Stanton Foundation awards major grant to Hertie School’s Centre for International Security

The Hertie School’s Centre for International Security (CIS) has received another major grant from the Stanton Foundation, reinforcing its role as a leading European hub for nuclear security research, outreach and education. This funding complements the existing endowment jointly administered by the Centre for International Security and the Munich Security Conference (MSC), announced in 2023.

The new grant will further strengthen the centre’s mission to train and nurture the next generation of nuclear security scholars in Europe and beyond. It will fund two fellowships for post-doctoral researchers or tenure-track junior faculty members, as well as establish the Frank Stanton Distinguished Visiting Chair, a senior visiting scholar position that will support cutting-edge research and transatlantic collaboration on nuclear security.

“We are enormously grateful to the Stanton Foundation for their trust in us,” said Professor Marina Henke of the Centre for International Security. “This new investment will allow the centre to further grow into a unique hub of nuclear security research, connecting scholars across Europe and the rest of the world.”

Securing the academic pipeline in nuclear security

The initiative aims to ensure a structured progression from early-stage training to independent research careers. “Post-doctoral positions are key to sustaining the academic pipeline,” said Professor Julian Wucherpfennig. “This is particularly vital in the field of nuclear security, where identifying, nurturing, and advancing the next generation of scholars is indispensable for long-term research continuity, innovation, and faculty development,” added Professor Tobias Bunde.

Through the Stanton fellowships, early- and mid-career scholars from Europe, the United States, and beyond will gain opportunities for structured mentorship, research experience, and professional development at the Hertie School in Berlin. Meanwhile, the Frank Stanton Distinguished Visiting Chair will invite senior scholars to conduct individual research projects on critical nuclear security issues. 

A long-term partnership with the Stanton Foundation

This renewed support marks a deepening partnership between the Stanton Foundation and the Hertie School Centre for International Security. The Foundation has long been committed to advancing nuclear security studies through academic and policy-focused initiatives. With this new grant, CIS will expand its scope to build a sustainable transatlantic network of experts, contribute to high-impact research, and advance policy-relevant scholarship on global nuclear issues.

About the Hertie School’s Centre for International Security

The Centre for International Security in Berlin provides a home for the study and debate of the complex 21st-century security challenges facing Germany, Europe and the world. By positioning itself within the triangle of research, teaching and outreach, the centre constitutes a European hub for scientifically rigorous research and policy analysis.

It is based at the Hertie School, a private university which has been teaching, researching and debating good governance and public affairs for over 20 years. The social science university offers master’s degrees, doctoral programmes and executive education to train change-makers in government, business and civil society. The Hertie School was founded in 2004 by the non-profit Hertie Foundation and has been generously supported by it ever since. It is a member of the European university alliance CIVICA, is publicly recognised, and is accredited by the Accreditation Council and the German Council of Science and Humanities.

About the Stanton Foundation

The Stanton Foundation is a US-based private foundation established by Frank Stanton, a long-time president of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and an adviser on nuclear issues to President Eisenhower in the 1950s. One of its key areas of focus is supporting policy research in international security with a special emphasis on nuclear security.