Combating terrorism has grown more urgent, difficult, and complex.
That’s why getting the right tools and practices into the hands of frontline counterterrorism workers is so important.
NCITE’s mission is to take down silos and streamline the process to put research into product and practice. The sheer scope of the threat environment outlined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security calls for a customer-driven, relentless academic pursuit.
NCITE aims to be a leading national resource that brings together some of the best minds and cutting-edge ideas around the field of counterterrorism.
NCITE is the hub for:
50+ experts across the U.S. and Europe
Research for Resilience
Researchers across our consortium are making critical insights daily, creating knowledge and technology tools that help the national security frontline protect the United States.
Our projects fall under four main themes:
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UNDERSTANDING the threat
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PREVENTING the next attack
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INNOVATING new tools and technologies
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STRENGTHENING the counterterrorism workforce
Our work aims to answer vital questions of national security.
Understanding
- How can terrorists use AI, the metaverse, and video games to cause harm?
- How do extremists radicalize followers online?
- What is the threat of improvised explosive devices and how can we counter it through scientific efforts?
- What can we learn about public support for political violence in the U.S. by studying threats against public officials?
- How do violent organizations behave? Can the answer affect counter-extremism policy?
- How do law enforcement agencies screen for and mitigate insider threats?
- What can organizational psychology tell us about the violent extremist landscape?
- What can we learn from terrorist recruitment to help better understand, anticipate, and prevent attacks?
- How could AI fool the humans responsible for critical infrastructure?
- What links conspiracy theories and violent extremist ideologies?
- What can federal court cases tell us about the scope of the U.S. domestic terror threat?
- How could terrorists use geospatial technologies to attack critical infrastructure and crowds?
- How could terrorists use drones to cause harm?
- How can we better understand the current threat landscape through interviews?
Preventing
- What are best practices for supervising people with extremist pasts?
- How can DHS partner with families of radicalized extremists to prevent attacks?
- What are best practices for reintegrating spouses and children of foreign terrorist fighters?
- What are the best tools for measuring threats and informing decision-makers in threat assessment?
- How can we measure the success of DHS targeted violence prevention programs?
- How can we evaluate terrorism and targeted violence intervention programs?
- How can we improve security at event venues?
- How does suspicious activity reporting compare across multiple forms of targeted violence?
Innovating
- Can a chatbot help identify threats?
- What are the advantages of simulation-based training for the homeland security enterprise?
- What emerging technologies could extremists use to cause harm?
- What is the threat of electoral violence in the U.S., and how does it impact workers involved in elections?
- How can communities measure their level of violent radicalization to evaluate prevention programs?
- What assessment tools can we use to evaluate TVTP program outcomes?
- How can we better protect soft targets, including K-12 schools?
Strengthening
- How does analyzing traumatic material affect terrorism researchers?
- What datasets will help the counterterrorism workforce?
- How can business students help bolster national security?
- How can we inspire students at minority-serving institutions to join the homeland security workforce?
- How are counterterrorism practitioners affected by exposure to violent material?
- How can we collaborate with international partners to prevent terrorism?
- What are the benefits of peer support programs for counterterrorism workers exposed to traumatic material?
- How can the NTER Master Trainer Program better achieve its goals?
- How can we secure and increase trust in elections?