A.J. Dilts

Research Assistant, Center for the Industrial Base
A.J. Dilts

A.J. Dilts is a research assistant with the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). His research focuses on the intersection of the defense industrial base, economic security, and U.S. national security policy. Before joining CSIS, he worked at the Council on Foreign Relations as a research assistant for U.S. foreign policy and at the Brookings Institution as a research intern with the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology. Originally from northern Kentucky, A.J. received his master’s degree in international relations from the University of Oxford and his bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University. His undergraduate thesis examined the role of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research in shaping U.S. involvement in Vietnam under President John F. Kennedy, and his master’s thesis explored U.S. strategy in the Persian Gulf War.

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SBIR and STTR Reauthorization and the Future of Small Business Innovation

The United States Senate has passed legislation to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through fiscal year 2031, though challenges remain to catalyze the long-term growth of small businesses.

Critical Questions by Jerry McGinn, Alek Jovovic, and A.J. Dilts — March 17, 2026