The UK Project on Nuclear Issues
The UK Project on Nuclear Issues (UK PONI) is a cross-generational network of over 1,700 registered members which encourages young scholars and professionals to engage with established experts on contemporary nuclear issues.
The project aims to support the development of a tightly-knit community of emerging voices that have the potential to influence the nuclear field. Whether you are an early-career professional, an undergraduate or postgraduate student, join us and help build this community from the ground up!
Our Mission
UK PONI draws together the broad range of communities of emerging nuclear specialists, principally addressing the technical-policy, senior-junior, government-nongovernment, and military-civilian divides. UK PONI will continue to engage the civil nuclear community, and to provide specialists in nuclear weapons issues some exposure to civil nuclear issues, but it will do this in partnership with similar organisations in the civil nuclear sector, rather than seeking to develop a distinct new offering.
UK PONI provides knowledge or skills development opportunities for its members that can be more directly tied to their personal development plans. This incorporates continued efforts to promote diversity of inclusion and representation in the opportunities and platforms provided by UK PONI events and activities, and the formalisation with a range of suitable partners of our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
UK PONI offers a range of platforms for emerging nuclear specialists to expose their skills and knowledge to broader audiences, in the UK and overseas, allowing more developed individuals to explore and exploit new opportunities, and sustaining their interest in nuclear weapons issues.
UK PONI is funded and supported by a consortium of government and industry stakeholders. This support allows UK PONI to maintain an independent forum where younger scholars can contribute new ideas on on-going nuclear issues. UK PONI enjoys the support and guidance of its Board of Advisors, which includes representatives from government, industry, the military, and academia.
Project News
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Unconventional ideas and new perspectives are the driving force of UK PONI. Notwithstanding the increased awareness of insufficient diversity among participants in the nuclear field, more also needs to be done to bring a diversity of perspectives on nuclear issues. We value each other’s contributions and we believe strongly that diverse backgrounds and differing viewpoints are key to identifying the best solutions.
UK PONI is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, and we welcome participation from women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in all of our events and programmes.
RUSI is also a member of the Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy leadership network. Read more about RUSI’s commitment to improve diversity and inclusion in the nuclear field here.