UMD is named American Partner University of the Global Security Challenge 2008

We are happy to announce that the University of Maryland is the 2008 host of the American leg of the Global Security Challenge. The University of Maryland is a world class institution widely recognized for its work in the areas of national security. It is ranked among the nation's top 20 public research universities, and its close proximity to DC makes it a convenient starting point when you want to reach some of the most influential decision-makers in security technology.

Last week we blogged about IARPA moving to UMD. Senator Barbara Mikulski commented on that by saying, "I can think of no better place than the University of Maryland for IARPA's headquarters. Its innovative academic research, world-class facilities and proximity to federal intelligence agencies make it an excellent choice."

To name a few reasons for its well deserved reputation, the university performs research within its campus against different aspect of national security:

• Center for Advanced Study of Languages - the nation's largest foreign language laboratory


• Center for Information Policy and Electronic Government (CIPEG) – projects will include those devoted to emergency response technologies


• M-Square, UMD’s research park, is also home to the National Foreign Language Center; NOAA National Weather and Environmental Prediction Centers; the FDA Center for Food Safety; the Maryland Center for Food, Nutrition, and Agricultural Policy; and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

We echo the words of Congressman Ruppersberger, who as chair of the House Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee, stated "…the University of Maryland will continue to be a center for technology and innovation that will keep our country safe."

This is exactly the type of forward thinking we support and we applaud the University of Maryland’s focus on national security-related research. Stay tuned for an announcement of the date of the GSC’s American Regional and for details about how you can attend.

IARPA... Open for Business

It has been called the spy-version of DARPA, but the Intelligence Advanced Research Activity Project or IARPA has opened on the campus of the University of Maryland, a partner university of the Global Security Challenge. IARPA (pronounced EYE-ar-pah) is charged with developing groundbreaking technologies for the U.S. intelligence community. Right now it’s housed within UMD’s Center for Advanced Study of Languages but is planning on moving into its own building (being built on campus) by 2009.

This research agency consolidates the National Security Agency's Disruptive Technology Office (previously called the Advanced Research and Development Activity), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's National Technology Alliance, and the Central Intelligence Agency's Intelligence Technology Innovation Center.

Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly because it’s DC) there are mixed opinions about IARPA. It does appear as one more way in which the CIA’s power is being subsumed, but on the other hand if IARPA can be more effective why not give it a try?

Back when Steve Nixon who is the current Deputy Associate Director of Science and Technology in the DNI’s office, was the acting director of IARPA he said in reference to the technologies coming out of IARPA, “The world has changed in dramatic ways with globalization of technology. These are the things that might not get done otherwise."

The good news for the new director of IARPA, Lisa Porter, is that she will report to Steve Nixon in the DNI’s Office. So straight off the bat she knows she’ll be reporting to someone who understands and supports her agency. Your columnist has been searching the web for a sense of the competence of Ms. Porter and found mostly positive comments left on blogs by those who have come into contact with her. (to read some the comments, click here)

One thing that is sure is that centre is located in on the campus of a university that is very much linked into this area. More about UMD soon…