“If you want to avoid proliferation you want a country that is stable, is prosperous, and is engaged with the rest of the world. That involves, at its core, the scientists and engineers that were there and involved in…weapons programs. We must integrate them and provide them with a future with the West.” – Former UN Weapons Inspector and CRDF Board Member David Kay

Technological advances over the past decade have sharply increased the threats posed by terrorists and “rogue” states acquiring chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Scientists, engineers and technicians with knowledge and skills related to the creation and delivery of WMD are under greater economic, social and ideological pressures than ever before to make that information available to nefarious groups. Meeting this new challenge broadens the scope of traditional nonproliferation work and requires new approaches to securing the knowledge associated with WMD creation. As an independent, non-governmental organization dedicated to meeting the challenge of engaging this community of experts and applying their highly valuable skills to international science collaboration, CRDF is uniquely positioned to adapt its successful model to meet this new set of challenges.

Since its inception in 1995, CRDF has engaged scientists from the countries of the former Soviet Union to address research issues of international importance and to provide meaningful civilian work alternatives to former weapon scientists. While other efforts center upon securing loose nuclear, biological and chemical materials, CRDF works to prevent the proliferation of relevant technical knowledge. CRDF programs fund research, build institutions, and facilitate collaborations with the international scientific and business communities.  One of these programs, Nonproliferation Initiatives (NPI), focuses on engaging the talents of former weapons scientists in CRDF grant programs by providing small, targeted grants and financial support for projects and activities to assist former weapons scientists seeking to make a sustainable transition to the civilian sector. 

Along with achieving its objectives through NPI and its other regular grant programs, CRDF provides opportunities for former weapons scientists to transition to peaceful work by contributing expertise and services to U.S. government nonproliferation programs. Through a contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and a subcontract to Bechtel National, Inc., CRDF provides project management support to cooperative biological research projects designed to help prevent the proliferation of biological weapons and related scientific expertise from Eurasia to other countries.  CRDF also supports implementation of the Department of State's supports implementation of the Department of State's new Global Threat Reduction program, which includes the BioIndustry Initiative, BioChem Redirect, Science Centers, BioSafety and Security, Biosecurity Engagement Program, and Iraqi Scientist Redirection programs. 

For more information contact CRDF Nonproliferation Programs.