The Strauss-Clements Intelligence Studies Project of The University of Texas at Austin announces the 11th annual competition recognizing outstanding student research and writing on topics related to intelligence and national security. The winner of the “Inman Award” will receive a cash prize of $5,000, with two semifinalists each receiving a cash prize of $2,500. This competition is open to unpublished work by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in degree programs at accredited U.S. higher education institutions during the 2024-25 academic year. The deadline for submitting papers is June 30, 2025.
The Intelligence Studies Project was established at The University of Texas at Austin in 2013 as a joint venture of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the Clements Center for National Security with the LBJ School of Public Affairs. The Project’s mission is to improve understanding of intelligence activities and institutions through research, courses, and public events bringing intelligence practitioners together with scholars, students, and the public.
The Bobby R. Inman Award recognizes more than six decades of distinguished public service by Bobby R. Inman, Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.). Admiral Inman served in multiple leadership positions in the U.S. military, intelligence community, private industry, and at The University of Texas. His previous intelligence posts include Director of Naval Intelligence, Vice-Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Director of the National Security Agency, and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence. He continues to serve as an advisor and mentor to UT students and faculty members, and current government officials.
Additional information about the Inman Award, including submission requirements and previous winners, is available at www.intelligencestudies.utexas.edu/inman-award.
Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar Joshua Busby, Intelligence Studies Project Senior Fellow Stephen Slick, and Intelligence Studies Project Program Manager Kim Nyugen recently published their poll findings in Lawfare on public attitudes towards the U.S. Intelligence Community. Polling was sponsored by the University of Texas at Austin and was conducted between 2023 and 2024. Key takeaways from the polling illustrate that a...
ISP’s Tearline student research team recently published an open-source report analyzing the impact of the May 2025 drone attack by the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces on infrastructure in the vicinity of Russia’s planned naval base in Sudan. The team assessed that Russia is unlikely to realize their plans for a naval base near Port Sudan in the next 6 to 12 months due to the...
The Clements Center for National Security and the Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Alexandra Sukalo to lead the University’s Intelligence Studies Project (ISP). ISP was established in 2013 as a joint venture of the Clements and Strauss Centers out of a conviction that...