Sept. 24, 2019

Future Directions in Social Science

The Future Directions Workshop series, sponsored by the Basic Research Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, seeks to examine emerging research areas that-in the natural and formal sciences-are most likely to transform future technology capabilities and-in the social sciences-innovatively inform about

Aug. 27, 2019

Announcement of the 2019-2020 Cohort of the Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellows

The Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 cohort of the Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellows. This year, over 110 applicants from 70 U.S. universities applied for this prestigious award. The dissertations chosen for the Peace Scholar Fellowship show the greatest potential to advance

Aug. 13, 2019

Owl in the Olive Tree post on " The Emergence of the Chinese Techno-Security State: United States-China Great Power Competition in Comparative Historical Context"

Minerva-funded researcher Tai Ming Cheung's Owl in the Olive Tree blog post on "The Emergence of the Chinese Techno-Security State: United States-China Great Power Competition in Comparative Historical Context".The intensifying great power competition between the United States and China is frequently referred to as a “New Cold War” because of the

July 26, 2019

Mia Bloom's New Study Entitled: The Jihadi Archive - A Database of Terrorist Tactics and Techniques

The Department of Defense is funding a new grant to expand research on the inner working of Jihadi Terrorist groups and analyze their encrypted propaganda. The original project, Documenting the Virtual Caliphate (DVC), collected and archived thousands of pieces of ISIS propaganda, images, memes, and breaking news.

July 23, 2019

Owl in the Olive Tree post on "Problems in Viewing China's Rise as a Threat to the Liberal International Order"

Minerva-funded researcher Charles Glaser's Owl in the Olive Tree blog post on "Problems in Viewing China's Rise as a Threat to the Liberal International Order". For over a decade, U.S. policymakers and scholars have cast China’s rise as a threat to the liberal international order (LIO).  The LIO has been credited with achieving the Cold War peace,

July 9, 2019

Owl in the Olive Tree post on "Culture as Counter Extremism: West African, European, and Southeast Asian Cases"

Minerva-funded researcher Mark Woodward and Muhammad Sani Umar's Owl in the Olive Tree blog post on "Culture as Counter Extremism: West African, European, and Southeast Asian Cases".While only a small percentage of Muslims are Salafis, most Muslim violent extremist movements (VEM) are rooted in Salafi teachings. Salafism is a revivalist Islamic

June 14, 2019

Book Launch: "The Three Pillars of Radicalization: Needs, Narratives, and Networks"

Kruglanski, A., Belanger, J., & Gunaratna, R. 2019, June 5. Book Launch: "The Three Pillars of Radicalization: Needs, Narratives, and Networks". START Headquarters, College Park.

May 3, 2019

2019 Minerva FOA posted

The 2019 Minerva Funding Opportunity Announcement is posted! White Papers are due June 20; Full Proposals are due September 26. See Research Priorities for more details.

March 2, 2017

Minerva Researcher Generates New Database of Jihadist Activities with Indicators for Identifying and Tracking Radicalization

Jytte Klausen, a Minerva-funded researcher at Brandeis University, has compiled a unique comprehensive database of networks and activities of Western Jihadists through an innovative integration of new interview techniques, media analytics, and network modeling, enabling identification of previously unknown relationships among radicalization

Feb. 24, 2017

Scott Atran analyses the limits of rational choice in political and cultural conflict

Scott Atran. 2017. Scott Atran analyses the limits of rational choice in political and cultural conflict.