The following lists contain basic information on current, ongoing, and planned Department of Defense Science and Technology Strategic Communication (SC) programs. The list from 2009 was taken from the 2009 Strategic Communication Science and Technology Plan compiled by the Defense Research and Engineering Rapid Reaction Technology Office. The 2012 list was taken from the Science and Technology for Communication and Persuasion Abroad Gap Analysis and Survey compiled by Will McCants of the Center for Naval Analyses.
Program Categories
| I | Infrastructure | Enabling and facilitating access to information from news to markets to vocational |
| S | Social Media | Knowledge Management, Social Media, and Virtual Worlds |
| D | Discourse | Analysis of radical and counter‐radical messages and ideas |
| M | Modeling and Forecasting | Gaming and anticipating adversarial messages and ideas activities and our counters and pre‐emptives |
| C | Collaboration | Increasing collaboration and training across and beyond Government |
| F | First Three Feet | Empowering, Equipping, Educating, and Encouraging media and others to exist and freely report on events for what they really are |
| U | Understanding | Develop country, culture, and regional expertise, including polling |
| P | Psych Defense | Planning and capacity building for dealing with critical strains on society in peacetime and wartime |
| Project Name | Description | Execution Agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Return on Investment Analytic Framework for COCOM VOICE Operations | The contractor shall develop one or more Return on Investment Analytic Frameworks for the COCOM Voice Operations. These frameworks shall provide measurements of performance, measurements of effectiveness, and methods of determining overall return on investment of program dollars. Deliverables include: 1) an analysis plan; 2) development of a semistructured instrument to assist in Stakeholder interviews; 3) a summary report with a literature review; a final report / final analysis frameworks/scorecards; and 4) development of a training manual and slide presentation detailing the application of its ROI framework(s). | ASD(SO/LIC)- CTTSO |
| C | Population Research and Analysis Planning Support to Military Information Support Operations | The contractor shall design and execute a graduated research training course for the Department of Defense designed to be taught in an incremental fashion, over an extended period of time. As many as six courses of training are desired to teach advanced, senior, and (as an option) master approaches to the methodological design and interpretation of public opinion polling, focus groups, in-depth interviews, media analysis and general analytical concepts associated with evaluation. Additionally, the courses shall highlight examples of the types of situations where each approach is most useful. | ASD(SO/LIC)- CTTSO |
| C | Tanzania Terror Conference | Four day conference to bring African Partners to discuss and cross-talk about CVEI initiatives and problems | USAFRICOM |
| C | Embassy Dhaka Countering Violent Extremism Conference | The conference's objective is to discuss and identify Countering Violent Extremism strategic communication objectives for counter-radicalization. Mission Dhaka requests action posts to nominate host nation participants for the conference. Each delegation will present a case study on the counterradicalization methods, policies and programs used in their respective country. The United States' Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program (CTFP) is fully sponsoring seventy-five participants from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand to participate in this conference. | AMEMB Dhaka OASD-SOLIC CTFP |
| C | Multi-lateral Planners Conference VII | This conference is co-sponsored by JS J5 and the Australian Defense Force. The conference will contain a series of four break-out sessions, focused on CVE, Addressing Resources Scarcity, Examining the Role of Multi-national Institutions, and Addressing the New Global Commons. | Joint Staff J5, Australian Defense Force |
| D | RED BEARD | Translation and exploitation of AQA internal correspondence for use by US and foreign nation CT forces; Counter AQA propaganda | USSOCOM |
| D | Metaphor Program | The Metaphor Program will exploit the fact that metaphors are pervasive in everyday talk and reveal the underlying beliefs and worldviews of members of a culture. In the first phase of the two-phase program, performers will develop automated tools and techniques for recognizing, defining and categorizing linguistic metaphors associated with target concepts and found in large amounts of native language text. The resulting conceptual metaphors will be validated using empirical social science methods. In the second phase, the program will characterize differing cultural perspectives associated with case studies of the types of interest to the Intelligence Community. Performers will apply the methodology established in the first phase and will identify the conceptual metaphors used by the various protagonists, organizing and structuring them to reveal the contrastive stances. | IARPA |
