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Professor Andrew Futter is an expert in contemporary global nuclear politics, with a particular specialism on emerging technologies and their impact on nuclear strategy, deterrence, stability and arms control.

Professor Futter’s work plays a key role in shaping the climate of ideas around nuclear policy, and has been used by governments, global civil society groups and professional organisations seeking to raise awareness of and better combat nuclear risks.

Professor Futter joined Leicester in 2012, after completing his PhD at the University of Birmingham.  He was previously a visiting fellow at: the Centre for Arms Control and Nonproliferation in Washington D.C., the James Martin Center for Non-Proliferation Studies in Monterey California, and at the Norwegian Nobel Peace Institute in Oslo. He is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the

Professor Futter’s research focusses on the contemporary challenges posed by nuclear weapons and nuclear technologies.  His work spans all aspects of global nuclear order from deterrence, strategy and arms control to norms, disarmament, and the links between existential risks, nuclear energy and climate change.  He is also passionate about nuclear education.

Professor Futter is currently leading the 5-year European Research Council funded “ research project. This project seeks to examine the technological, geopolitical and normative shifts that are transforming the current global nuclear order.

He was previously PI on the ESRC Future Research Leader’s grant, “”.

He has published widely on nuclear politics, including the books:

• , European Journal of International Security.
• , Review of International Studies, (2023), (with Olamide Samuel).
• “Cyber threats and nuclear vulnerabilities”, chapter in Christopher Hobbs, Sarah Tzinieris & Sukesh Aghara (eds.), , (Oxford University Press: 2023). (With Jason Harris).
•  Toda Peace Institute Policy Brief No.133, (July 2022).
• ”, Hiroshima Organisation for Global Peace, (April 2022).
•  Survival, 64:1 (2022), pp.99-120.
• ?”, The National Interest, (February 2022)
•  European Journal of International Security, 6:3 (2021), pp.257-277 (with Benjamin Zala).
•  Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 76:5 (2020), pp.271-276 (with Richard Lilford, Samuel Watson and Peter Chilton).
• " The RUSI Journal, 165: 5-6, (2020) pp.92-99 (with Bleddyn Bowen).
• ”, EU Non-proliferation and Disarmament Papers No.73, (March 2021).
• “The risks posed by emerging technologies to nuclear deterrence”, chapter in , (Chatham House: April 2020).
•  “Emerging non-nuclear technology and the future of the global nuclear order”, in Bard Nikolas Steen & Olav Njolstad, , (Routledge: 2019)
•  Journal of Cyber Policy, 3:2 (2018), pp.201-216.
• ”, War on the Rocks, (4 October 2018) (with Alex Bell).
•  “The proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction”, chapter in Hugo Meijer & Marco Wyss (eds.), , (Oxford University Press, 2018).
• ", Politics, 38:4 (2017), pp.500-513 (with Stephen Cooke).
•  Comparative Strategy, 35:4 (2016) 246-259 (with Heather Williams).
• ”, Arms Control Today, (July/August 2016) 
• “”, European Security, 24:2 (2016), pp.163-180.
• Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, (29 June 2016) 
• RUSI Occasional Papers, (June 2016)
• “Chinese Nuclear Thinking; Antecedents, Current Challenges and Future Trajectories”, chapter in M Kouhi-Esfahani (ed.), , (Basingstoke, Routledge: 2016) (with James Johnson).
• “Plus ca Change? Reflecting on Obama’s Nuclear Agenda”, chapter in M Bentley & J Holland (eds.), , (Basingstoke, Routledge: 2016) (with Jason Douglas)
• RUSI Journal, 160:5 (2015) pp.60-66
• “”, Middle East Policy, XXII:2 (2015) pp.80-93 (with Stephen Ellis)
• The Pacific Review, 28:3 (2015) pp.367-390 (with Ben Zala)
• ”, The Nonproliferation Review, 20:1 (2013) pp.107-122 (with Ben Zala).
• ”, Oxford Research Group, (October 2013) (with Ben Zala)
• “US Nuclear Policy: from Primacy to Sufficiency” chapter in M Bentley & J Holland (eds.) US Foreign Policy after the War on Terror, (Basingstoke, Routledge: 2013)
• ”, Defense & Security Analysis, 28:1 (2012) pp.3-16.
• ”, BASIC Getting to Zero Papers, No13 (1st March 2010).

Professor Futter is interested in supervising doctoral projects looking at contemporary nuclear weapons issues.

He currently supervises the following PhD students:

• Ludovica Castelli - The nuclear proliferation complex in the Middle East
• Jack O’Doherty - The evolution of US nuclear counterforce doctrine
• Aurora Pompei - the evolution of NATO nuclear strategy
• Katie Titherington - Roosevelt, Truman and the psychology of dropping the bomb
• Anu Damale - Responsible uses of emerging technology in space
• Deden Habibi - Indonesia and space
• Peter Rautenbach - AI, simulations and nuclear decision making

Professor Futter is a regular contributor to global print and online media, and has appeared on radio and TV, including in the documentaries “War Factories”, Channel 4’s “Fortress Britain”, and “Nuclear Armageddon” on BBC2.