This post was written by Hatchet reporter Madison Swanson.

GW will receive $1.8 million to support research in nuclear security policy over the next five years, according to a University release Monday.

The National Nuclear Security Administration chose GW as one of eight universities, led by the University of California, Berkeley, to receive a grant totaling $25 million dollars over five years. The grant will support research projects and interdisciplinary academic programs, according to the release.

Allison MacFarlane, a professor of public policy and international affairs, the director of GW’s Center for International Science and Technology Policy and the former chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will head the initiative at the University.

McFarlane will work with Phillipe Bardet, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Christopher Cahill, a professor of chemistry and international affairs and Emily Hammond, a professor of law and the associate dean for public engagement in the law school, according to the release.

“It’s important that people who know the technical aspects of nuclear weapons and weapon materials are aware of the security and policy regimes that they’ll be working within,” MacFarlane said in the release. “This is a very present, current issue, and it’s crucial to understand the overall context.”

The University will host a “boot camp” over the summer to train graduate students from all eight consortium schools, according to the release. Students will take intensive background courses about nuclear security’s history and political context.

Students will also get to meet with policymakers and experts in the field on Capitol Hill, according to the release.