| F | Leaders of Influence - Maldives | This is a counter-radicalization series of seminars, workshops, and discussions facilitated by the Asia Foundation, incorporating religious and secular leaders in the Maldives to advocate moderate religious messages tolerance of dissenting views and non-violent expressions of faith. The series will also serve to discredit violent extremist ideology. Additionally, the series will establish a network of new key communicators and contacts for future programs. | USSOCOM |
| I | Operation PALISADES | Op Palisades Cell Towers to ensure 24x7 availability USCENTCOM of cellular service to Afghans, commencing in RCSOUTH | USCENTCOM |
| I | Public Command Message Translation Website | The USPACOM website and public pages to include selected third party media content translated, culturally optimized, and updated daily in the languages of Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian (Bahasa), Korean, Indian (Hindu), Vietnamese, Mongolian and Thai. This capability provides blogging and interactive, public communication capabilities utilizing existing social media and network sites like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter or other regional web applications. | USPACOM |
| I | Regional Magazine Initiative (RMI) - Multiple / Worldwide | USSOCOM develops a centrallymanaged magazine architecture within which participating COCOM magazines tailored to foreign audiences can operate in order to amplify their transregional impact, achieve cost efficiencies and enhance quality. | USSOCOM |
| I | Trans Regional Web Initiative (TRWI) - Multiple / Worldwide | USSOCOM develops a centrallymanaged website architecture within which participating COCOM websites tailored to foreign audiences can operate in order to amplify their transregional impact, achieve cost efficiencies and enhance quality. | USSOCOM |
| I | Center for Strategie Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) | An Executive Order established the CSCC in FY 11. The goal of the interagency center is synchronizing the USG's CT and CVE communications. | DOS |
| I | Real-Time Contextual Mapping and Visualization Dashboard for Muslim Social Movements | A web portal that provides access to a broad range of information. This will include a database that tracks both radical and counter-radical networks of ideas and actors. The web portal's dashboard will graphically map the diffusion and influence, geographically and diachronically, of these ideas and actors. The dashboard will feature the ability to search and return results which include descriptive information about and classification of the search terms and constructs; a visual representation of where along multiple spectrums any particular group lies at a defined period of time based on the project's analysis of multi-faceted crossregional and cross-disciplinary data using theoretically driven non-binary models which capture the complexity of the material; the ability to track peaking religious, political, socioeconomic markers driving Muslim social movements, their target demographics, and locations. | ASD(R&E)- Minerva |
| I | Babel Program | The Babel Program will develop agile and robust speech recognition technology that can be rapidly applied to any human language in order to provide effective search capability for analysts to efficiently process massive amounts of real-world recorded speech. Today's transcription systems are built on technology that was originally developed for English, with markedly lower performance on non-English languages. These systems have often taken years to develop and cover only a small subset of the languages of the world. Babel intends to demonstrate the ability to generate a speech transcription system for any new language within one week to support keyword search performance for effective triage of massive amounts of speech recorded in challenging realworld situations. | IARPA |
| M | Influencing Violent Extremist Organizations Update | The objective of the I-VEO project was to gain a holistic understanding of intended and unintended effects of Influencing Violent Extremist Organizations (IVEO) that can be transferred to a usable analytic framework that informed decisionmakers and planners. The resulting holistic analyses derived analytic confidence from the examination of sound theoretical knowledge, conceptual modeling, and testing in historical cases. The results of this study aided the Joint Staff and COCOMs at strategic and operational levels by providing a conceptual framework grounded in scientifically-sound theoretical concepts and analyses. | ASD(R&E)-Strategic Multilayer Assessment |
| M | Early Warning, Analysis and Targeting for Hotspot Identification, Tracking and Intervention | Sandia National Laboratories will pilot the use of its suite of graph, text, and web analytics to identify locations, websites, groups and individuals where social mobilization and flare ups are most likely to occur. Primarily using open-source information from the web, Sandia will identify and map relevant social and information networks, determine their virulence and effectiveness, map current influence flows and effects, and identify opportunities and candidate means for positive change. | ASD(R&E)-Rapid Reaction Technology Office, USPACOM, SOCPAC |
