The Needs of the Counter Terrorism Workforce and the Utility of Existing Datasets

Dr. Michael Logan wins DHS grant to understand the needs of CT workforce

KENNESAW, Ga. (Aug 16, 2022) — Drs. Michael Logan and Steven Windisch (Temple University) were recently awarded a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to understand the technological needs of the counterterrorism (CT) workforce. More specifically, the project, titled the Needs of the Counter Terrorism Workforce and the Utility of Existing Datasets, seeks to understand the technological and data-related barriers faced by the CT workforce as well as identify and categorize existing datasets on domestic violence extremism and targeted violence. The two-year project provides nearly $150,000 in funding and is managed by the National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center – the newest DHS Center of Excellence. Kennesaw State University is now one of twenty-six academic institutions in the NCITE consortium. 

Project Overview:
The current project is two-fold, examining both the counterterrorism (CT) workforce and the academic literature to identify the most up-to-date technologies and datasets that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can provide its CT workforce. In doing so, this project has two primary objectives. The first objective is to understand better the data-related limitations and needs of individuals in the CT workforce. The second objective is to identify existing datasets related to domestic violent extremism (DVE) and targeted violence and synthesize that information in a helpful format for the CT workforce. The project offers guidance for formulating easy-to-use resources that can be shared across DHS partners and inform operational training. The output from this project will provide our counterterrorism workforce with actional intelligence.