Mershon Center for International Security Studies

Academic Research Servicesmershoncenter.osu.edu

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is an Ohio State University research center conducting interdisciplinary scholarship on international security, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution, serving scholars, policymakers, and the public through publications, training programs, events, and a media partnership with TIME.

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersColumbus, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Mershon Center for International Security Studies does

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is an academic research center housed within The Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences in Columbus, Ohio. The Center investigates the human and social dimensions of complex security challenges through interdisciplinary scholarship, field research, and policy engagement. Its core portfolio is organized into three interlocking areas: research initiatives (the Divided Community Project, the VIEW Working Group on Violence, Ideology, and Extremism, the Comparative National Elections Project, River Ethnographies in South Asia, and country-specific projects in Nepal and Burundi), educational and training programs (the National Security Simulation, Diplomacy Lab, Quantum Social Science Bootcamp, and the Measuring Peace discussion series), and publication outputs (peer-reviewed journal articles, faculty-authored books, policy briefs, and white papers). The Center supports three endowed positions — the Mason Chair in Military History, the Hayes Chair in National Security, and the Chair in Peace Studies — and maintains a postdoctoral scholar program, an affiliated-faculty network spanning multiple OSU departments, and recurring events including the Kruzel Memorial Lecture and the Furniss Book Award. Since 2014, the Center has also operated the Made By History editorial partnership with TIME magazine, translating academic historical analysis into public-facing content for a global audience of approximately 120 million readers.

The Center's underlying technology is not a software platform but rather a research and engagement infrastructure: field-research operations, publication pipelines, simulation curricula, and digital distribution channels (website, email newsletter, YouTube, X, Facebook). It does not offer APIs, mobile applications, or commercial software products. Field research spans geographies including Nepal, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, the Basque Country, and South Asian river systems, with project pages indicating active longitudinal engagement in each location.

As a unit of a public university, the Mershon Center generates no commercial revenue. It is funded through Ohio State's institutional budget, endowed chair support, and external research grants from government agencies and private foundations. Its outputs — publications, events, training programs, and media content — are distributed at no cost to academic, policy, and public audiences. The Center operates with approximately 10 administrative staff, supplemented by a much broader network of affiliated faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate research grantees. Its go-to-market model is community-led, centered on academic convening, policy engagement, and public scholarship rather than commercial sales motions.

Mershon Center for International Security Studies firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Mershon Center for International Security Studies
Legal name: Mershon Center for International Security Studies
Website: https://mershoncenter.osu.edu
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is an Ohio State University research center conducting interdisciplinary scholarship on international security, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution, serving scholars, policymakers, and the public through publications, training programs, events, and a media partnership with TIME.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Mershon Center for International Security Studies industry classification

Industry

Product category: Academic Research Services
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), National Security and International Affairs (9281)
SIC: International Affairs (9721), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
akta.pro primary industry: Military Graduate & Postgraduate Institutions (STEM/Defense Research) (EDAHAOAE)
akta.pro secondary industry: Security Diplomacy & Defense Cooperation (Arms Control, Counterterrorism) (BPAIAIAH)

Keywords

International security studies
Security policy research
Peacebuilding research
Academic research center
Conflict resolution studies

Where Mershon Center for International Security Studies is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

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

Offices1 record

Markets served

Mershon Center for International Security Studies business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

University Funding: As a research center within The Ohio State University, the Mershon Center is primarily funded through institutional university support, endowments, and research grants from government agencies and private foundations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Mershon Center for International Security Studies product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is an Ohio State University research center that conducts interdisciplinary scholarship on international security, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution. It supports endowed faculty chairs, houses research programs in security and diplomacy, identity and religion, and the future of the global order, and offers academic credentials including a PhD Minor in International Security Studies, a Global Security Studies Major, an Undergraduate Minor in International Security, and a Cyber Security Certificate.