| M | Sirius Program | The goal of the Sirius Program is to create experimental Serious Games to train participants and measure their proficiency in recognizing and mitigating the cognitive biases that commonly affect all types of intelligence analysis. The research objective is to experimentally manipulate variables in Serious Games and to determine whether and how such variables might enable playerparticipant recognition and persistent mitigation of cognitive biases. The Program will provide a basis for experimental repeatability and independent validation of effects, and identify critical elements of design for effective analytic training in Serious Games. The cognitive biases of interest that will be examined include: (1) Confirmation Bias, (2) Fundamental Attribution Error, (3) Bias Blind Spot, (4) Anchoring Bias, (5) Representativeness Bias, and (6) Projection Bias. | IARPA |
| P | IO Subject Matter Expert Exchange - Mexico | IO subject matter expert Exchange requested by SEDENA and SEMAR (Mexican Military) to provide information about Information Operations in general and certain IO capabilities within stated Mexican military capabilities in September 2011 | USSOUTHCOM |
| S | Knowledge Management Cell | Provides timely and relevant cultural advisement to USCENTCOM on-going planning efforts and current events. Maintains a Common Operating Picture with database for IO related operations, actions, and activities | USCENTCOM |
| S | Social Media in Strategic Communication | The general goal of the Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC) program is to develop a new science of social networks built on an emerging technology base. In particular, SMISC will develop automated and semiautomated operator support tools and techniques for the systematic and methodical use of social media at data scale and in a timely fashion to accomplish four specific program goals: 1. Detect, classify, measure and track the (a) formation, development and spread of ideas and concepts (memes), and (b) purposeful or deceptive messaging and misinformation. 2. Recognize persuasion campaign structures and influence operations across social media sites and communities. 3. Identify participants and intent, and measure effects of persuasion campaigns. 4. Counter messaging of detected adversary influence operations. | DARPA |
| U | Global Assessment Program (GAP) | The Global Assessment Program (GAP) supports Military Information Support Operations (MISO) products for USSOCOM and the Geographic Combatant Commands in Overseas Contingency Operations. The program: * Plans, develops, organizes, coordinates and analyzes relevant qualitative research, statistically reliable and valid quantitative research, and testing and polling activities at the local, provincial, national, and regional levels based upon USSOCOM designated objectives. * Annually, collects geo-located data, both qualitative and quantitative, that relates to the performance and effects of existing influence activities in each country specified by the Government. Sample sizes shall be sufficiently large enough to enable the Government to use the province as the smallest unit of analysis. * Applies current research and sociocultural explanations of radicalization and violent extremism to understand the effectiveness of human influence, media communications and engagement operations and activities in achieving United States Government and Department of Defense (DoD) objectives. * Determines the population's sympathy/antipathy for al-Qaida (AQ) and its allies' methods and rationales for radicalization, recruitment and propensity for violence at the provincial level (or country equivalent); as well as, assesses and defines the reasons for their sympathy/antipathy and their valid human factors influence requirements. * Uses time-series analyses, predictive modeling, and statistical matching techniques (e.g., propensity scoring) and geospatial analysis to discern the impact of military information support operations program initiatives. * Assesses the efficacy of influence programs delivered using a variety of media including printed materials, webbased content, television and radio. * Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, assesses the effectiveness and synchronization of content across transregional products covering each Geographic Combatant Command's area of responsibility. * Assesses the effectiveness of regionally and trans-regionally oriented web-based influence programs. Assessments of content synchronization and effectiveness shall be conducted annually for each website and/or webbased initiative. | USSOCOM |
| U | Internet Service | Translation of local and satellite news to analyze USCENTCOM Iraq area of operations events, and provided advice to the J33 IO | USCENTCOM |
| U | Focus Group and Polling | Polling is conducted for long term trends and analysis of the environment. Focus Groups are conducted to pretest brand products, significant changes in the environment, and other cultural or topical issues. | USCENTCOM |
| U | Baseline Assessment of MISO Effects in Mexico | Develop initial Mexico information environment baseline. Identify influence control factors to apply MISO effects. Understand threat actors in area of operations, C-Trans-National Crime Organization and counterterrorism. Understand the use of social media and monitor influence and effects on threat, government, population, and green forces. | USSOUTHCOM |
