The institute was established partly in recognition of the fact that the ability to sustain efforts in nuclear security is eroding as the population of skilled personnel in this field declines, yet the national and global need for expertise and new capabilities in this area is growing. It also creates an opportunity to establish deeper and more effective partnerships between academia, government, and industry to address these daunting challenges. Specifically, the institute seeks to achieve the following goals:
- Marshal and coordinate the collective resources of the members to more effectively solve important global security needs;
- Enable better and broader collaborations, particularly among the members;
- Develop an intellectual leadership position in shaping the national and international dialogue on nuclear security policy and practice;
- Communicate the institute’s remarkable synergy in nuclear security capabilities both among the members as well as to potential sponsors; and
- Enhance the ability of the members to engage in activities that attract and educate the next generation of experts in this field.
The objectives of the institute are to:
- Define and develop new educational/training programs to meet global needs in nuclear security;
- Shape the avenues of diplomacy and public policy for greater effectiveness in achieving global nuclear security objectives;
- Further the development of interdisciplinary scientific research and development for nuclear security applications;
- Foster excellence in the expertise of the members that support better intelligence and operational capabilities for global nuclear security; and
- Solve real-world challenges in nuclear security.