About us

Understanding Emerging Technologies – Strengthening Arms Control

The CNTR research and transfer cluster explores new military-relevant technologies and developments in the natural sciences from an interdisciplinary perspective. Our team of researchers from different disciplines investigates impacts on international security, classifies them in a scientifically sound manner and, on this basis, develops recommendations for action to strengthen arms control.

We are scientifically independent. We determine our research topics ourselves. We are committed to handling our research results responsibly. This is why we follow the recommendations for handling security-relevant research laid out by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in our research, in addition to PRIF’s Ethics Guideline.

The project has received funding from the German Federal Foreign Office for a period of four years (January 2023 to December 2026).

The transfer of research results into politics and society is one of CNTR’s central tasks. In target group-oriented exchange formats, we engage in dialogue with stakeholders in order to identify relevant topics and needs from politics, administration, academia and civil society.

The core product is the annual CNTR Monitor, which will be published for the first time in 2024. The monitor will compile findings and recommendations on arms technology innovations and trends. Scientific expertise is thus presented to decision-makers in a manner geared to the target group and its demands.

CNTR's Fact Sheet series offers short-format publications with facts and figures as well as short explanations on CNTR’s research topics.

CNTR publications are published in open access and are thus also made available to the media and the general public.

CNTR integrates technical and scientific findings and expertise into the discourse of peace and conflict research. Researchers from the natural and social sciences work closely together in three interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research groups, in line with the Recommendations for the further development of peace and conflict research by the German Science and Humanities Council (WR) formulated in 2019.

In addition, CNTR contributes to the structural strengthening of scientific and technical peace research by establishing a professorship for Peace Research in Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt. Prof. Dr. Malte Göttsche holds the professorship since June 2024. Together with Prof. Dr. Christopher Daase, he is the speaker of the research and transfer cluster.

Our team

Knowledge Transfer Officer
Knowledge Transfer

Laura Bannan-Fischer is a Knowledge Transfer Officer at PRIF's Berlin office. She has a Master's degree in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Studies.

Laura Bannan-Fischer

Speaker
Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research

Prof. Dr. Christopher Daase is Deputy Director at PRIF and Head of PRIF’s “International Security” research department. His research focuses on security policy, international institutions and political violence.

Christopher Daase

Researcher
Chemical and Biological Weapons Control

Dr. Carmen García López is a researcher at the CNTR research group “Chemical and Biological Weapons Control” at PRIF. Her research focuses on the control, identification, and analysis of known chemical weapons, as well as the exploration of new chemical hazards that may pose risks to safety.

Carmen Garcia Lopez

Speaker, Head of Research Group
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy

Prof. Dr. Malte Göttsche is Professor for Peace Research in Natural Sciences at TU Darmstadt and Head of the CNTR research group “Science for Nuclear Diplomacy”. He is interested in nuclear nonproliferation, arms control and disarmament. His particular focus is the development of new verification methods and technologies.

Malte Göttsche

Head of Research Group
Chemical and Biological Weapons Control

Dr. Una Jakob is a Senior Researcher and Head of Research Group at PRIF's “International Security” research department. Her research focuses on the non-proliferation and disarmament of chemical and biological weapons as well as on biosecurity issues.

Una Jakob

Project Coordinator
Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research

Frank Kuhn is the Project Coordinator for the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR) at PRIF. His research interests include nuclear deterrence, arms control and non-proliferation, as well as military technology and strategy.

Frank Kuhn

Head of Research Area
Arms Control Law

Prof. Dr. Thilo Marauhn is Extraordinary Professor of International Arms Control Law at the Asser Institute, The Hague, Senior Researcher and Head of the research group “Public International Law” at PRIF. His research focuses on Public International Law as well as on International Arms Control Law.

Thilo Marauhn

Associated researcher

Laura Mertes is an Associated researcher in the Research Group Science for Nuclear Diplomacy. She researches in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation with a with a focus on nuclear archaeology.

Researcher

Dr. Luis Pazos Clemens is a researcher at the CNTR research group “Science for Nuclear Diplomacy” at PRIF. He conducts research in the field of nuclear dis­armament and non-proliferation with a focus on the investi­gation and develop­ment of verifi­cation techniques.

Luis Pazos Clemens

Doctoral researcher
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy

Lukas Rademacher is a doctoral researcher with CNTR's research group “Science for Nuclear Diplomacy” at PRIF. He is researching novel verification methods for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, with a focus on nuclear archaeology.

Lukas Rademacher

Researcher
Emerging Disruptive Technologies

Dr. Thomas Reinhold is a researcher at the CNTR research group “Emerging Disruptive Technologies” at PRIF and at the Chair of Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC) in the Department of Computer Science at TU Darmstadt. He works on the societal impact of technology and the challenges of interaction between humans and computer systems.

Thomas Reinhold

Researcher
Chemical and Biological Weapons Control

Dr. Kadri Reis is a researcher at the CNTR research group “Chemical and Biological Weapons Control” at PRIF. Her research focuses on the nonproliferation and disarmament of chemical and biological weapons as well as on biosecurity issues.

Kadri Reis

Head of Research Group
Emerging Disruptive Technologies

Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter is Full Professor and Dean of the Department of Computer Science at Technical University of Darmstadt. His Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC) chair combines computer science with peace and security research. At the intersection of the disciplines (A) Cyber Security and Privacy, (B) Peace and Conflict Studies as well as (C) Human-Computer Interaction, he and his team specifically address (1) Peace Informatics and Technical Peace Research, (2) Crisis Informatics and Information Warfare as well as (3) Usable Safety, Security and Privacy.

Christian Reuter

Researcher
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy

Dr. Yan-Jie Schnellbach is a Junior Research Group Leader at TU Darmstadt and Associate Fellow at PRIF. The group's research interests are safeguards for nuclear facilities, especially utilizing new detection signatures such as antineutrinos.

Yan-Jie Schnellbach

Head of Research Group
Emerging Disruptive Technologies

Dr. Niklas Schörnig is a Senior Researcher and Head of Research Group at PRIF's “International Security” research department. His research focuses on emerging military technology, the future of warfare, and arms control.

Niklas Schörnig

Head of Research Group
Chemical and Biological Weapons Control

Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner is University Professor, Liebig Chair, Project Director and Managing Director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Justus Liebig University Giessen. His research focuses on Organocatalysis, Nanodiamonds, Reactive Intermediates, Computational Chemistry, Tunneling Studies and Dispersion.

Peter R. Schreiner

Researcher
Emerging Disruptive Technologies

Lisa Suckau is a researcher at the CNTR research group “Emerging Disruptive Technologies” at PRIF. Her research focuses on the assessment of risks and opportunities of emerging disruptive technologies and their implications for security policies and strategy.

Liska Suckau

Doctoral Researcher
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy

Fabian Unruh is a doctoral researcher with CNTR's research group “Science for Nuclear Diplomacy” at PRIF. He is interested in novel verification methods for nuclear arms control and disarmament agreements.

Fabian Unruh

Knowledge Transfer Officer
Knowledge Transfer

Elisabeth Waczek is a Knowledge Transfer Officer at CNTR and officer at PRIF's Press and Public Relations Department. She has a Master's degree in Philosophy.

Elisabeth Waczek

  • Solveig Albrecht | Knowledge Transfer Frankfurt
  • Abdullah Kasim Korkusuz | Research Group Emerging Disruptive Technologies
  • Kristin Lang | Knowledge Transfer Berlin
  •  PRIF

Contact

Frank Kuhn

Project Coordinator


Project partners