Council on Strategic Risks

What Council on Strategic Risks does

The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, non-partisan security policy institute founded in 2017 by Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell as an expansion of the Center for Climate and Security (founded 2010). The organization is dedicated to anticipating, analyzing, and addressing core systemic risks to 21st-century security, with a distinctive thesis that climate, nuclear, biological, and ecological risks are interconnected and mutually reinforcing rather than siloed. CSR is organized around three primary research institutes — the Center for Climate and Security, the Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons (renamed in 2019 in honor of the late Dr. Janne Nolan), and the Converging Risks Lab — plus a featured Global Biosecurity Accelerator initiative aimed at accelerating global resilience to the full spectrum of biological threats. Leadership is held by CEO Mallory Stewart (succeeded Christine Parthemore in 2025), with a lean staff of 1-10 employees based at 1025 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 1000.

CSR's core outputs are original research reports, policy briefers, blog commentary, fellowship programs (Nuclear, Climate, Biological, and Ecological Security), and expert convenings — all distributed free of charge through the organization's website and across social channels (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Bluesky, YouTube, email newsletter). The organization serves policymakers, government officials, military leaders, and security practitioners as its primary audience, alongside academic researchers, scholars, and institutional partners in the nonprofit and international policy ecosystem. Its revenue model is nonprofit in nature: grants, donations, and membership programs rather than product pricing. No revenue figures, funding rounds, or commercial customers are publicly disclosed.

Name

Council on Strategic Risks

Legal name

Council on Strategic Risks

Website

https://councilonstrategicrisks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Council on Strategic Risks is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit security policy institute that produces original research, policy briefers, fellowships, and convenings on the convergence of climate, nuclear, biological, and ecological security risks. It serves policymakers, military leaders, and security practitioners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Policy Research

NAICS

National Security (928110), National Security and International Affairs (9281), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory (BPAKADAG)

Keywords

• Security policy research
• Climate security analysis
• Strategic weapons research
• Biosecurity policy analysis
• Converging risk research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Council on Strategic Risks is a nonprofit policy institute that produces original research, policy analysis, and expert convenings on systemic security risks in the 21st century. Its work is organized around three research institutes—the Center for Climate and Security, the Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons, and the Converging Risks Lab—plus the Global Biosecurity Accelerator initiative, addressing how climate, nuclear, biological, and ecological threats intersect and exacerbate one another. The organization also runs fellowship programs to develop the next generation of security practitioners.

Product overview

The Council on Strategic Risks is organized as a multi-institute research organization comprising three primary institutes (Center for Climate and Security, Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons, and Converging Risks Lab) plus a featured Global Biosecurity Accelerator initiative. Output includes research reports, policy briefers, blog commentary, and fellowship programs. The organization focuses on anticipating, analyzing, and addressing core systemic risks to 21st-century security, with particular emphasis on how climate, nuclear, biological, and ecological threats intersect and exacerbate one another.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Climate & Security: Research institute focused on climate and ecological security, examining climate change as a security risk and threat multiplier.
• Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons
• Converging Risks Lab
• Global Biosecurity Accelerator

Products and services

• Center for Climate and Security CSR's founding institute focused on climate and ecological security, examining how climate change functions as a threat multiplier and its intersection with military operations and national security. Targets policymakers, government officials, and security practitioners.
• Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons An institute dedicated to strategic weapons and other catastrophic risks, named in honor of Dr. Janne Nolan. Examines nuclear security and arms control issues for policymakers and security professionals.
• Converging Risks Lab An institute designed to deepen understanding of how global trends are intersecting and exacerbating one another, exploring the convergence of climate, biological, and ecological security threats. Targets policymakers, researchers, and security practitioners.
• Global Biosecurity Accelerator A featured initiative focused on accelerating global resilience to the full spectrum of biological threats, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate, addressing hostile-state activities and misuse of biotechnology. Targets policymakers, defense officials, and biosecurity practitioners.
• Nuclear, Climate, Biological, and Ecological Security Fellowships Fellowship programs that mentor and enhance networks of active policy practitioners, future leaders, and scholars pursuing individual research and collaborative projects in security risk spaces. Targets early- and mid-career security practitioners and researchers.
• CSR Research Reports and Briefers Original research publications and policy-focused briefers providing timely analysis on emerging security threats and systemic risks, with policy recommendations. Distributed free to policymakers, security professionals, and the public.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI): A nonpartisan nonprofit focused on reducing nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. Closely comparable to CSR's Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons and Global Biosecurity Accelerator, with overlapping focus on catastrophic systemic risks.
• Stimson Center: A nonpartisan policy research center working on security, governance, and international affairs. Comparable in scale and mission to CSR, with overlapping work on nuclear, climate, and biosecurity policy.
• Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: A nonprofit policy organization focused on issues including nuclear risk, climate change, and emerging technologies. Directly comparable to CSR's Converging Risks Lab thesis on intersecting 21st-century security threats.
• Center for a New American Security (CNAS): A Washington, D.C.-based national security think tank producing policy research on defense, security, and emerging threats. Highly comparable to CSR because both operate as focused security policy institutes with strong government and expert networks.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Council: A foreign policy and international affairs think tank with programs on global security, energy, and climate. Comparable to CSR's cross-domain approach but with materially larger resources and a global footprint.
• RAND Corporation: A global policy research organization with a substantial national security and emerging-threats portfolio. Comparable to CSR's analytical mission on systemic risks, though RAND operates at a far larger scale with government-funded research.
• Brookings Institution: A major public policy research organization covering foreign policy, security, and economics. Overlaps with CSR on national security and emerging threat research but operates at a much larger scale with broader programmatic scope.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A major international affairs think tank with programs on nuclear policy, climate, and global governance. Comparable to CSR's work on nuclear security and climate security, with much broader institutional resources.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): A major bipartisan policy research organization covering defense, security, and international policy. A larger incumbent that overlaps with CSR's national security and emerging-threats work, but on a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• World Resources Institute (WRI): A global research organization focused on climate, energy, and environmental sustainability. Comparable to CSR's Center for Climate and Security work on climate as a threat multiplier, though focused primarily on environmental rather than security policy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSRisks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@councilonstrategicrisks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csrisks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Council on Strategic Risks