| U | OPERATION Reliant Voice Assessment | Manage Operation RELIANT VOICE (ORV) influence assessment effort. Intent is to synchronize all ORV assessment processes; augmented with assessment subject matter experts to deliver an integrated, efficient and effective report detailing execution and impact of all ORV operations, activities, and actions. | USPACOM |
| U | Research and Analysis of Nepal Security Environment | Determine factors in Nepal that contribute to a fragile security environment and how SOCPAC can influence those factors in future operations | USPACOM |
| U | Vulnerable Population Study (VPS) | A series of targeted/random assessments to identify USSOCOM (VPS) population groups vulnerable to religious radicalization, extremist recruitment and illicit activities (smuggling, piracy, trafficking) in order to develop information on potential target audiences for future MIST-BG programs, and gauge changes in perception over time. | USSOCOM |
| U | Gather Information - Thailand | The MIST will employ independent contractors, through the Open Source Center, for the collection of information on past and current MISO programs, violent extremist ideology messaging, and atmospherics of the operating environment. | USSOCOM |
| U | Designing a Qualitative Data Collection Strategy for Africa | The Institute for Defense Analyses will survey the qualitative data requirements among USG designers and users of computational models relating to Africa. In addition to interviews with individual stakeholders, IDA will convene a workshop of the USG modeling and simulation community to identify existing tools, models, and simulations currently being used to inform analyses of the African continent; data categories, fields, and other types of data currently collected; sources of existing qualitative data; sampling methodologies; gaps in qualitative data; and evaluate the quality of data currently collected and gauge interest/need to validate data. IDA will then work closely with the sponsor, other USG stakeholders, and key regional participants and partner institutions to develop a qualitative data collection strategy. | ASD(R&E)-Rapid Reaction Technology Office |
| U | Open Source Indicators | Many significant societal events are preceded and/or followed by population-level changes in communication, consumption, and movement. Some of these changes may be indirectly observable from publicly available data, such as web search queries, blogs, micro-blogs, internet traffic, financial markets, traffic webcams, Wikipedia edits, and many others. Published research has found that some of these data sources are individually useful in the early detection of events such as disease outbreaks. But few methods have been developed for anticipating or detecting unexpected events by fusing publicly available data of multiple types from multiple sources. IARPA's Open Source Indicators (OSI) Program aims to fill this gap by developing methods for continuous, automated analysis of publicly available data in order to anticipate and/or detect significant societal events, such as political crises, humanitarian crises, mass violence, riots, mass migrations, disease outbreaks, economic instability, resource shortages, and responses to natural disasters. Performers will be evaluated on the basis of warnings that they deliver about real-world events. | IARPA |
| Project Name | Description | Execution Agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Deployable Interagency Planning Augmentation Cell (DIPAC) | The short-term objective of DIPAC is to develop regional interagency strategic communication campaign plans that support Chief of Mission Priorities and more effectively coordinate DOD, COCOM and Embassy planning, programming and resourcing. The long-term objective is to lay the foundation for regional resourcing for strategic communication, based on regionalization of the Long War and coordinated through the Department of State/Counterterrorisms (S/CT) Regional Strategic Initiatives (RSI). The DIPAC will provide a common strategic communication planning construct, compare cost-benefit of diverse programs and leverage USG resources more effectively to gain unity of effort. | Department of State/Counter- Terrorism |
| C | VOICEBOX | Operational analysis and capability design of future state SC enterprise for US Government | SO/LIC Irregular Warfare Support (IWS) Office/Booz- Allen |
| C | SC Training | Providing COCOM planners and DoD representatives to U.S. country teams with appropriate training in SC, public affairs, information operations, and defense support to PD | OSD/Policy/ Office of Partnership Strategy |
| D | Islamic rhetoric and ideological framework to counter adversary IO capability | Develop analytical tools and models to monitor, counter, anticipate and assess the effectiveness of adversary information operations | |
| D | Adversarial Information Flow (Proof of Concept) | Measures how adversary information moves from one network to another | Joint Staff J-39 |
| D | Finding Allies in the War of Words: Mapping the Diffusion and Influence of Counter-Radical Muslim Discourse | An on-going Policy effort to better coordinate DoD institutionalization of social science that aims to improve our understanding of foreign area populations. | Minerva (DDR&E/OSD/ Policy) Arizona State University |
