage an existing mechanism, INFCIRC/549, to improve transparency on civilian plutonium and highly-enriched uranium.
Project Title
For the Media and National Security Project
Date
Sep. 07, 2017
Duration
12 months
Description
For a democracy to function effectively, it needs a public that understands international security and defense issues. Positioned to convey that knowledge and understanding while sitting at the juncture of media, journalism, and politics in Washington, D.C., is the School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) at The George Washington University. Since the 1990s, SMPA has hosted distinguished speakers, conducted international programs, and produced students poised to be leaders in politics, government, and journalism. Now, SMPA’s Media and National Security Project will launch a series of events to foster relationships between the media and security communities. Let by U.S. diplomat and Voice of America Director David Ensor, the initiative will continue the activities of the Defense Writer’s Group forums and expand the depth and reach of its programming, and host a public event focused on national security and cyber issues.
Project Title
For the Project on Middle East Political Science
Date
Jun. 01, 2017
Duration
24 months
Description
The Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) is increasing the public impact and policy relevance of political science specialists on the Middle East. POMEPS responds to intellectual and policy challenges of the Middle East, which have grown more urgent with the proliferation of failed states, struggling popular movements, and unresolved governance issues. Having grown significantly since its launch in 2010 with Corporation support, POMEPS has developed a distinctive model combining a network of junior and senior scholars, events and workshops, career development activities, and successful publication platforms. With renewed support, it will expand work with early-career political scientists inside the region.
Project Title
For the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia
Date
Sep. 07, 2017
Duration
24 months
Description
As part of its mission, the Elliot School of The George Washington University (GWU) sponsors scholarship, training, and international linkages that advance an understanding of international problems and strengthens the capacity of the next generation of national and international leaders. Over the next two years and with support from the Corporation, the Elliot School will continue three interrelated projects: the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia), an international network of scholars from the United States, Russia, and other countries in Eurasia; a research project at the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies (ISCS) to analyze current and future challenges of deterrence and escalation control between the United States and major powers; and a policy-oriented working group that encourages bipartisan consensus on a challenging nuclear security agenda.