Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Think TanksDistrict of Columbia, United States1001-5000 Employees
Based in Washington, D.C., the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization founded in 1962. It conducts research across defense and security, geoeconomics and technology, Asia and regional studies, and transnational challenges such as energy and climate, global health policy, and food and water security, with the aim of informing decisionmakers. CSIS relies on a substantial staff and a broad network of affiliated scholars to produce analysis and policy initiatives that anticipate future developments, and it is regularly engaged by Congress, the executive branch, and the media to explain events and offer policy recommendations. For nine consecutive years, it has been named the world's number one think tank for international security by the University of Pennsylvania's Go To Think Tank Index. In March 2026, CSIS announced General Joseph F. Dunford as CEO, who will oversee the center's research programming and operations, with John Hamre retiring on May 7, 2026 after more than two decades leading CSIS.