I am excited to share three big developments from the past few months that strike at the heart of what we do at NCITE.
First, we closed our Year 5 Request for Proposals, which opened in December. The RFP is NCITE’s annual search for cutting-edge research projects. We always get more than we can take, and we are in the process of narrowing down the 16 submissions we received to what could be as many as three new projects. It’s a daunting and humbling process, as there are so many great ideas, and I wish we could fund them all.
You can learn more about our selection process – which includes a relevancy review by the Department of Homeland Security – in this newsletter. We hope to announce the Year 5 projects by June. Year 5 research begins July 1!
Second, I testified before a Nebraska legislative committee on a bill that sought to toughen penalties for those who threaten election officials and require annual reporting of those threats. As you know, NCITE is doing research nationally in this area. The Nebraska bill doesn't appear likely to advance this year, but it serves as a reminder that our research can translate into potential policy.
Third, as you'll see in the photo above, I'm excited to share that a team of NCITErs recently returned from London for the first-ever meeting of the International Academic Partnerships for Science and Security (IAPSS) project – a collaborative effort between NCITE and the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST). This meeting, which involved researchers from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Sweden, and other countries, represents a huge step forward in our goal to foster collaboration with international partners in understanding and addressing terrorism and targeted violence. Stay tuned for more on this exciting endeavor!
In other news, we recently hosted the first installment of our new Speaker Series: The Public Health-Informed Approach to Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention, which featured Bill Braniff, director of the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), and Sarah DeGue, Ph.D., senior scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Check out a recording of their enlightening conversation. And register for our next event, featuring John Picarelli, Ph.D., of the National Security Council, and Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Ph.D., of American University.
I also invite you to read the incredible work coming out of our consortium by clicking through the latest published research reports below.
Finally, I'm thrilled to share that we’ve started a new podcast, NCITE Insights, available to watch on YouTube and stream on major podcast platforms. You’ll find links to our first two episodes below, and we invite you to submit ideas for future topics to cover.
Amplifying the work of this consortium is the most important part of my job. Please keep us posted on the exciting updates coming from your teams. Let me know your thoughts and if you have something I can highlight about your work!
Best,
GINA LIGON
NCITE Center Director
Subscribe to NCITE Insights
Join host Erin Grace for NCITE's new podcast that aims to make sense of the day's headlines as they relate to terrorism and targeted violence. You can check out our first two episodes below and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and YouTube. Look for a new episode coming on IS-K.
Erin sits down with NCITE's Austin Doctor, Ph.D., to discuss a drone strike that killed three U.S. servicemen in Jordan as well as a weapons cache including IEDs and ghost guns in New York.
Erin speaks with NCITE's Sam Hunter, Ph.D., about recent developments in AI technology and how this emerging tech can be a dangerous tool in the hands of extremists.
Join NCITE for the second installment of our 2024 Speaker Series. John Picarelli, Ph.D., of the National Security Council, and Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Ph.D., of American University, will discuss balancing security and the public health approach to terrorism and targeted violence prevention. The event will be held virtually at 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET, Friday, April 19.
Join NCITE consortium partners at San Diego State University for a webinar series exploring fentanyl trends at the U.S. southern border and how the drug crisis relates to national security and counterterrorism efforts. The online webinar will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST Thursday, May 9.
On Feb. 28, NCITE hosted a webinar examining how a public health-informed approach can be applied to preventing terrorism and targeted violence. Panelists were Sarah DeGue, Ph.D., senior health scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Bill Braniff, director of DHS's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3).
Martha Crenshaw, Ph.D., has studied terrorism for over 50 years. Gina Ligon, Ph.D., is the director of the largest federally funded academic center for terrorism study in the U.S. Clara Braun, Ph.D. candidate, has been instrumental in forming NCITE and informing national security officials. This Women's History Month, hear from these three NCITErs about their experiences as women in terrorism research.
Meghann Teubner, division director of counterterrorism intelligence analysis for the NYPD, faces a diverse set of challenges every day working in America's largest city. She sat down with NCITE to discuss her career and the current threat environment.
NCITE's Erin Grace, director of strategic communications and external relations, writes about her first trip to New York City – and visit to the World Trade Center – since the last time she was there in July 2001. "I wish I remembered more," she writes of her trip to the top of the Twin Towers 23 years ago.
Earlier this year, NCITE researchers traveled east for three prevention-related conferences, meeting attendees from the National Threat Evaluation and Reporting (NTER) Office and the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3).
“To be able to physically see and appreciate the passion that they have for their work is amazing, and you don’t get that same level of understanding if you’re just watching it virtually,” said NCITE's Andrea Walker, Ph.D. “But there really is something to be said about being there in person and observing and interacting with people who are in this space doing this work. It’s the only way you’re really going to be able to understand them.”
Three State Department officials visited NCITE in January, meeting with senior researchers to discuss how NCITE can help address the department's priorities.
“We want to share information – tell people what we know, what we don’t know, and what we think,” said the State Department's Dexter Ingram. “We want to build things with our partners.”
In February, NCITE closed the submissions for its Year 5 Request for Proposals and began the process of evaluation. Here, Director Gina Ligon walks through the Center's scientific review process for selecting its next research projects.
Welcome Amanda Moeller, NCITE's newest research associate! Amanda is a Ph.D. candidate in industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology working with Sam Hunter on a research project examining the domestic violent extremist landscape.
Congratulations, Angie Benda!
NCITE graduate student Angie Benda was selected for a competitive summer fellowship with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a leading firm in the Washington, D.C. area. Congratulations, Angie!
Congratulations, Roni Reiter-Palmon!
Congratulations to Roni Reiter-Palmon, Ph.D., director of UNO's I-O psychology program, who recently received the Rudolf Arnheim Award for outstanding lifetime achievement for APA Division 10. Reiter-Palmon's contributions to NCITE, UNO, and the field of I-O psychology have been invaluable.
A Farewell from Dana Saft
NCITE's former Office of University Programs (OUP) program manager Dana Saft moved into a new role in January. She shared the following message – excerpted below.
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the time I spent here.
I have learned so much from each and every one of you, and I am proud to have been a part of such a talented and dedicated team that believes in the Mission. Each one of your contributions has made the Center and this program stronger.
ENVISION24 Conference: June 25-27
Join NCITE this summer for our next annual conference. The in-person event is invite-only, but presentations will be streamed online and available for public viewing. Watch your inbox for details!
Behind the Scenes at the Facebook Data Center
In February, a team from NCITE visited Meta's Facebook data center in Sarpy County, Nebraska. There, they met with staff and learned about the physical security of Facebook's cyber assets. Thanks to our hosts for the opportunity!
Do you know an NCITE investigator who has done something amazing recently? We want to know! Please share news about awards, publications, and other accomplishments early and often. We welcome student news especially – thesis defenses, conference presentations, accepted journal articles, and more. Email them to ncite@unomaha.edu.
GRANT ACKNOWLEDGMENT & DISCLAIMER
The material in this newsletter is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award Number, 20STTPC00001-04. The views and conclusions included here are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
UNO NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
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