Paul Olum Grant Fund

Paul Olum Grant Fund

Overview: Established in 2015 by Ken Olum and Rabbi Joyce Olum Galaski to honor Paul and Vivian Olum's legacy of peace and nuclear arms control advocacy.

Background: Paul Olum was a theoretical physicist and mathematician who worked on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos during World War II. After the war, Paul and Vivian became lifelong advocates for world peace and nuclear arms control. In 1983, they drafted a petition calling for an end to the nuclear arms race, which was signed by 70 Manhattan Project scientists.

Focus Areas:

Support critical work of scientists and technical experts in nuclear arms control and policy efforts

Emphasis on moving national laboratories away from nuclear weapons research

Research and analysis on pressing nuclear weapons issues including:

- US nuclear arsenal sustainability and modernization
- ICBM modernization and alternatives
- Missile defense limitations
- Chinese nuclear expansion
- North Korean missile capabilities
- US nuclear weapons plans and policies

Eligibility:

Emerging scholars and advocates

Accomplished experts in nuclear policy and arms control

Scientists and technical experts

Impact: Over the past decade (2015-2024), the Paul Olum Grant Fund has supported 12 accomplished experts with grants awarded to seven men and five women. Recipients' research and analysis has reached policymakers, the media, and the broader public, influencing critical debates about nuclear weapons. Two recipients have leveraged grant support to launch successful careers in government.

Contact: Ploughshares Fund, klower@ploughshares.org