Are you a young researcher working on nuclear verification, disarmament, or related fields? Then take a look at our New Perspectives Call!
FIRST PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE
in our Blog Series
“New Perspectives on Nuclear Verification“
VeSPoTec is a project by:
The research consortium VeSPoTec – Verification in a complex and unpredictable world: social, political and technical processes is a cooperation between the RWTH Aachen University, the Forschungszentrum Jülich, the TU Darmstadt and the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Associated partners include the University of Vienna and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP).
VeSPoTec is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR, formerly BMBF).
What is Verification?
Verification is the process of gathering and analysing information to assess whether other parties comply with their commitments. This way, it allows to build confidence and ensures an effective implementation of international agreements.
Our Mission
VeSPoTec’s mission is to build bridges between the natural and social sciences to strengthen and advance the knowledge on verification in the context of peace and conflict research.
Why an interdisciplinary approach?
Given the complexity and dynamics of the challenge of nuclear verification, the interaction of different disciplinary perspectives is indispensable for understanding the phenomenon and for developing sustainable and applicable solutions. The specificity of the project therefore lies in the synergy of inter- and transdisciplinary work among the partners with their complementary foci on natural, social, political and cultural sciences as well as practice.
Blog
By Philipp Fischer. Nuclear verification is a critical component of global security, ensuring compliance with international treaties and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. However, verification efforts are facing growing challenges due to technological advances and geopolitical tensions. Open-source intelligence
By Leonardo Bandarra. “New Perspectives on Nuclear Verification” is a blog series designed to bring the next generation of ideas and voices into this debate. We believe that early career researchers (that is, postgraduate researchers, and advanced students) as well as young professionals are uniquely positioned to rethink
By Kim Westerich-Fellner. From 10-12 September, the Science – Peace – Security ’25 (SPS ’25) Conference was held in Aachen, Germany. The event was hosted by VeSPoTec and organized by Forschungszentrum Jülich. The conference explored how rapid technological advancements are reshaping global peace and
For previous Blog posts, please click here.
Team
Principal Investigators
Prof. Dr. Malte Göttsche
Coordinator
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
goettsche@prif.org
Prof. Dr. Stefan Böschen
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
stefan.boeschen@humtec.rwth-aachen.de
Dr. Irmgard Niemeyer
Nuclear Waste Management (IEK-6)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
i.niemeyer@fz-juelich.de
Prof. Dr. Ralph Rotte
International Relations
RWTH Aachen
rotte@ipw.rwth-aachen.de
Dr. Carmen Wunderlich
Institute of Political Science
University Duisburg-Essen
carmen.wunderlich@uni-due.de
Managing Director
Dr. Ana de la Varga
Nuclear Verification and Disarmament
RWTH Aachen
delavarga@nvd.rwth-aachen.de
Administrative Assistant
Melanie Baumann
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
melanie.baumann@humtec.rwth-aachen.de
Scientific Staff
Dr. Laura Mertes
Science for Nuclear Policy
TU Darmstadt
Dr. Ing. Neslihan Yanikömer
Institute of Fusion Energy and Nuclear Waste Management (IFN)
Forschungszentrum Jülich n.yanikoemer@fz-juelich.de
Dr. Kim Westerich-Fellner
Institute of Fusion Energy and Nuclear Waste Management (IFN)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
k.westerich-fellner@fz-juelich.de
Dr. Robin E. Möser
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
TU Darmstadt
robin.moeser@prif.org
Student Assistants
Mette Marie Elisabeth Wohlfahrt, B.A.
Institute of Political Science
University Duisburg-Essen
mette.wohlfahrt@stud.uni-due.de
Josias Bruderer, B.A.
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
josias.bruderer@humtec.rwth-aachen.de
Further Partners
See our former team members here.
Advisory Board
Dr. Hassan Elbahtimy
Centre for Science and Security Studies, King’s College
Dr. Angela Kane
Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)
Dr. Marco Marzo
Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC)
Dr. Pavel Podvig
UN Institute for Disarmament Research
Laura Rockwood
Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-proliferation (VCDNP)
Amy Woolf
Royal United Services Institute
Contact
Feel free to contact us at vespotec@rwth-aachen.de for questions and further information about the project.
Carmen Wunderlich receives the 2025 Political Science Teaching Award
20.11.2025, Darmstadt, Germany
Congrats to our PI Carmen Wunderlich for receiving the Political Science Teaching Award 2025 for her seminar on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation & global security! With her exceptional teaching approach, she is empowering students to critically engage with political developments.
BMFTR Status Conference on Peace and Conflict Research
4.-5. November 2025, Bonn, Germany
On 4 and 5 November, we participated in the BMFTR Status Conference on Peace and Conflict Research in Bonn. This conference brought together numerous research projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space to better understand the causes, dynamics and consequences of conflicts.
The BMFTR Status Conference is an important step towards better networking within the peace and conflict research community. We look forward to sharing our findings and discussing strategies for knowledge transfer in order to make a positive contribution to global peacekeeping. 🕊️🌍
Check out the funding line to strengthen peace and conflict research.
VeSPoTec at the Comoros: Insights on Leonardo Bandarras travel
October 2025, Moroni, Comoros
Insights on Leonardo Bandarras travel to Moroni, Comoros, to take part in the International Peace Forum and to attend the launch of the Salam Institute for Peace and Security:
A look back at the Science – Peace – Security ’25 (SPS ’25) Conference
10.-12.09.2025, Aachen, Germany
We’re looking back to the Science – Peace – Security ’25 (SPS ’25) Conference, hosted by the VeSPoTec research consortium and organized by Forschungszentrum Jülich. Some first impressions on this successful event:
Announcement: Tagung Netzwerk Friedens- und Konfliktforschung NRW (09.09.2025 in Bochum)
Bochum, Germany
On Tuesday, 9 September 2025, the annual conference of the Peace and Conflict Research Network NRW will take place, this time at the Institute for Peace Security Law and Humanitarian International Law (IFHV) at Ruhr University Bochum, located directly at Bochum Central Station (IFHV, Massenbergstraße 11, conference room, 6th floor, 44787 Bochum).
Please refer to the flyer for details.
For previous news, please click here.