| D | Emotion and Intergroup Relations | An on-going Policy effort to better coordinate DoD institutionalization of social science that aims to improve our understanding of foreign area populations. | Minerva (DDR&E/OSD/ Policy) San Francisco State University |
| D | ECHOES: Identifying and Enabling Circulation of Constructive Media for Countering Violent Extremism | ECHOES identifies and circulates indigenous media that offer alternative ideas to extremists propaganda but is not well circulated. ECHOES builds a repository of constructive media predominantly, but not exclusively, by Muslims, providing a shared tools to counter violent extremist influence for use by USG, foreign partners, and private sector. Enabling the circulation of constructive media in key foreign audiences undermines support for, and conversion to, violent extremism, fosters positive alternatives, and builds a market for Muslim CVE media. ECHOES will be comprised of three major projects, detailed below. | OSD/Policy/ Support to Public Diplomacy (SPD) |
| D | Echoes Children's Arabic Media | This project focuses on understanding and finding resources for prevention of radicalization among Arab children. The researchers, specialists in childrens education and Arabic, will identify the key criteria appropriate for children in prevention of radicalization, find Arabic media for children which meet these criteria, and provide copies of the media to the DoD funded counter-radicalization media repository at the University of Maryland (UMDD). The researchers will include this information in an unclassified database of the UMD repository. | OSD/Policy SPD |
| D | Echoes Repository at University of Maryland | This will fund library cataloging of counter- radicalization media to support growth of the counter-radicalization media repository under development by the University of Maryland (UMDD) National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). Build a multi-language, multi-cultural, publicly accessible clearing house of counter-radicalization media. | OSD/Policy SPD |
| D | Echoes in DoD Educational Institutions | OSD/OUSD(P)/Support to Public Diplomacy (SPD) will provide to DoD PME 8 books (non-fiction and fiction) and 4 films by Muslims which counter ideological support terrorism (CIST) for use in CIST education, along with Introductory Guides for the 8 books and 4 films. International Media Ventures will handle translation and development of teaching guides, and SOCOM J239 will deliver items to US military educational institutions and socialize the materials. Make insightful, informative Arabic and Urdu media by Muslims which undermine support for violent extremism available to US military in English. Improve our US military capacity for CIST and cultural understanding. | OSD/Policy SPD |
| D | CM Youth Technology Corps | Develop new media strategies for use against online extremist propaganda | SO/LIC IWS/Harvard Berkman Center |
| D | CM English Language Gaming | Develop mobile phone and downloadable games using English language to promote deradicalization | SO/LIC IWS/USC and Electronic Arts |
| D | RAND Alternative Strategies | To facilitate the networking of women activists in Iraq and Afghanistan at different stages of development as key lever(s) to combat extremism and sectarian strife in these two conflict zones | RAND |
| D | Brand Switching for Counter-Marketing Operations | The purpose of this task is to conduct an operational analysis of the capability to rapidly and dynamically channel message resonators that will mitigate, eviscerate and mute the perspective of Islamist radical and insurgent thought by providing broader enveloping logic and creative interpretations that are supported by legitimate alternative intellectual resources. This analysis will result in a capability design that will build upon brand switching methodologies identified in the analysis and create a perpetual capability to perform counter-marketing operations across the spectrum of adversary influence. Phase 2 of the project includes a pilot program to implement the approved methodology. | SO/LIC/CTTSO/ IWS |
| D | RAND Provision of Social Services | Study how radical Islamic organizations use social services to develop popular support | RAND |
| D | Kefaya Study | Study democratic grass roots movement in MENA and document lessons learned | RAND |
| D | MCIA Cultural Red Cell | Develop red team of al-Anbaris to develop vignettes for USMC | UCI |
| D | JIEDDO S&T: Attack the network | Develop of counter-narrative information operations in Afghanistan. Identify insurgent discourse on IEDs. | JIEDDO |
| F | Victims of al-Qaeda Documentary | Production of film documentary of 9/11 victims' families reaching out to families of al-Qaeda victims in MENA countries | SO/LIC/CTTSO/ IWS and State Department |
| I | Navy Expeditionary Transmission System | IP based video and data transmission hub for Dept of Navy Office of Information. Hub or Head-end infrastructure will support fleet public affairs efforts to move large amounts of video data for further dissemination internally and externally. Hub will provide the capability for Navy to conduct live transmissions from around the globe 24-7, afloat and ashore. | Navy CHINFO |
