Guidance

UK Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance (DAAA)

A community of interest for academic institutions to partner with Dstl on deterrence and related topics such as assurance, coercion and conflict escalation.

About the UK Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance

The UK Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance (DAAA) aims to stimulate new thinking, and reinvigorate UK expertise, on deterrence and related topics such as assurance, coercion and conflict escalation.

Bringing together those with an interest in deterrence and assurance is at the heart of DAAA activity. We are building a community of interest, made up of academic institutions in partnership with Dstl, leveraging existing expertise, conducting new research and encouraging the development of deterrence professionals.

We provide opportunities for UK universities to host events, ranging from small seminars to large conferences, that will bring together subject matter experts, young professionals, students, government policy and strategy leads, military personnel, and other stakeholders from UK and overseas.

We are also keen to partner with, participate in and promote other relevant events at UK universities. Please let us know about events that you may be running that would be of interest to DAAA members.

U.S. Strategic Command USSTRATCOM runs a parallel DAAA activity in the United States and we regularly partner in activities such as running the 2021 U.S. Strategic Command Academic Alliance conference and workshop.

Context

It’s important to have UK national expertise on this subject. The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review highlighted that one of the UK government’s priorities is to deter state-based threats. In addition, National Security Objective 1 is defined as ‘Protect our People’, stating that the UK will ‘deter potential adversaries, including through renewal of our nuclear deterrent’.

Reading list

For further information on deterrence and assurance, both in theory and in practice, alliance members have drafted a reading list to provide an illustration of academic and military understandings of the concepts.

Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance reading list

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email centralenquiries@dstl.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Contact us

UK DAAA: daaa@dstl.gov.uk

Published 13 February 2019
Last updated 28 September 2023 + show all updates
  1. Added link to join the guestlist for the 2023 UK DAAA conference.

  2. Changed event detail 'Elizabeth Hall' to 'Elizabeth House'

  3. Add information about the 2023 UK Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance (DAAA) including guidance on submitting proposals for papers and case studies.

  4. The 2022 UK DAAA conference has now taken place.

  5. Registration for the 2022 conference has now closed.

  6. Updated information about 2022 DAAA Conference including link to registration page.

  7. The next DAAA conference has been postponed from January to May 2022.

  8. New dates announced for the DAAA conference: 11 and 12 January 2022.

  9. Added information about the postponement of the DAAA conference to early 2022.

  10. Deadline for submitting paper proposals for 2021 DAAA conference has been extended to 14 October 2021.

  11. Added details of 2021 UK DAAA Conference including call for papers and case studies.

  12. Added details of new U.S. Strategic Command Academic Alliance Conference and Workshop 2021.

  13. Events section and reading list attachment updated

  14. A new section including an attachment "Reading list"

  15. First published.