The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
The Ernest May Fellowships honor Ernest May, Charles Warren Professor of American History, a member of the Belfer Center's board of directors, and a faculty affiliate of the Center's International Security Program, who passed away in June 2009.
The Ernest May Fellows are housed with the International Security Program fellows and participate in the activities of the Center as part of the International Security Program. They will have access to most Harvard University libraries and facilities. Fredrik Logevall, Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs, and Niall Ferguson, Belfer Center Senior Faculty Fellow, serve as the points of contact and mentors for the fellows.
The fellowships are non deferrable.
Expectations
Fellows are expected to devote some portion of their time to collaborative endeavors, as arranged by the project director. They are also expected to complete a book, monograph, or other significant publication during their period of residence.
Stipend Information
The fellowships include annual stipends of either 50,000 USD (for postdoctoral or advanced research fellows) or 40,000 USD (for predoctoral fellows). Postdoctoral fellows who have received their Ph.D. within the past five years are benefits-eligible; predoctoral fellows and postdoctoral fellows who received their Ph.D. more than five years ago will receive full or partial reimbursement for health insurance premiums.