The Minerva Research Initiative

The Minerva Research Initiative, administered jointly by the Office of Basic Research and the Office of Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense, supports social science research aimed at improving our basic understanding of security, broadly defined. Supported projects are university-based and unclassified, with the intention that all work be shared widely to support the thriving of stable and safe communities.

Reform and Stability in the Sahel

Research

Latest News

Minerva Annual Meeting and Program Review - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

The 2018 Minerva Annual Meeting and Program Review is being held September 26-27, 2018. Click the image below to learn more and register.

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The Owl in the Olive Tree

The Owl in the Olive Tree is the blog of Minerva, aimed at sharing social scientific contributions that advance our understanding of the social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental dynamics of security. The first issue of The Owl in the Olive Tree is forthcoming.

In the News

Minerva-Funded Researchers Explore Gender Dynamics in Extremist Narratives

By Toni DeVille | July 26, 2024

Mia Bloom's new Minerva-funded publication, "Gender Bender Narratives: Radicalizing Effects of Disinformation That Threatens Gender-Normative Views", explores the role of gender in extremist and terrorist narratives, examining how gender dynamics influence recruitment, propaganda, and the operational strategies of these groups.

Minerva funded researchers received “Best Paper Runner Up” at the 2024 Annual Modeling and Simulation Conference

By Toni DeVille | June 12, 2024

Minerva funded researchers, Jeongkeun Shin, L. Richard Carley, and Kathleen M. Carley received “Best Paper Runner Up” at the 2024 Annual Modeling and Simulation Conference (ANNSIM’24) which is an annual conference that covers state-of-the-art developments in Modeling & Simulation (M&S).

Researcher Publications

The American Face of ISIS

By Robert A. Pape, Jean Decety, Keven Ruby, Alejandro Albanez Rivas, Jens Jessen, Caroline Wegner, Piper Mik, Sarah Starr, Ala Tineh, Walker Gunning, Jacinta Carroll | Feb. 6, 2017

A Special Report of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Do Women Matter to National Security?

By Joshua Busby and Heather Hurlburt | Feb. 2, 2017

Monkey Cage, Washington Post. February 2.

Challenges in Researching Terrorism from the Field: Research Must Focus On Youth

By Scott Atran, Robert Axelrod, Richard Davis, Baruch Fischhoff | Jan. 27, 2017

Science. 355(6323): 126-28. January 27.

What Do Pirates Want? To Steal Riches at Sea So They Can Pay for Wars On Land

By Brandon Prins, Ursula Daxecker, and Anup Phayal | Jan. 25, 2017

Brandon Prins, Ursula Daxecker, and Anup Phayal. 2017. What Do Pirates Want? To Steal Riches at Sea So They Can Pay for Wars on Land. Monkey Cage, Washington Post. January 25.

Disentangling Aid Dynamics in Statebuilding and Peacebuiding

By Naazneen H. Barma, Naomi Levy, Jessica Piombo | Jan. 17, 2017

Naazneen H. Barma, Naomi Levy, and Jessica Piombo. 2016. Disentangling Aid Dynamics in Statebuilding and Peacebuiding: A Causal Framework. International Peacekeeping. 1-25. (DOI: 10.1080/13533312.2016.1252677)