Denying U.S. Adversaries Access to Sensitive Nuclear, Missile, and Advanced Technical Expertise for Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs that Threaten America

ISN/CTR created the Nonproliferation Scientist Engagement Program (NSEP) to provide focused, near-term national security engagement to civilian scientists, technicians, and engineers (STE) with nuclear, missile, and other advanced WMD-relevant technical expertise who are geographically displaced or otherwise rendered financially vulnerable to exploitation by Iran, North Korea, China, or other U.S. adversaries for WMD programs that threaten the American homeland, American lives, and American prosperity. Tailored for FY 25/26 to advance President Trump’s Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran, address North Korea’s WMD and ballistic missile programs, and deny the Chinese Communist Party access to expertise to advance WMD programs designed to challenge American security and American leadership, NSEP focuses narrowly on the subset of civilian STEs who have scientific or engineering expertise that could be redirected and exploited by U.S. adversaries to support nuclear, ballistic missile, and advanced weapons programs that could be used to attack the United States. Additionally, this program protects America's technological edge by preventing expertise proliferation of sensitive technical expertise to U.S. adversaries and builds U.S. private sector and related scientific partnerships with these scientists instead.