Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)

What Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) does

Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) is a non-profit academic research center founded in 1986 and housed within Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Encina Hall. CISAC functions as Stanford's hub for research on international security and cooperation, with core domains spanning nuclear weapons policy, arms control, nonproliferation, biosecurity, bioterrorism, cybersecurity, terrorism, missiles, and the political economy of international cooperation. The center is led by Co-director Scott D. Sagan and Deputy Director Harold Trinkunas, supported by an Associate Director for Finance and Administration, and draws on a faculty that includes former senior government officials such as Siegfried S. Hecker (Fifth Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1986-1997) and Michael May (former Director of Livermore Laboratory).

CISAC's "products" are scholarly outputs and educational programs rather than commercial goods. The portfolio includes a publications program (books through Yale University Press, Stanford University Press, and Oxford University Press; articles in International Security, Security Studies, Foreign Affairs, and International Studies Quarterly; working papers and policy briefs), a fellowship program with an annual cohort (2026-2027 cohort announced June 2026), the S.T. Lee Lectureship and Payne Distinguished Lecture series for public engagement, the Master's in International Policy teaching contribution, and the annual CISAC Fellows' Policy Workshop. Distribution is free and digital via cisac.fsi.stanford.edu, with amplification through Twitter/X, YouTube, Facebook, a Bluesky presence, newsletter subscriptions, and earned media in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, The Hill, and the Washington Post.

CISAC does not generate commercial revenue. Its operating model is institutional: funding flows from Stanford University's budget, research grants from government agencies, foundation grants, and private donations. All research, lectures, events, and educational programs are provided free of charge to scholars, policymakers, students, and the public. Headcount is reported at 11-50, consistent with a focused academic center rather than a large institute.

Name

Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)

Legal name

Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation

Website

https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stanford CISAC is a non-profit academic research center within Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute that produces scholarly analysis, fellowships, and public programming on international security, including nuclear policy, arms control, biosecurity, and cybersecurity, for policymakers, scholars, students, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Security Research and Policy Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities (EDAHABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Military Graduate & Postgraduate Institutions (STEM/Defense Research) (EDAHAOAE)

Keywords

• International security research
• Arms control policy
• Nuclear nonproliferation studies
• Security studies education
• Biodefense and cybersecurity policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Stanford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Funding and Grants: CISAC operates as part of Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, receiving institutional funding along with research grants from government agencies, foundations, and private donors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CISAC conducts scholarly research and delivers educational programs on international security and cooperation, with emphasis on nuclear weapons policy, arms control, nonproliferation, biosecurity, cybersecurity, terrorism, and missile issues. As part of Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute, the center produces books, journal articles, policy briefs, and working papers; trains graduate students through the Master's in International Policy program; runs the CISAC Fellowship Program; and hosts public lecture series such as the S.T. Lee Lectureship and the CISAC Fellows' Policy Workshop.

Product overview

CISAC is Stanford University's academic hub for international security research and cooperation. Rather than a commercial product company, CISAC offers a portfolio of scholarly programs including publications (books, journal articles, policy briefs by faculty like David Holloway, Siegfried Hecker, and Steven Pifer), educational fellowship programs for emerging scholars, and public lecture series such as the S.T. Lee Lectureship. These programs collectively advance research on nuclear weapons, arms control, cybersecurity, terrorism, and emerging security challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CISAC Publications Program A scholarly publication program producing books, journal articles, policy briefs, working papers, and commentaries by CISAC faculty and fellows on international security topics including nuclear weapons, arms control, nonproliferation, cybersecurity, terrorism, and global governance. Outputs are made freely available to scholars, policymakers, journalists, and the public.
• CISAC Fellowship Program An annual fellowship program that brings researchers and practitioners to Stanford for academic and policy training in international security. Each cohort engages with CISAC faculty, contributes to the center's research outputs, and participates in events such as the Fellows' Policy Workshop.
• S.T. Lee Lectureship An annual endowed lecture series featuring distinguished speakers on international political, economic, social, and strategic policy issues, held at Stanford's Encina Hall. Recent speakers include Former Congressman and Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISAC is housed within the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. FSI serves as the parent institute, providing institutional support and administrative infrastructure for CISAC's research and educational activities.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Major research institution with deep programs in defense, nuclear security, and international policy. Overlaps with CISAC's analytical mandate but operates at far greater scale and with a strong contract-research model.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major global think tank with extensive work on nuclear policy, arms control, and great-power relations. Overlaps with CISAC's research areas at much larger scale, with broader geographic operations and a more traditional think-tank model.
• Brookings Institution: Large, multi-disciplinary policy research organization with significant output on foreign policy, nuclear security, and international affairs. A more generalist, larger-scale comparator to CISAC's narrower security focus.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Bipartisan policy research organization with extensive programming on nuclear, defense, and international security issues. Comparable in policy engagement and convening role, though CSIS operates as a dedicated think tank rather than a university center.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): London-based global think tank on defense and security with a heavy focus on nuclear posture, arms control, and military analysis. Comparable in analytical mandate and scholarly rigor, but with a global footprint and more policy-practitioner audience.

Emerging players

• Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET): Policy research center focused on AI, cyber, and emerging technology security — an area CISAC increasingly engages in. Comparable as a university-anchored, donor-funded center producing data-driven security research and policy recommendations.

Direct peers

• Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: Harvard's hub for research on international security, nuclear policy, and emerging technology risks. Directly comparable to CISAC as a leading university-based security studies center with policy engagement, fellows, and publications aimed at U.S. and global audiences.
• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs: Princeton's policy school and affiliated research centers, including the Science and Global Security program, conduct research on nuclear policy, arms control, and international security. Comparable to CISAC as a top-tier private research university policy unit engaging closely with U.S. national security.
• MIT Security Studies Program: MIT's interdisciplinary research and graduate program on international security, with strong faculty work in nuclear, cyber, and defense policy. Mirrors CISAC's blend of graduate teaching, policy research, and faculty-led scholarship.
• Hoover Institution (Stanford): Fellow Stanford-affiliated policy research institution with strong programs on national security, nuclear issues, and foreign policy. Closely comparable in mission, donor base, and policy influence, while differing in ideological orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StanfordCISAC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSso8D5UG2BJ5_zLTDHMjLQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/StanfordCISAC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stanfordcisac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC)