The MIT SSP Wargaming Lab is a research group that seeks to innovate wargaming to better understand how to deter conflict and preserve peace. We strive to be a center of excellence that advances the practice of wargaming and builds networks of scholars and practitioners.

Leveraging SSP’s expertise in security studies and its extensive network of scholars and national security practitioners, the Wargaming Lab engages policymakers, informs public policy, and advances academic research on critical national security issues. To do this, the Wargaming Lab designs and runs wargames and simulations, develops wargaming best practices, and hosts scholarly conferences and workshops that support research and help train next-generation wargaming experts. 

Through these efforts, the SSP Wargaming Lab develops the use of wargames and simulations as rigorous, accessible, and transparent tools to enhance understanding of international politics and security.