| I | Digital Photo Lab | Electronic imaging capability aboard Navy CVNs with still and motion imagery processing and editing software coupled with ship's communication suite to transmit Public Affairs and other visual communication products from ship to shore. Current system is configure with one still imagery work station and one motion media work station, one small format color printer and one large format color printer. | Navy CHINFO |
| I | VOCUS | Provides detailed media review and analysis, news media contact management and video clip distribution. | Navy CHINFO |
| I | Navy Public Affairs Calendar | A software solution to maintain global awareness of significant events, leadership engagement, significant fleet activities, public outreach events, media engagement and other key events in order to align and maximize return on investment for the Navys communication efforts. | Navy CHINFO |
| I | Media Lighthouse Digital Asset Management System | System provides a centrally managed collection of still photography, video, breaking news features, and topic specific categories to assist print, broadcast, and web based outlets requiring 24/7 access to current events throughout the U.S. Navy. | Navy CHINFO |
| I | TVEyes Broadcast Monitoring Service | On-line search, edit, and retrieval of broadcast media programming form 140 national and international media outlets. | Navy CHINFO |
| I | Network exploitation and analysis | Identify and exploit means to counter or intercept insurgent use of modern communications technologies | |
| I | Afghan Virtual Science Library | The pilot Afghanistan Virtual Science Library at Kabul University will offer scientists and engineers access to international scientific, engineering, and technical journals and professional resources. Based on this pilot, CRDF will develop a plan and proposal to extend capacity to other universities and to Afghan government ministries. | State/CRDF |
| M | Naval Postgraduate School Information Operations Threat | This project will support special operations units currently deployed in Afghanistan (OEF) by delivering fully developed IO plans, assisting units to implement these plans, and measuring the effectiveness of the plans and recommend appropriate adjustments | Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) |
| M | Interagency Gaming Exercise | In cooperation with DDRE/RRTO, JFCOM and the FBI, a series of inter-agency gaming exercises will be conducted to test the collaborative environment in using data from a variety of sources, among which are models produced from the social sciences. Part of the gaming exercises will include actual data, based on perceptions of local conditions and factors contributing to radicalism. The Gallup GLASS and POLRAD models can be used as a valuable addition to the simulations, in order to help guide decision making based on actual data. When necessary, simulated data sets will also be created to fit specific scenarios, but as much as possible, the data will be based on actual survey results from the World Poll or other sources. Gallup will also participate in development of the exercises and provide reach back support. | OSD/AT&L/ DDR&E/Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO)/ Strategic Multi-layer Assessment (SMA) and Gallup |
| M | Cooperative Security Pilot | As Secretary Gates suggests, the best way to combat the current threat environment is through a combination of soft and hard power. CSP will provide the Operational Commander an increased capability to 1) understand the root causes of conflict through a broad-based assessment tool, 2) develop integrated, cogent, foundational plans that are based on best practices garnered through experience, and 3) measure the effect of interagency, and international, stability and reconstruction efforts in support of strategic objectives efforts aimed at reducing the drivers of conflict and strengthening institutional performance of the target state or region. The capability, including associated methodologies, data integration and analysis, will be demonstrated in-theater (such as Afghanistan, Kosovo, Philippines (PI) and/or a venue in Southcoms AOR) with COCOM guidance and the products enable the comprehensive synchronization and monitoring of Joint, Interagency, and Multinational efforts that accommodates the needs of the Diplomacy, Defense and Development communities. | US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) |
| M | Initial Steps to Operationalize Analysis of Discourse Accent and Discursive Practices for Indications & Warnings (I&W) | The objective of this effort is to identify a set of leading cues/indicators of adversary action based on analysis of discourse accent and discursive practices, develop a methodology to detect/extract/exploit these cues/indicators and identify existing or modified tools to operationalize the methodology. This effort will employ a multi-disciplinary approach (including anthropology, linguistics, computational modeling), supported by government and industry analysts and technical experts with advanced degrees in both the physical and social sciences and augmented by selective groups of academic consultants. The end customer is envisioned to be the NASIC and other members of the analyst community. The payoff is the operationalization of a (indirect sensing) method to detect leading indicators of an action/event, and ultimately of increasing radicalization, far in advance of methods that rely on direct sensing. | |