Product overview

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is a university-based research center at The Ohio State University that operates as a collection of interconnected research programs and educational offerings rather than a unified software product. Its core portfolio includes research initiatives (Research Programs, Divided Community Project, VIEW Working Group, River Ethnographies), educational programs (National Security Simulation, Diplomacy Lab, Quantum Social Science Bootcamp, Measuring Peace Discussion Series), and publication series (Faculty Books, Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles, Policy Briefs & White Papers). Additionally, the Center maintains media partnerships (Made By History on TIME) that translate academic research for public audiences. The Center does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Made By History: A partnership between TIME and Made by History providing historical analysis of current events and public debates, supported by the Mershon Center.

Products and services

PhD Minor in International Security Studies

Companies that use Mershon Center for International Security Studies

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Mershon Center for International Security Studies technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Mershon Center for International Security Studies partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

TIME Magazine (Made by History)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Groundbreaking partnership providing Mershon-affiliated scholars a platform to deliver rigorous historical analysis of current events through TIME Ideas, reaching a global audience of 120 million readers. Content is assigned, written, and edited by professional historians.
The Ohio State University College of Arts and SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mershon Center operates as a research unit within OSU's College of Arts and Sciences, receiving institutional support, administrative services, and collaborative opportunities across academic departments.
Moritz College of Law (Divided Communities Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative addressing community division through research on symbols, public spaces, and racial equity, producing practical guides for community leaders.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Mershon Center for International Security Studies competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: Harvard Kennedy School research center focused on international security, defense policy, and science/technology policy. Directly comparable as a university-based security studies center with policy impact orientation and research scholar programs.
Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC): Stanford's hub for research on international security, nuclear policy, and conflict resolution. Comparable as a university-affiliated research center with interdisciplinary security studies and policy engagement.
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS): Johns Hopkins University's graduate school focused on international relations and security studies. Comparable through university-based international security education, faculty research, and policy engagement programming.

Broad incumbents

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major international affairs think tank with global programs on peace, security, and democracy. Comparable on peacebuilding research, policy outputs, and global geographic footprint.
Wilson Center: Congressional-affiliated research center addressing global issues including international security. Comparable through scholarly research, policy convening, and public programming model.
RAND Corporation: Global policy research organization with deep expertise in defense, security, and international affairs. Much larger scale than Mershon but pursues overlapping themes of military history, conflict resolution, and security policy analysis.
Stimson Center: Nonpartisan think tank working on security, defense, and international affairs policy. Comparable on policy briefs, scholar-led research, and security program structure, though operating independently rather than within a university.
Brookings Institution: Established policy research organization with a robust Foreign Policy program covering international security. Overlaps with Mershon on policy-relevant security research, peacebuilding, and public scholarship dissemination.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Major think tank producing research on defense, security, and foreign policy. Larger, broader, and externally funded rather than university-embedded, but covers overlapping security studies territory with policy briefs and scholar programs.

Emerging players

Hoover Institution: Stanford-based policy research center with strong programs in national security, foreign policy, and political economy. Comparable as a university-embedded research center with endowed chairs and policy-oriented scholarship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Mershon Center for International Security Studies financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Mershon Center for International Security Studies leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Mershon Center for International Security Studies funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Mershon Center for International Security Studies 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 Mershon Center for International Security Studies

What does Mershon Center for International Security Studies do?

Is Mershon Center for International Security Studies a public or private company?

Mershon Center for International Security Studies is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Mershon Center for International Security Studies founded?

Mershon Center for International Security Studies was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Mershon Center for International Security Studies based?

Mershon Center for International Security Studies is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.

How does Mershon Center for International Security Studies make money?

One revenue line is on record: university Funding.

Who are Mershon Center for International Security Studies's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Broad incumbents are Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Wilson Center, RAND Corporation, Stimson Center, Brookings Institution and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Hoover Institution is listed as an emerging player.

Does Mershon Center for International Security Studies have an API?

No public API is recorded for Mershon Center for International Security Studies.

What industry is Mershon Center for International Security Studies in?

Mershon Center for International Security Studies's product category is Academic Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAOAE, Military Graduate & Postgraduate Institutions (STEM/Defense Research), with a secondary code of BPAIAIAH, Security Diplomacy & Defense Cooperation (Arms Control, Counterterrorism). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 9721.