FEATURED
Extremists and unconventional weapons: examining the pursuit of chemical and biological agents
New START research could help authorities better head off plans for chemical and biological attacks by identifying commonalities among violent non-state actors who pursue such methods. START researchers found that older extremists are more likely to pursue CB weapons, as are those who are jobless or students. Additionally, Islamist, far-right and far-left extremists are less likely to pursue CB weapons than those acting on behalf of a single issue.
ICONS simulations help professors move instruction online quickly
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced schools everywhere to quickly move instruction online, and START’s ICONS team is helping instructors overcome this challenge by providing 24 completely online simulations that engage students in playing the roles of stakeholders in a range of complex political and societal issues.
ONLINE PROGRAM: Earn Your Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
START offers a fully online Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis hosted through the University of Maryland Graduate School. The flexible program (1-2 academic years) provides participants – both scholars and practitioners – with advanced education on the causes, dynamics and impacts of international and domestic terrorism. Apply by July 24.
PUBLICATIONS
The SPARS Pandemic 2025–2028: A Futuristic Scenario to Facilitate Medical Countermeasure Communication
Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research
Brunson, Emily K., and Hannah Chandler, Gigi Kwik Gronvall, Sanjana Ravi, Tara Kirk Sell, Matthew P. Shearer, Monica Schoch-Spana
Building Bridges: Social Movements and Civil Society in Times of Crisis
VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
della Porta, Donatella
Crisis and Risk Communication Scholarship of the Future: Reflections on Research Gaps
Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research
Liu, Brooke Fisher, and Jeannette Viens
NEWS
Thank you to our donors!
START would like to thank the 75+ donors who helped to raise $8,000 for START on UMD’s March 4 Giving Day, the annual 24-hour fundraising event in which all members of the UMD community raise critical funding for the university. START raised more than 10 percent of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) total dollars raised and accounted for more than 15 percent of the college’s donors.
Research project invites scientists and science fiction writers to explore the future in WMD threats
If you have a scientific background, START researchers would like to invite you to participate in an online study exploring the future of weapons of mass destruction. The project team is looking for U.S. citizens with a background in the CWMD sphere, such as biology or chemistry, to participate in the study.
GTD researcher, undergraduate instructor recognized for contributions to UMD community
The University of Maryland recently recognized GTD Researcher Joe Oudin as an outstanding alum whose professional and personal achievements embody Maryland Pride. Named to the University of Maryland Terrapin Club’s 30 under 30 program, Oudin has been at the university for about a decade, first as an undergrad, then as a graduate student and now as a faculty member and researcher with START.
START summer internship offers remote opportunities, student stipends
START has long prided itself on the quality of its internship program, and the coming Summer 2020 program, the first to be conducted entirely online, will provide students with the opportunity to work remotely given the Coronavirus global pandemic.
EVENTS
START and the University of Maryland continue to actively monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and provide regular updates to our community. We all play a role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and we are taking measures to better protect everyone. As a result, these events may be moved online, canceled or postponed to a later date.
Lecture & Discussion: CVE in Practice: An Ecosystemic Approach to CVE in the United States
1-2:30 p.m. April 20, Online
Violence prevention specialist Bradley J. Galloway and Executive Director at Parallel Networks Jesse Morton will give a virtual lecture about how and why they left their respective extremist movements, as well as the most effective methods to prevent violent extremism, and then they will open the floor for a discussion.
Book Talk: "Weaponized Words: The Strategic Role of Persuasion in Violent Radicalization and Counter-Radicalization"
12:00 p.m. June 8, START Headquarters / Online
Penn State Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and Homeland Security Kurt Braddock will discuss his new book “Weaponized Words: The Strategic Role of Persuasion in Violent Radicalization and Counter-Radicalization.” This book is designed to strengthen the reader’s understanding of the persuasive mechanisms used by terrorist groups and how they are effective in order to defeat them.
CARR Far Right De-Radicalisation Webinars
What is deradicalisation? And what does it look like for individuals involved in radical right movements? As part of a new EU-STRIVE funded project with Hedayah, CARR will be unpicking these questions along with practitioners, former violent extremists and academic experts in a yearlong webinar series looking at far right deradicalisation good practices. To express your interest in attending one of these webinars, please email CARR's social media address: socialmedia@radicalrightanalysis.com..
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Call to Action to the Tech Community on New Machine Readable COVID-19 Dataset
Focus Forward Fellowship
Job Opportunity: Thomson Reuters Government Analyst
UMD Three-Minute Thesis Competition
Terp Young Scholars
Job Opportunity: Lafayette Group, Inc. Business Intelligence Intern
Job Opportunity: Lafayette Group, Inc. Management and Strategy Consultant, Associate
Online Program: Earn Your Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
Further information on other job opportunities, fellowship programs, conferences and more can be found on our website’s Other Opportunities page.
START IN THE NEWS
Forbes Online: The all-purpose power of follow-up and follow-through in the recipe for success
START researcher Arie Kruglanski is quoted in this opinion piece about the keys to success.
Business Insider: Telling people 'don't panic' over coronavirus doesn't work. Here's what you should say instead, according to social scientists
START affiliate Anthony Lemieux is quoted in this article about public anxiety over COVID-19.
TIME: Coronavirus is putting the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile to the test. Here's the surprising story behind the stash
START affiliate Martha Crenshaw is quoted in this article about COVID-19 affecting the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile.
The Conversation: 3 ways the coronavirus pandemic is changing who we are
START researcher Arie Kruglanski wrote this article about how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing society.
NBC: 9 tips to deal with the uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak
START researcher Arie Kruglanski is quoted in this article about how to cope with the uncertainty of COVID-19.
The Baltimore Sun: A side effect of coronavirus: More domestic violence and fewer victims seeking help, Maryland experts warn
START affiliate Laura Dugan is quoted in this article about domestic violence cases increasing due to COVID-19 quarantines.
This is a selection of news clips from the past month.
A complete list of START’s media coverage can be found here.
SUPPORTING START
Help Support START Research and Education
The START Consortium is dedicated to generating knowledge of the human causes and consequences of terrorism. Applying rigorous standards to both research and education, START seeks to illuminate one of the most highly politicized and understudied phenomena in the social sciences for students, practitioners and policy-makers. Funded primarily through research grants to date, START is seeking to generate an endowment that will provide the flexibility and autonomy to ensure that it can continue to serve as an objective source of data and empirically based analysis into the future. To donate, or for more information, please click here.
Copyright © 2019 The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)
PO Box Number 266
5245 Greenbelt Rd
College Park, MD 20740