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Deadline to Apply: July 12, 2026

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (CCEIA) is an independent, research-driven nonprofit that works to empower ethics by identifying and addressing the most critical ethical issues of today and tomorrow. Carnegie Council has been a thought leader on nuclear ethics since the inception of the weapon itself.

The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation (HFG) examines enduring and urgent problems of violence, such as war, crime, and human aggression. Through basic and applied research, we aim to understand the causes, manifestation, and control of violence in the United States and around the globe. The Foundation awards competitive research grants and fellowships to advance scholarship, and disseminates knowledge to inform policy, practice, and public discourse.

After 80 years of robust scholarship and diplomacy on nuclear weapons, a dangerous shift is underway: While the great powers of Russia, China, and the U.S. build up and modernize their nuclear capacities, the credibility of extended deterrence is strained to the point of breaking, and proliferation among middle and smaller powers appears inevitable. The alarming shift in policy on the world’s most destructive weapon is heightened by seeming public indifference.

Nuclear capabilities are expanding while institutional restraints are weakening. In 2025, CCEIA partnered with the HFG to convene researchers, practitioners, journalists, and religious leaders who identified a normative shift—what we call "nuclear complacency"—as an urgent threat to international stability. The primary finding from the workshop, amplified by recent world events, was that due to changing U.S. commitments, the principle of extended deterrence has crumbled. With the tumbling of this pillar of the international world order, what comes next?

In partnership with HFG, Carnegie Council seeks to hire a non-resident, part-time fellow for a 12-month term to lead a proactive research and education agenda addressing the end of extended deterrence through influential publications, policy engagement, high visibility convenings, and education of emerging leaders.

The distinguishing characteristic of this fellowship will be its focus on the ethical choices presented by a more nuclearized world. What values and principles should guide us? And how should we navigate the inevitable tradeoffs in striving for both peace and security?

Research proposals could address:

• The future of deterrence: What does deterrence look like in a more nuclearized world?
• The future of non-proliferation: Is it possible to balance nuclear security with the growing multipolarity of global power and shifting global alliances?
• Navigating emerging threats: How will innovations in AI, cyber, and outer space capabilities affect nuclear strategy?

As part of the fellowship application, please provide an overview of your objectives and proposed activities. If a proposal advances to the next stage of review, the submitter will receive an introductory email within 60 days of submission, inviting them to participate in a discovery call and to learn more about the role. We anticipate the non-resident fellow would start their work by Fall 2026.

Deadline for submission is 11:59pm ET Sunday July 12, 2026.