What is ACONA?

The Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) is a 12-month, high-level professional development program for a competitively selected cohort of rising international security experts and practitioners. The ambitious training curriculum addresses critical historical case studies, technological know-how, and advanced negotiation skills in the realm of arms control. Participants earn a Certificate in Arms Control Negotiation and become part of ACONA’s network of next-generation arms control negotiators.

Program
ACONA Fellows partake in three week-long workshops (“boot camps”) as well as a conference to attend expert lectures, participate in immersive negotiation exercises, and engage in small group discussions with distinguished scholars and practitioners. Past ACONA speakers have included Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir and former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton.

• Fellowship Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
• Boot Camp 1: August 19-23, 2024, Virtual
• Boot Camp 2: January 13-17, 2025, Virtual
• Boot Camp 3: May 19-22, 2025, Reykjavík, Iceland
• 4th ACONA Conference Reykjavík: May 23, 2025, Reykjavík, Iceland

ACONA Fellows are required to participate in all boot camps and the conference, actively engage in discussions, collaborate with a small group of fellows on an international research project, and submit the results of that project by the end of their 12-month fellowship. The fellowship covers the cost of travel to and accommodation at the final boot camp and conference in Iceland.

For program details and logistics, please see the FAQ on the ACONA website.

Eligibility
ACONA welcomes applications by highly qualified candidates of all nationalities who demonstrate 3-5 years of advanced professional or research experience in one of the following broad fields: (1) arms control and nuclear issues, (2) negotiation and mediation, and (3) international peace, security, and global affairs, particularly U.S.-Russia-China-EU relations. The most highly-qualified candidates will be able to demonstrate several years of professional or research experience in their field, international experience, an advanced degree, and public recognition of their achievements.

Application
To apply, please send the following documents to acona@armscontrolnegotiationacademy.org by Friday, May 10, 2024, 11:59pm EST (Saturday, May 11, 2024, 03:59am UTC)

1. Motivation letter (see ACONA website for letter requirements),
2. CV or resume that reflects relevant experience, and
3. 1 recommendation letter that highlights exceptional relevant work.

Both motivation letter and CV/resume should be attached to an email in PDF format and submitted to ACONA by the applicant. The recommendation letter must be submitted to ACONA by the recommender (not by the applicant). Candidates will be notified of their acceptance in June 2024. For more information, please visit www.armscontrolnegotiationacademy.org.

The ACONA Consortium
ACONA is an international consortium led by Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre at the University of Iceland, in collaboration with the Woodrow Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), the Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), and the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.

Contact
Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA)
Reykjavík, Iceland / Frankfurt, Germany / Washington, DC, USA / Cambridge, MA, USA

ACONA Secretariat
Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre
Aragata 9, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

Web: www.armscontrolnegotiationacademy.org
Email: acona@armscontrolnegotiationacademy.org
Phone: +354 525 5262