A team of more than 50 social scientists, armed with new federal funding, will extend its research into radicalization and the formation of terrorist groups in the United States and abroad. The researchers will also study the effectiveness of counter-terror strategies, as well as efforts to build community resilience to attacks.
“Terrorists rely on help from sympathetic social networks, so a thorough understanding of these networks can help policy-makers refine their counter-terror strategies -- both in the United States and abroad,” said Gary LaFree, director of the University of Maryland-based National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a three-year old collaboration of 30 research institutions.
Recent research by START researchers revealed an actual drop in the number of Middle East political organizations that turn to violence. Since 2001, 14 percent of such organizations used violence as a political tool compared to 52 percent in the mid-1980s.
Funding for the new round of research comes from the Department of Homeland Security. START will receive nearly $12 million in three years.
Database of U.S. extremist crime (1990-2009).
Homegrown radicalization and the role of social networks in the spread of extremism.
Tracking sympathy and support for terrorism in the United States among various communities.
Are European converts to Islam an evolving threat?
Is guerilla insurgency a springboard to terrorism?
How Islamic radicalization in Europe and North America diverge.
Empirical analyses of IEDs (improvised explosive device).
Terrorism and violence in Colombia.
Measuring effectiveness of counter-terror measures.
When bargaining with terrorists works.
Organizing for success in community preparedness for bioterrorism.
U.S. populations at risk from chemical facilities releases.
An ongoing activity at START is the development of the world’s largest and most comprehensive database of terror incidents. International in scope, it covers all incidents since 1970. START plans to have the Global Terrorism Database completely current by the end of 2008.
START began in 2005 as one of the Department of Homeland Security’s Centers of Excellence, the first to focus on behavioral science. The funding renewal follows a rigorous, competitive application process.
START will receive $5.2 million in the coming year and an anticipated $11.7 million through 2011. More information about the center can be found at http://www.start.umd.edu/.