Harvard's Belfer Center

Policy Research and Think Tank Servicesbelfercenter.org

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is a Harvard Kennedy School research center producing policy-relevant research on international security, energy, climate, AI, and global governance, serving policymakers, academics, and students through publications, the International Security journal, and the Face-Off podcast.

Company typePrivate
Founded1979
HeadquartersCambridge, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Harvard's Belfer Center does

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is a non-profit research center housed within Harvard Kennedy School, founded in 1979 (per its own institutional history; one firmographic source cites 1973). Its core function is producing policy-relevant research and convening scholars, practitioners, and government officials around international security, nuclear issues, energy and climate policy, science and technology, artificial intelligence governance, and global geopolitics. The Center's intellectual outputs include research papers and reports, the peer-reviewed International Security journal (described as America's leading journal of security affairs), the award-winning Face-Off: The U.S. vs China podcast hosted by Jane Perlez and Rana Mitter, and expert commentary placed in major outlets such as The Guardian, The National Interest, Foreign Policy, and South China Morning Post. Its Applied History Project, co-founded in 2016 by Graham Allison and Niall Ferguson, applies historical case studies to current policy decisions, with a formal partnership with King's College London's Centre for Statecraft and National Security producing reports for the UK Integrated Review.

The business model is academic and institutional rather than commercial: Belfer does not charge for publications, has no disclosed pricing, and generates no commercial revenue. Funding flows from Harvard Kennedy School's institutional budget, philanthropic grants (e.g., $550,000 from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation in January 2022), and partnership-funded programs such as the Engelsberg Applied History Programme. The customer base is non-transactional and consists of three overlapping personas: policymakers and government officials seeking research-backed inputs; academic researchers and fellows who publish, collaborate, or are hosted via the fellowship program; and students at Harvard Kennedy School and other institutions who consume expert analysis and research resources. Distribution is primarily digital — the Belfer Center website, email subscriptions, social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud), podcast platforms, and hosted events — with global reach across topics including U.S.–China relations, the war in Ukraine, the Arctic, the Middle East and North Africa, and nuclear policy.

Harvard's Belfer Center firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Harvard's Belfer Center
Legal name: The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Website: https://belfercenter.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1979
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is a Harvard Kennedy School research center producing policy-relevant research on international security, energy, climate, AI, and global governance, serving policymakers, academics, and students through publications, the International Security journal, and the Face-Off podcast.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Harvard's Belfer Center industry classification

Industry

Product category: Policy Research and Think Tank Services
NAICS: Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), International Affairs (928120), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
SIC: International Affairs (9721)
akta.pro primary industry: International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)
akta.pro secondary industries: Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC), Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

Policy research
International affairs
Security studies
Think tank research
Applied history

Where Harvard's Belfer Center is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Cambridge
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Harvard's Belfer Center business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Harvard's Belfer Center product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs produces policy-relevant research, reports, and analysis on international security, science and technology policy, energy, climate change, and global governance. It publishes the peer-reviewed International Security journal, hosts the Face-Off: The U.S. vs China podcast, runs fellowships, and convenes events bringing together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.

Product overview

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is a research institution within Harvard Kennedy School, not a commercial software product company. Its offerings consist of knowledge products: research publications, the peer-reviewed International Security journal, the Face-Off podcast series, expert commentary in major publications, hosted events/conferences, and fellowship programs. These are intellectual and educational outputs rather than software products with features, integrations, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

International Security Journal: America's leading peer-reviewed journal of security affairs, published by the Belfer Center
Face-Off: The U.S. vs China

Products and services

International Security Journal
Face-Off: The U.S. vs China Podcast
Research and Analysis Publications
Expert Analysis and Commentary
Fellowships Program

Companies that use Harvard's Belfer Center

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Harvard's Belfer Center technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: Yes
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Harvard's Belfer Center partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

King's College London - Centre for Statecraft and National Security (formerly Centre for Grand Strategy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative partnership on Applied History initiatives, including joint research projects, historical case studies for UK government policy, and embedded doctoral researcher programs. The partnership produced reports for the UK Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy.
Engelsberg Applied History ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Applied History reports and research collaboration on historical analysis applied to contemporary policy challenges

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Harvard's Belfer Center competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): Global research institute focused on strategic studies, defense, and arms control. Closely comparable to Belfer's International Security journal and its work on nuclear, defense, and geopolitical analysis, with similar scholar-practitioner composition.
Brookings Institution: Premier U.S. think tank producing peer-reviewed policy research on international affairs, economics, and governance. Directly comparable to Belfer in audience (policymakers, scholars), research output model, and reliance on named senior scholars, with overlapping topic coverage on AI, energy, and U.S.–China relations.
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): U.S. foreign-policy think tank publishing Foreign Affairs and producing independent research on international security and diplomacy. Mirrors Belfer's international-affairs and security focus, journal-publication model, and convening of senior policymakers and scholars.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Global think tank with programs on international security, nuclear policy, energy, climate, and democracy. Closely comparable to Belfer's topic portfolio (nuclear, energy, governance), its publication output, and its mix of scholars and former policymakers producing policy-relevant analysis.
Chatham House: London-based international affairs think tank producing research on global governance, security, and energy. Comparable to Belfer's international-affairs focus, its convening model (closed-door and public events), and its influence on UK and allied government policy.
Hoover Institution: Stanford-based public policy research center covering economics, governance, and international affairs. Comparable to Belfer as an elite university-affiliated think tank producing policy research, hosting fellows, and engaging senior policymakers on national security and economic policy.
Wilson Center: Washington-based think tank focused on international affairs with a flagship scholarly journal and fellowship programs. Comparable to Belfer on the academic-research/policy-bridge model, international affairs topic focus, and fellowship-driven content production.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Bipartisan policy research organization focused on defense, security, and international affairs. Overlaps with Belfer's International Security journal franchise and its applied work on geopolitics, energy, and technology policy, with a comparable convening and media footprint.

Broad incumbents

RAND Corporation: Larger, established research institution with deep international security and science policy portfolios. Comparable to Belfer on security/defense and science policy research, though RAND is a much broader incumbent spanning defense, health, and education rather than focused on Kennedy School-style governance work.

Emerging players

Stimson Center: Nonpartisan policy research center working on security, governance, and emerging technology. Comparable to Belfer on the niche intersection of international security and science/technology policy, though smaller in scale and without Belfer's Harvard affiliation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Harvard's Belfer Center financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Harvard's Belfer Center leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Harvard's Belfer Center funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Harvard's Belfer Center M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harvard's Belfer Center

What does Harvard's Belfer Center do?

Is Harvard's Belfer Center a public or private company?

Harvard's Belfer Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Harvard's Belfer Center founded?

Harvard's Belfer Center was founded in 1979. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Harvard's Belfer Center based?

Harvard's Belfer Center is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.

Who are Harvard's Belfer Center's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Chatham House, Hoover Institution, Wilson Center and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). RAND Corporation is listed as a broad incumbent. Stimson Center is listed as an emerging player.

Does Harvard's Belfer Center have an API?

Yes. The Belfer Center's terms of service reference the availability of API access alongside RSS feeds and software downloads, indicating that an API exists for data access purposes. However, no public API documentation URL, developer portal, SDK details, authentication methods, rate limits, or versioning information are provided on the website.

What industry is Harvard's Belfer Center in?

Harvard's Belfer Center's product category is Policy Research and Think Tank Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAAAK, International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAIAIAC, Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 9721.