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in our Blog Series
“New Perspectives on Nuclear Verification“

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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 Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) 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).

Our Mission

What is Verification?

Blog

Team

News

Publications

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

Advancing Nuclear Disarmament Verification – EXPAND Holds Side Event at the NPT Review Conference in New York

posted on 21. May 2026

On 12 May, on the margins of the NPT Review Conference in New York, the Expert Panel on Nuclear Disarmament Verification (EXPAND) convened diplomats, researchers, and practitioners for an interactive side event at the German House. The event offered a first insight into the work and objectives of the newly established expert panel,

What can be found in the depths of the IAEA Archives in Vienna?

posted on 20. February 2026

A treasure of uncountable worth lays in Vienna (Austria): the archives of IAEA. It documents the history of IAEA and its activities in promoting the use of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and safeguarding against diversion of nuclear materials. Apart from these fundamental responsibilities, the archives are essential for

Abstract Representation of Tritium's Role in Nuclear Verification and Disarmament. AI-generated image (using NightCafe’s HiDream I1 Fast)

Tritium’s Challenge to Disarmament Irreversibility

posted on 22. January 2026

By MD Arifur Rahman. Tritium is a radioactive material with a half-life span of just 12.3 years, which is usually used as a boosting element in nuclear weapons, allowing relatively smaller bombs to release more than 10,000 tons of TNT energy without requiring a full thermonuclear weapon. Tritium quickly breaks down, so countries

For previous Blog posts, please click here.

Team

Principal Investigators

Dr. Carmen Wunderlich
Coordinator
Institute for Development and Peace (INEF)
University Duisburg-Essen
carmen.wunderlich@uni-due.de

Prof. Dr. Malte Göttsche
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
goettsche@prif.org

Prof. Dr. Stefan Böschen
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
stefan.boeschen@humtec.rwth-aachen.de

Prof. Dr. Ralph Rotte
International Relations
RWTH Aachen
rotte@ipw.rwth-aachen.de

Dr. Irmgard Niemeyer
Nuclear Waste Management (IEK-6)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
i.niemeyer@fz-juelich.de

Managing Director

Administrative Assistant

Dr. Ana de la Varga
Nuclear Verification and Disarmament
RWTH Aachen
delavarga@nvd.rwth-aachen.de

Melanie Baumann
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
melanie.baumann@humtec.rwth-aachen.de

Knowledge Transfer

Henriette Franken
Knowledge Transfer Officer
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
henriette.franken@prif.org

Scientific Staff

Dr. Leonardo Bandarra
Institute for Development and Peace (INEF)
University Duisburg-Essen
leonardo.bandarra@uni-due.de

Andreas Dürholt, M.A.
Department for Political Science
RWTH Aachen
andreas.duerholt@ipw.rwth-aachen.de

René Geiser, M.A.
Department for Political Science
RWTH Aachen
rene.geiser@ipw.rwth-aachen.de

Dr. Laura Mertes
Science for Nuclear Diplomacy
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
TU Darmstadt
laura.mertes@prif.org

Linda Ostermann, M.A.
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
linda.ostermann@humtec.rwth-aachen.de

Julian Schäfer, M.A.
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen
julian.schaefer@humtec.rwth-aachen.de

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

Zoe van Alst, B.A. / B.Sc.
Human Technology Center
RWTH Aachen University
zoe.van.alst@humtec.rwth-aachen.de

Anna Brocks, B.A.
Institute for Development and Peace (INEF)
University Duisburg-Essen
anna.brocks@uni-due.de

Further Partners

Dr. Anna Weichselbraun
Scientific Partner
University Vienna

Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Practical Partner
Contact: Elena Sokova

See our former team members here.

Advisory Board

Dr. Hassan Elbahtimy
Centre for Science and Security Studies, King’s College

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.

News

New Special Collection on Nuclear Verification in ZeFKo: "Nuclear Verification in an Unstable World"

03.06.2026, Aachen, Germany

A new special collection in the Zeitschrift für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (ZeFKo) examines the future of nuclear verification in an increasingly contested global environment. Bringing together technical, political, and social-scientific perspectives, the collection explores how verification regimes for non-proliferation, arms control, and disarmament can adapt to emerging challenges, including geopolitical competition, technological change, and misinformation.

