Nuclear Deterrence Fund
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-04)

The Ministry of Defence invests in nuclear deterrence research and analysis through the Nuclear Deterrence Fund.

Nuclear Deterrence Fund: Research context

The UK faces a growing and diversifying set of threats, including from major nuclear armed states, emerging nuclear states and state-sponsored nuclear terrorism. The complexity and breadth of these challenges requires the UK to consider how to adapt its approach to deterrence across the spectrum of conflict, including nuclear and strategic deterrence.

To meet the demands of a new era of threat, the Nuclear Deterrence Fund was launched in September 2024 as a £3.3 million pilot programme to support research that furthers our understanding of nuclear deterrence issues. The fund is designed to stimulate wider UK expertise in the field and to generate a research base to support nuclear deterrence policymaking.

The fund seeks to support the following objectives:
- Promote innovative, high-quality and impactful research in nuclear deterrence aligned with the priorities of His Majesty’s Government.
- Improve and sustain the generation and use of evidence to address UK nuclear deterrence policy challenges and effectively embed research within deterrence policymaking.
- Support institutions to attract, develop, and retain early and mid-career researchers within the UK.
- Support the formation of a more equal, diverse and inclusive nuclear deterrence research workforce.
- Establish enduring and sustainable structures of engagement and knowledge exchange between nuclear deterrence researchers and policymakers.
The development of a cross-society intellectual capability, realised in coordination with industry and academic partners, delivers against some of the core nuclear recommendations set out in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review. This includes reinforcing our commitment to effective deterrence and strengthening the Defence Nuclear Enterprise through the National Endeavour.

Research pathways

The Nuclear Deterrence Fund invites funding applications for research projects from experienced researchers with a proven track record of rigorous, policy-relevant analysis, and promising early and mid-career researchers seeking to deepen their expertise and experience.

Currently, all projects must conclude by March 2027 and align to one of the following project pathways:
- Knowledge Accelerator Pathway: designed for early and mid-career researchers (defined as doctoral, post-doctoral, and/or for those with 5 to 10 years’ experience) seeking to deepen their expertise or gain experience as a principal investigator on a short-term project (typically for less than one year).
- Advanced Pathway: designed for single or multi-year research proposals. Projects should leverage institutional expertise to build capacity in this field, sustaining and developing the pipeline of future talent by engaging with the nuclear deterrence community of practice on key issues. We accept bids from consortiums and individual organisations.
Funded projects

Awards have been made for projects on the following topics:

Knowledge Accelerator Pathway
- What are the implications of the changing security environment for UK-US nuclear deterrence collaboration over the coming decades?
- Mapping NATO Allies’ perceptions of Russian Nuclear Doctrine and the UK’s role in the Alliance’s nuclear posture.
- Implications of the Future Information Environment for the UK’s Nuclear Strategy and decision-making.
- Understanding Russian Strategic Culture and the Low-Yield Nuclear Threat (https://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/2025/understanding-russian-strategic-culture-low-yield-nuclear-threat.html).
- Evolving Russian perceptions of the British and French nuclear deterrents (https://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/2025/Russian-perceptions-of-British-French-nuclear-deterrents.html).
Advanced Pathway
- Deterrence challenges in the High North.
- Maintaining credibility: assessing Russian perceptions of the UK’s extended deterrent.
- Conventional-Nuclear Entanglement and Inadvertent Escalation Risks for NATO-Russia: How to Bring Cold War Insights to a New Generation of Civilian and Military Policymakers (https://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/2025/inadvertent-nuclear-escalation-risks-nato-deterrence.html).
- UK Nuclear Deterrence Network (https://www.rusi.org/networks/uk-nuclear-deterrence-network).
How to apply

More information on the research areas of interest, application forms and details of how to apply can be found on Contracts Finder (https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/f1488362-0035-4320-9d7d-ca54b20da281?origin=SearchResults&p=1).

Contact us

For more details on the Nuclear Deterrence Fund, including applications, funded projects and other research activities, please contact the Nuclear Deterrence Fund team at: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).