| M | Technology Initiatives for Improving Non- Kinetic Capabilities for Irregular Warfare | Emerging threats have created the need for an expanded toolkit of non-kinetic capabilities that will enable the warfighter to tailor an approach for any given set of conditions. This effort will identify needed non-kinetic capabilities and directions for technology initiatives that could support them. Non-kinetic capabilities evaluated include: Influencing the Population; Unity of Effort in Civil-Military Actions; Countering Corruption in Host Nation Police Forces; and Vehicle Identification and Tracking. | OSD/AT&L/ DDR&E/RRTO/ Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) |
| M | Development of SENSE Capability for Inter- Agency/International Collaboration | The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) will facilitate the development of training environments for Inter-Agency/International collaboration based upon SENSE technology. The objectives of this project are: (1) to train individuals (both civilians and uniformed military/host-nation and international) in SENSE to enable them to collaborate and cooperate more successfully in conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, stability, and post-conflict reconstruction operations; and (2) to expand the base of institutions which can help develop and deliver simulations. The payoff is a multiplier effect: there will be an increased number of individuals trained to more effectively operate in these operations and the simulation events will provide the opportunity to develop a new simulation based upon the SENSE architecture | OSD/AT&L/ DDR&E/RRTO/ IDA and US Institute for Peace (USIP) |
| P | Domestic Communications Methodologies Post- Catastrophe | Responds to a domestic catastrophic event such as a major hurricane or the detonation of a WMD | OASD (HD&ASA) |
| P | Low tech mass communications capability -- NORTHCOM's Civil Support Information Support Element (CAISE). | CAISE produces and disseminates critical emergency information during a humanitarian crisis | OASD (HD&ASA) |
| S | Support to Common Operating Picture (SCOPe) | Knowledge Management of unclassified information to counter ideological support to terrorism and violent extremism. SCOPe is a DoD-funded initiative, currently being led by NCTC/ DSOP, to identify, connect, and maintain a COP of all USG CVE programs. It is comprised of two efforts: LENS (Linking Essentials in National Security) and MAP (Mission Awareness Program). | National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), as well as OSD/Policy Support to Public Diplomacy, HTT, and National Media Exploitation Center (NMEC) |
| S | Comprehensive Voice Series | Provides a cross-GCC Data Sharing Warehouse of Human and Social Network Nodal and Audience Data for influence operations | Joint Staff J-39 |
| S | Afghan COIN Web Portal | To expand and develop ongoing research and dissemination of socio-cultural / human terrain information on Afghanistan via an open-source web portal: www.nps.edu/programs/ccs. Provide comprehensive assessments of tribal and clan networks in coordination with ongoing COIN operations and needs. Supply deployed forces with accurate information in a timely manner via our web portal and Requests for Information (RFI). | Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) |
| S | Regional Engagement Plan/Counter-Motivation | CMB1 includes several unfunded requirements from State Departments Policy Planning Staff. These UFRs address core public diplomacy problems in countering ideological support to terrorism, youth engagement, and radicalization prevention. The execution of this program will deploy several independent programs into conflict regions using the latest advances in social media and networking technology. Youth Technology Core: Teams of IT-savvy Harvard students recruited to develop and promulgate code for a variety of social networking sites. Deliverables will span from simple applications for existing networks (Facebook) to all-new platforms with associated code. English Language Gaming: Tailorable and marketable games that teach the user English language, customs and culture. One game will be produced for deployment on the $100 Laptop project and another will be produced exclusively for mobile device usage (cell phones, smart phones, etc.). | SO/LIC/CTTSO/ IWS |
| S | Ontology-Based Deductive Database for the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG) | Provides a database access for warfighters to information on violent groups and criminal activity. | OSD/AT&L/DDR&E/RRTO/ OntologyWorks |
| S | Self-organizing Groups Study | Research and analysis of the phenomenology of self-organizing systems in virtual media | OSD/The Rendon Group |
| S | Reaching Foreign Audiences through Non-Traditional Media | Improving volume and penetration of DoD messages to domestic and foreign audiences through the non-traditional means such as: streaming web, podcast, blogs, cell phones, digital broadcast, emerging technologies, etc. | OSD/Policy/ Building Partnership (BP) |
