RSEC partners with Sandia’s Cooperative Monitoring Center (CMC) to host Visiting Research Scholars from around the world to conduct research and analysis on research security topics. The goal of the Visiting Research Scholars program is to enable regional subject matter experts to determine their own problems, devise indigenous solutions, and champion their implementation.
Selected scholars will work closely with the RSEC team to choose a research topic. During the research period, which can take place virtually or in residence at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, scholars will meet regularly with the RSEC team to discuss and receive feedback on their research. RSEC will connect the scholar with subject matter experts within the laboratory and beyond to facilitate the success of their research project.
RSEC Visiting Research Scholars will receive the following benefits:
- Research funding commensurate with the scholar’s professional background, research project duration, and intended deliverables
- Research support and guidance from SMEs at Sandia National Laboratories and beyond
- Opportunity to publish their research on the Sandia CMC website
- Opportunity to present their research to officials from Sandia National Laboratories and the U.S. Department of State
- Inclusion in the broader CMC network and access to CMC events
- Financial support to present their research at international events and conferences
Applications for the Visiting Research Scholar program are accepted on a rolling basis. To apply, please submit a CV, brief research proposal of 250 words or less, and writing sample to rsec@sandia.gov.
2022 Visiting Research Scholar
Dr. Parama Sinha Palit, Nanyang Technical University
Parama Sinha Palit is a scholar of international relations specializing in the subjects of soft power, foreign policy and diplomacy. Her work is at the interface of the theoretical narrative on soft power and its applied policy dimensions. In her recent book ‘Analyzing China’s Soft Power Strategy and Comparative Indian Initiatives’ (New Delhi: Sage, 2017), Parama studies the historical underpinnings of soft power in China and its contemporary employment in various parts of the world not only through economic initiatives but public and cultural diplomacy as well. The book also compares similar initiatives by India. Parama’s research has also included a more detailed empirical examination of soft power strategies by China and India in Southeast Asia. Her second book ‘China and India: national image-building in Southeast Asia’ (New Delhi: Pentagon Press, 2018) is an attempt to focus on various geo-political and economic compulsions driving India and China’s image-building efforts in Southeast Asia while examining the nuances and characteristics defining their engagement of the region based on primary sources and extensive field study. Her ongoing research is on the extensive use of social media by countries and leaders in communication and global outreach.
Parama is affiliated with the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) as an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the South Asia Programme. She is also affiliated as a Senior Fellow with Praman — a policy research and management network in India.
Based in Singapore for over a decade, Parama travels extensively to China, India, the Asian region, North America and Europe for delivering guest lectures, presenting at academic conferences and workshops and engaging with experts. Parama has delivered research projects for the Maualana Abul Kalam Azad Institute for Advanced Studies (MAKAIAS) of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), Delhi. She has been an Academic Visitor at the National University of Singapore and has worked at high-profile think-tanks in India like the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) and the United Services Institution of India (USI). She was also a Research Associate with the China in Comparative Perspective Network (CCPN), a UK based academic society. She also has the experience of working with the private sector.
A PhD in international relations from the School of International Studies in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Parama has several academic publications in leading journals. She writes regularly for international newspapers such as the Oriental Morning Post, Straits Times and China Daily. Apart from contributing to leading newspapers, Parama writes regularly for Asia Dialogue (http://theasiadialogue.com) of the University of Nottingham – one of the leading global forums for policy analysis on China. Proficient in English, Hindi, Bengali and possessing strong functional knowledge of Mandarin she has also been an examiner of MPhil dissertations for JNU and a reviewer of book manuscripts for SAGE Publishers.
Read Dr. Palit’s research paper on the CMC website, here.
2023 Visiting Research Scholar
Dr. Tatevik Davtyan, Yerevan State University
Dr. Tatevik Davtyan is an Associate Professor of Law at Yerevan State University (YSU) with a Ph.D. in Law from YSU and a master’s degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Specializing in IT law, emerging technologies, and intellectual property law, Dr. Davtyan brings a wealth of expertise to her academic role.
As the Vice President of Legal and Compliance at One Planet Group, a San Francisco-based private company, Dr. Davtyan, a licensed attorney in New York and Armenia, oversees acquisitions, financial transactions, and compliance with global data privacy and information security laws.
In her consultancy roles, Dr. Davtyan has collaborated with organizations like the U.S. Department of State, Sandia National Laboratories, USAID, CRDF Global, the Raul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and the World Bank.
Her public service contributions include negotiating multimillion-dollar ventures and playing a crucial role in securing a $250 million investment for the Renco-ArmPower project. She was a key negotiator in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the EU and Armenia.
Under her leadership, the Judicial Project implementation agency under the Ministry of Justice has implemented programs funded by USAID, the Council of Europe, the British Embassy in Yerevan, and the EU Delegation to Armenia covering the topics of prison monitoring, justice monitoring, court case digitization/electronic court filing, and anti-corruption.
Dr. Davtyan has also served as the Representative of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia in a Working Group that focused on amending ICSID Rules and Regulations, worked as the National Correspondent at the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), and was a member of the Qualification Committee of Prosecutors at the General Prosecutor’s Office in Armenia. Currently, she serves as a Member of the Bar Examiners at the Chamber of Advocates of Armenia.
She founded the Center for Private Law Foundation, conducting policy-oriented research in Law, Science, Technology, and Education in Armenia. Dr. Davtyan’s recent scholarly work includes publications on the impact of artificial intelligence on copyright law.
Read Dr. Davtyan’s research paper here.