Central questions addressed in the special issue include how verification mechanisms can be further developed to respond to emerging threats, what role new technologies (such as AI and remote sensing) play in strengthening verification, how geopolitical rivalries affect the credibility of arms control agreements, and what lessons can be drawn from regional experiences in nuclear governance.

Edited by Dr. Hassan Elbahtimy (King’s College London), Prof. Dr. Malte Göttsche (CNTR / PRIF), and Dr. Ana de la Varga (RWTH Aachen), the collection highlights both the resilience and vulnerabilities of contemporary verification systems.

The full collection will be published soon here.

Safeguards Simulation Exercise: "Maintaining Continuity of Knowledge under Crisis Conditions"

Forschungszentrum Jülich, 2-5 March 2026

We’re looking back to a fruitful safeguard simulation exercise at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Some first impressions on this:

Call for Papers: Panel “Knowing in a Nuclear Weapons World”

Open Conference of the ‘International Relations’ Section of the German Political Science Association (DVPW) — September 2026, Würzburg

VeSPoTec seeks to organize a panel at the upcoming Open Conference of the International Relations Section of the German Political Science Association (DVPW), which will take place in Würzburg from September 21 to 23, 2026. The aim of the panel is to bring together different perspectives on the epistemic processes through which nuclear power becomes politically effective—and to show that “knowing” itself represents a form of nuclear order formation.

We’re looking for theoretical and empirical contributions that understand knowledge production processes as a central component of nuclear (dis)order formation and examine how knowledge about nuclear policy is produced, legitimized, and challenged—and who is involved in this process. Please find more information in the full call for paper attached below.

Call for Paper (in German)

Call for Papers: “Knowing in a Nuclear Weapons World”
Panel im Rahmen der Offenen Tagung der Sektion Internationale Beziehungen der DVPW, 21.–23. September 2026, Würzburg

In einer Welt, in der Nuklearwaffen wieder an Relevanz gewonnen haben und zunehmend politische Ordnungs- und Sicherheitsvorstellungen sowie technologische Zukünfte prägen, stellt sich die Frage, wie Wissen über Nuklearwaffen entsteht, zirkuliert und politisch wirksam wird, mit neuer Dringlichkeit. Das geplante Panel „Knowing in a Nuclear Weapons World“ lädt Beiträge ein, die sich mit den vielfältigen Formen und Praktiken der Wissensproduktion rund um Nuklearwaffen befassen – sei es in politischen, wissenschaftlichen, medialen oder zivilgesellschaftlichen Kontexten. Im Mittelpunkt steht die Frage, wie Wissen über Nuklearwaffen entsteht, welche epistemischen Autoritäten es prägen und wie alternative Wissensformen sichtbar gemacht oder marginalisiert werden. Insbesondere soll auch das Verhältnis von Wissen und Macht im Feld der Nuklearpolitik kritisch ausgelotet werden.

Wir interessieren uns für theoretische wie empirische Beiträge, die Wissensproduktionsprozesse als zentralen Bestandteil nuklearer (Un-)Ordnungsbildung begreifen und untersuchen, wie Wissen über Nuklearpolitik hergestellt, legitimiert und herausgefordert wird – und wer daran beteiligt ist. Mögliche Themen umfassen:

Kritische, feministische und post-/dekoloniale Zugänge zur Nuklearpolitik, die Praktiken der Wissensproduktion beleuchten
Prozesse der Übersetzung, Geheimhaltung oder Zirkulation nuklearen Wissens in politischen und öffentlichen Arenen
der Umgang mit Unwissen, Unsicherheit und Ambivalenz in nuklearen Entscheidungsprozessen
öffentliche Meinung, Diskursformationen und mediale Narrative als Wissensorte des Nuklearen
Arbeiten zu öffentlicher Meinung, Diskursen und Repräsentationen von Nuklearwaffen
Beiträge aus den Science and Technology Studies (STS) zu Technologien, Expertentum und Unsicherheit in nuklearen Zusammenhängen

Ziel des Panels ist es, unterschiedliche Perspektiven auf jene epistemische Prozesse zu bündeln, durch die das Nukleare politisch wirksam wird – und sichtbar zu machen, dass “knowing” selbst eine Form nuklearer Ordnungsbildung darstellt.