| U | Foreign Analysis | The objective of this project is to provide strategic decision makers critical information about a foreign country and how it affects United States policy in the Middle East. The payoff will be detailed reporting on foreign and regional elites opinions on that countrys policies; additionally, the project will provide a detailed assessment of foreign elites reactions to U.S. actions and policies within the region. Finally, the project will provide additional tools for better understanding the foreign country. | Jt. Staff |
| U | Foreign Audience Perceptions | COCOMs will incorporate understanding of foreign audiences and simulation of BP activities and effects into wargames and exercises | OSD/Policy/BP |
| D | Credible Muslim Voices | The Joint Information Operations Warfare Command (JIOWC) in coordination with Special Operations Command, CIA, National Counter Terrorism Center, Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense is working to identify, catalogue, characterize, and reach out to Credible Muslim Voices. | Joint Information Operations Warfare Command (JIOWC) with SOCOM, CIA, NCTC, Jt.Staff, OSD |
| F | Foreign Media Analysis | The JIOWC via USSTRATCOM has a foreign media analysis contract that acts as target audience analysis as well as an indicator and warning function. | JIOWC/ USSTRATCOM |
| M | Effectiveness of Psychological Influence Calculator (EPIC) | The Effectiveness of Psychological Influence Calculator (EPIC) provides an analytical tool for predicting the effectiveness of PSYOP strategies. EPIC is based on the initial analytical framework provided by the Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manual (JMEM) Functional Area Working Group of the Joint Technical Group for Munitions Effectiveness (JTCG/ME). EPIC evaluates PSYOP products with four primary factors; distribution, dissemination, reception, and accessibility. Further, EPIC provides a logic mechanism to aggregate the effects of numerous products supporting a Series, the strength of the argument or line of persuasion presented through the products, and the effectiveness of the Target Audience to accomplish a Supporting PSYOP Objective (SPO). | USSOCOM/J39 and USSTRATCOM |
| D | Data Mining and Semantic Analysis for on-line Media | Preliminary research and a proof of concept has been conducted by DoD's Information Operations Task Force on the use of semantic analysis programming to detect trends and the frequency of appearance of specific themes in on-line media. The capability can provide a broad representation of country and region attitudes and trends on issues of DoD and USG interest. | USD(I) |
| C | Joint Socio-Cultural Operational Understanding of the Terrain (J- SCOUT) | Developed a concept with JS/J-3/DDGO for a cross cutting, multidisciplinary approach to Joint and Interagency Operations in Socio-Cultural terrain. It addresses the issues and hurdles in transitioning socio- cultural capabilities to COCOMs. The technical and the enabling information infrastructure requirements are identified. | OSD/AT&L/ DDR&E/RRTO/ SMA/ Joint Staff |
| M | Measuring Progress in Conflict Environments (MPICE) | The MPICE system was developed to provide a basic metrics analysis capability suitable for broad interagency use applicable to any stabilization and reconstruction environment of interest. The system was developed in part through case study application in Afghanistan and Sudan, and is being employed in support of the U.S. State Department Haiti Stabilization Initiative (HSI). The system can be used both as an organizing guide for policy makers and planners, as well as a comprehensive means to analyze progress across sectors over time. The tool allows users to develop a visual story with flexibility to adapt to their particular needs. | OSD/AT&L/DDR&E/RRTO/US Army Corps of Engineers/ U.S. State Department |
| C | Transitional Law Enforcement (TLE) | The TLE project will advance current thinking on the nature of, and need for, law enforcement capability across DoD, the Services and the interagency to support complex warfighting, conflict resolution, stabilization and reconstruction. The project will first define deployable law enforcement capabilities in terms of the full spectrum of organizational and conceptual changes required to be relevant, practical and realistic for the US military and interagency. The project will establish the relationships, operational and organizational models and the body of knowledge about past operations/practices that will be a prerequisite to developing a functioning capability in the future. The body of knowledge will cover strategic and operational level issues as well as analysis of the use of the various technologies required to best implement this capability. | OSD/AT&L/DDR&E/RRTO/ Emerging Capabilities |
| C | STARTIDES | Civil and military public private partnership acting as a network organization to better respond to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, stability operations, and finding sustainable solutions for stressed populations. Major components are social networking; capturing knowledge of cheap, sustainable emergency response gadgets; reshaping policy in stabilization and reconstruction; and coordinating, collaborating better interagency efforts in an efficient and self-organizing manner. | National Defense University, Center of Technology and National Security Policy |
Share this:
