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Awards will support research at the intersection of applied AI and education, as well as more than two dozen faculty doing a variety of applied research across campus.

Following the beginning of military action against Iran on February 28, 2026, GRI convened leading scholars on Iran, the Middle East, and nuclear issues to discuss the ongoing war.

Student researchers Tajalla Moslih '27 and Mona Garimella '27 reflect on their experience presenting their migration research at an academic conference in New Orleans.

In January, GRI launched three new funding pathways to support applied research by faculty and staff across �鶹�ƽ��.

In a conversation moderated by S. Douglas Bunch ’02, J.D. ’06, the Ambassador reflected on the challenges and unpredictability of today’s global landscape, emphasizing the human connections at the heart of her “gumbo diplomacy” approach.

The Global Research Institute’s Book Launch Series is a celebration of faculty at �鶹�ƽ�� and across the country and their dedication to publish their work. This semester, GRI has highlighted the publishing of three important academics. These books highlight GRI’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and global perspectives.

GRI’s Student Innovation program brings together students and faculty from across disciplines and the broader �鶹�ƽ�� campus in support of student-led research ideas and projects, in a format that allows us to practice one of GRI’s longstanding core values: that good ideas can come from anyone, especially students.

�鶹�ƽ�� will host its fourth annual Gates Forum in winter 2025, bringing together leading policymakers and practitioners from across the country to address a critical issue in U.S. national security. This year’s forum will examine how the United States can rethink its approach to security assistance to best advance its national interests, deliver effective results, and respond to changing international circumstances.

Amidst a tough academic job market across higher education, GRI’s postdoctoral fellows program had a banner year. Four postdoctoral fellows in residence this past year and one recent alumni have landed impressive positions at leading academic institutions around the world.

As the �鶹�ƽ�� Global Research Institute prepares for its next phase of growth, alumni from the past two decades gathered in Washington, D.C. to reflect and discuss its next chapter. The networking event at City Tap brought together former students and current faculty to discuss an exciting expansion of the Institute's mission.

In Summer 2024, GRI sent three students to Bogotá, Colombia to work with AidData Senior Research Analyst Dr. Nara Sritharan and GRI Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Dr. Adriana Rudling to research the humanitarian demining provisions under the 2016 Final Peace Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Brady Garrett (International Relations & Finance, ‘26), Clara Whitney (Film and Media Studies & Creative Writing, ‘25), and Tomasina Pearman (Psychology & Government, ‘27) spent six weeks on the ground analyzing how different stakeholders, from the Colombian government, to non-profit organizations, to ex-guerilla members, are working through the challenges of stewarding Colombia towards a positive, productive, and inclusive future.

The �鶹�ƽ�� Global Research Institute recently convened a two-day writing workshop at Wintergreen, Virginia, to refine Professor Daniel Cristol's forthcoming book "Life Bird," which explores the intersection of ornithology, scientific discovery, and higher education through accessible storytelling.

AidData's recent report reveals that China has strategically invested $56.9 billion in developing countries from 2000 to 2021 to secure critical transition minerals like copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements. This financial commitment has bolstered China's dominance in the global supply chain for these essential materials. ​

In April, the Global Research Institute hosted Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, to discuss nuclear nonproliferation with GRI Director of Research Initiatives, Dr. Ryan Musto. Nakamitsu covered topics such as the emergence of nonproliferation zones, the establishment of regional frameworks to discuss security issues, and the role that youth and young experts play in policy-making areas.

Prof. Phil Roessler and Prof. Carrie Dolan win inaugural funding from the Applied Research and Innovation Initiative, an externally funded program that aims to seed and scale applied research across the university.

A $30 million gift from an anonymous �鶹�ƽ�� alumna will pay tribute to former U.S. Secretary of Defense (2006-2011) and current university Chancellor Robert M. Gates ’65, L.H.D. ’98 with the first academic building in the nation to bear Gates’ name. Gates Hall will be home to GRI, the Institute for Integrative Conservation, and the Whole of Government Center of Excellence.

A two-day conference held in Williamsburg explored East Asia’s rapidly evolving security dynamics and the appropriate role for the United States’ engagement.

As a way to honor the legacy of Chancellor Robert M. Gates, �鶹�ƽ�� and the Gates Global Policy Center (GGPC) convene the Gates Forum, which this year brought together researchers and policy makers to discuss the future of U.S. development assistance.