Die Frist zur Einreichung der Panel ist bereits am 15. Februar 2026. Daher bitten wir bei Interesse um zeitnahe Einreichung von Abstracts (max. 200 Wörter), Titel des Beitrags (max. 50 Wörter) sowie institutionelle Anbindung und offzielle Emailadresse bis Mittwoch, 11. Februar 2026 an carmen.wunderlich@uni-due.de. Die individuellen Beiträge können in englischer oder deutscher Sprache eingereicht werden. Panels können entweder komplett in deutscher oder komplett in englischer Sprache eingereicht werden – wird sind für beides offen, bitte teil mögliche Präferenzen mit.

Workshop marks culmination of VeSPoTec’s first funding phase

04.02.2026, Vienna, Austria

As geopolitical tensions rise and international treaties face unprecedented strain, the future of nuclear verification is uncertain. Against this backdrop, the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) and the research consortium “VeSPoTec – Verification in a complex and unpredictable world: social, political and technical processes” convened an expert-level workshop titled “Prospects for Nuclear Verification in Times of Uncertainty and Crisis.”

On 4 February 2026, experts from academia, research institutions, diplomatic missions and international organizations gathered in Vienna to discuss challenges facing nuclear verification today and explore potential future prospects. Leading experts in nuclear verification contributed to the workshop, including Noah Mayhew (VCDNP), Nikolai Sokov (VCDNP), Leonardo Bandarra (University Duisburg-Essen/VeSPoTec), and Carmen Wunderlich (University Duisburg-Essen/VeSPoTec). VCDNP Executive Director Elena K. Sokova and Malte Göttsche (CNTR/VeSPoTec) delivered opening remarks.

Participants addressed the implementation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards in crisis situations, in particular when nuclear facilities are caught in the crossfire of armed conflict or located in disaster zones. Considering the erosion of key arms control agreements that have historically been dominated by the Global North, participants further emphasized the need for adaptive strategies to sustain verification efforts as well as the role of the Global South in shaping verification practices as crucial for building a more inclusive and effective international framework.

Marking the end of VeSPoTec’s first funding phase, the workshop additionally looked to the future, namely its second funding phase (2026–2028). PRIF will participate in the second phase under the direction of Malte Göttsche. This next phase, titled “Knowing in the Nuclear Weapons World,” will delve into the political, epistemological, technical, and strategic processes shaping nuclear verification.

Participants of Workshop in Vienna (04.02.2026)

Containing nuclear risks, preserving the basis for future engagement: Prospects for the 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

10.12.2025, Berlin, Germany

Anticipating the 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), VeSPoTec organized an event at the House of the Leibniz Association in Berlin to share information and facilitate discussion among political and scientific experts in the field.
The event brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss key challenges for the NPT amid sharpened geopolitical tensions and rapid technological developments. It aimed to explore how the present regime can remain effective after several review conferences ended without a consensual final document and against the backdrop of increasingly destabilizing factors.

Participants discussed the potential to generate new political momentum or to prevent further intensification of blockages and fragmentation. A central question raised was what defines a successful Review Conference and how to assess the outcomes of previous ones. Germany’s prospective role as a bridge-builder at the Review Conference was also explored.

Overall, the event provided a valuable forum for open dialogue with representatives from ministries, federal agencies, and think tanks to exchange insights on the NPT Review Conference and the new nuclear world order.

This aligns with VeSPoTec’s upcoming research, which focuses on knowledge infrastructures and verification processes beyond formal treaties.

The 11th “Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons“ will be held from 27 April to 22 May 2026 in New York.

For previous news, please click here.