Research
The NSPC supports original academic research and policy reports for the government on vital issues of national security. Drawing on expertise from around the University of Virginia and elsewhere in the academy, the Center contributes to understanding and policy in areas including deterrence, use of conventional force, space policy, naval policy, S&T organizational structures, ethics and emerging technologies, cyber security, nuclear security, sub-state violence, and future threats. For updates on new research, sign up to receive news from the NSPC.
SEA POWER 2025
SEA POWER 2025 is a research initiative dedicated to the future of sea power and U.S. naval policy, recognizing 2025 as an inflection point in terms of tactics, strategy, research and development, and acquisitions.
Learn MoreThe Future of Power Generation in the U.S. and China
As part of the National Security Policy Center’s 2025 Summer Internship, two teams of UVA student researchers synthesized the literature on energy infrastructure in the U.S. and China respectively for UVA’s National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI). Their literature reviews provide key insights on existing infrastructure, emerging technology, and energy policy, offering analyses that examine the past, present, and future of power generation for both nations.
Learn MoreMilitant Group Alliances and Rivalries
The Militant Group Alliances and Rivalries (MGAR) Database provides reliable information for a systematic understanding of the scope, causes, and consequences of violent non-state actor relationships.
Learn More2025 NSPC Intern White Papers
Over the course of two months, the NSPC’s 2025 summer interns conducted research on the national security implications of emerging technologies and strategic competition with China. As part of that work, each student researcher produced an individual policy white paper on a topic of interest to the National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI):
Addressing the Role of Deepfake Technology in Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections
Beyond Export Controls: Protecting American Investment in the Software Age
China’s AI-Powered Disinformation Tactics: Threats and Implications
China’s Maritime Strategy: Next Generation Technologies and the Future of South China Sea Security
China’s Strategic Deployment of Deep-Sea Mining to Counter U.S. Defense Presence in Oceania
Digital Battleground: Ethiopia, China, and the Future of U.S. Influence in Africa
Mining on the Moon: Policy Paths Forward
Policy Alternatives to Emerging Agbiotech Threats
The Case for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles in U.S. Transportation and Defense
Additional Research Projects
Defense Intelligence Agency Biocomplexity Project
Ongoing in partnership with UVA’s Biocomplexity Institute.
The Military in American Democratic Life
China’s Global Influence: Economic Coercion and Supply Chain Interdependence
The Great Red Fleet: China’s Naval Diplomacy Worldwide
Zero Tolerance: Repression and Political Violence on China’s New Silk Road
Phil Potter, Chen Wang. Cambridge University Press, Dec. 2022.
Intelligence Community Research and Development Report
Contributed directly to the establishment of CIA Labs.
National Ground Intelligence Center Report: “Defining the Gray Zone”
Defense Intelligence Agency Survey of the Biosecurity Ecosystem
Threat Perception and Deterrence after the War in Ukraine
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