A new report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences calls for a greater investment in security studies research and education as universities and research institutions face funding cuts amid growing global security challenges.

Published in September 2026, The Future of Security Studies, was co-authored by Scott Sagan, senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University; Jacob Shapiro, professor of international affairs at Princeton University; Rose McDermott, professor of international affairs at Brown University; and Jennifer Welsh, director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy and a Distinguished James McGill Professor at McGill University. 

The report comes at a time when researchers are grappling with a range of security concerns, including nuclear risks, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, increased non-compliance with international law, and emerging technological risks, such as those produced by A.I., synthetic biology, and climate change. Despite the need for research on these issues, funding cuts are putting pressure on the universities, research centers and fellowship programs that support work in the field.

“The American Academy played a major role in the Cold War in developing new ideas, such as “strategic stability” and “nuclear arms control,” and this report is our effort to identify the causes of the current crises in the world and in the security studies field, and sketch out a strategy for how we can train the next generation of experts and produce novel ideas to address the grave and complex problems we are confronting today,” said Sagan. 

To address these concerns and strengthen the future of security studies, the authors put forward four recommendations:

1. Strengthen the undergraduate education: Invest in updated and innovative teaching approaches that prepare students to understand evolving security challenges.
2. Encourage research collaboration: Support national and international study groups focused on pressing and emerging security issues.
3. Sustain established research centers: Continue supporting interdisciplinary research centers that produce policy-relevant work and provide training and development opportunities for early- career scholars.
4. Expand fellowship opportunities: Invest in interdisciplinary pre- and postdoctoral fellowships to develop emerging talent and strengthen connections across the security studies community.

One area of particular concern is the effect of funding cuts on younger researchers. The report estimates that 91 terminated grants through the Department of Defense’s Minerva Research Initiative would have supported approximately 75 to 100 postdoctoral fellowships. The authors warn that continued cuts could lead to a “lost generation” of security scholars.

The report also points to the role that university research centers have played in training scholars over the past several decades. Since the 1980s, CISAC, Harvard University’s Belfer Center, and Dartmouth College’s Dickey Center have collectively hosted more than 2,000 postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to become prominent academics and high-level policymakers.

Nine additional leaders of major university-based security studies centers in the U.S. and overseas signed on in support of the report, adding their voices to concerns about the future of security studies research and education, including James Fearon, the CISAC co-director.

“I hope this report is widely read in the community of people and organizations interested in trying to reduce a range of new and evolving threats in matters of international security. It is absolutely on target in stressing the importance of investments in building expertise, starting with pre- and post-doctoral fellowships,” said Fearon. “Today’s pre- and post-docs are tomorrow’s policymakers and policy “influencers.” These pipelines are increasingly under threat even as the need for new thinking and expertise on emerging tech and security has been escalating.”

With universities and research institutions facing continued financial pressures, the report calls on scholars, philanthropists, and universities to prioritize support for security studies. The authors argue that maintaining these programs is essential not only for current research but also for preparing the scholars and policymakers who will take on future security challenges. 

Read the full report amacad.org.