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A consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism

Chemical and Biological Threats

Title Investigators Project Period
Advancing U.S. CWMD/CWMT Capabilities in Support of the SIGMA+ Program through Development of Anticipatory Human Social Systems Models and Adversary Weapon Selection Decision Processes Steve S. Sin, Ph.D., Thomas Guarrieri -
Anatomizing the Behavior of Chemical and Biological Non-State Adversaries Gary Ackerman, Victor Asal -
Best Practices for Preparing Communities: Citizen Engagement in Public Health Planning Monica Schoch-Spana -
Biosecurity in the Americas: Research, Practitioner Education/Training and Transition Markus Binder, Steve S. Sin, Ph.D., Alexandra Williams
Consensus Framework for Informing Decision-Making in the Biological Threat Characterization Program Gary Ackerman -
Death in a Small Package: A Social History of Anthrax Susan Jones -
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SIGMA+ Thomas Guarrieri, Marcus A. Boyd, Steve S. Sin, Ph.D. -
Domestic Weapons of Mass Destruction: Populations at Risk from U.S. Chemical Facilities Releases Susan Cutter -
Dynamics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism Campaigns Gary Ackerman, Joseph Young, R. Karl Rethemeyer, Victor Asal -
Effective Organizational Communication During Crises: Learning from the 2001 Anthrax Attacks Caron Chess -
Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Erin Miller, Gary LaFree, Laura Dugan -
Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Acceleration Erin Miller -
Integrated Discovery of Emerging and Novel Technologies (IDENT) Steve S. Sin, Ph.D. -
More Bang for the Buck?: Examining the Effect of Technological Change on Terrorist Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction Gary Ackerman, Jeffrey Bale -
New Analytical Methods for the Exploitation of Open-Source Structured Databases to Enhance Situational Awareness for Effective Counter-WMD Strategies Ronald Breiger, Gary Ackerman, Victor Asal, H. Brinton Milward, R. Karl Rethemeyer -
Organizational Factors in the Successful Application of 'Community Engagement' Principles for Bioterrorism Preparedness Monica Schoch-Spana -
Population Vulnerability Analysis, Spatial Social Science, and GIS Susan Cutter -
Profiles of Incidents Involving CBRN and Non-state Actors (POICN) Database Markus Binder -
Profiling the CB Adversary: Motivation, Psychology and Decision Gary Ackerman -
Project Title Publication Date Publication Type
A History of Biological Disasters of Animal Origin in North America 2006-04-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
A Quantitative Overview of Biological Weapons: Identification, Characterization, and Attribution 2008-05-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
A semi-stochastic algorithm approach to generating CBRNE terrorist attack plot scenarios 2023-07-24T12:00:00 Journal Article
An Army of One: Assessing CBRN Pursuit and Use by Lone Wolves and Autonomous Cells 2014-01-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Anatomizing Chemical and Biological Non-State Adversaries 2014-03-01T12:00:00 Research Brief
Application of a Profile Similarity Methodology for Identifying Terrorist Groups That Use or Pursue CBRN Weapons 2017-09-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Assessing the Bioweapons Threat 2015-08-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Aum Shinrikyo’s Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Development Efforts 2016-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Biosecurity in the Americas: Regional Threat Assessment 2023-07-17T12:00:00 Report
Biosecurity in the Americas: Regional threat assessment in Chile 2023-12-18T12:00:00 Report
Biosecurity in the Americas: Regional threat assessment in Colombia 2023-12-18T12:00:00 Report
Biosecurity in the Americas: Regional threat assessment in Panama 2023-12-18T12:00:00 Report
CBRN Activity and Attacks by Insurgent Organizations 2015-10-01T12:00:00 Research Brief
CBRN Terrorism 2023-02-22T12:00:00 Journal Article
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism 2018-04-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Connections Can Be Toxic: Terrorist Organizational Factors and the Pursuit of CBRN Weapons 2012-02-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Death in a Small Package: A Short History of Anthrax 2010-10-01T12:00:00 Book
Defining Knowledge Gaps Within CBRN Terrorism Research 2009-01-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Developing Risk Metrics to Estimate Risks of Catastrophic Biological and Bioterrorist Events: Applications to the Food Industry 2009-03-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Emerging Biotechnology Capacity and Emerging Biosecurity Threats in Colombia and Chile 2024-04-19T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Expert Views on Biological Threat Characterization for the U.S. Government: A Delphi Study 2017-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Extremists and Unconventional Weapons: Examining the Pursuit of Chemical and Biological Agents 2019-12-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Facilitation of Risk Communication During the Anthrax Attacks of 2001: The Organizational Backstory 2007-10-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
False Alarms, Real Challenges - One University's Communication Response to the 2001 Anthrax Crisis 2006-06-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Federal Funding for Health Security in FY2016 2015-06-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Foundational Datasets: Global Chemical, Biological, Radiological, & Nuclear Data Suite & Portal 2025-01-02T12:00:00 START Reports
From Factors to Actors: Enhancing the Reliability of CBRN Analysis 2016-04-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Gauging the Threat 2013-08-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Global Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Data Suite 2025-04-04T12:00:00 Research Brief
Global Terrorism Database: Real-time Data Collection Pilot Evaluation 2023-02-28T12:00:00 START Reports
Hacking the Human Body: The Cyber-Bio Convergence 2019-04-01T12:00:00 White Paper
Influenza Vaccine Scarcity 2004–05: Implications for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness 2005-09-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Islamic State Chemical Weapons: A Case Contained by its Context? 2018-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Islamist Use and Pursuit of CBRN Terrorism 2008-11-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction 2008-11-01T12:00:00 Book
Jihadists and WMD: a re-evaluation of the future threat 2014-10-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Li Xuming and the Abdullah Family: The Risk of Student Lab Access Abuses 2025-05-27T12:00:00 Report
Miscommunication during the Anthrax Attacks: How Events Reveal Organizational Failures 2007-01-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Modeling Terrorist Attack Cycles as a Stochastic Process: Analyzing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Incidents 2020-08-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Motivations, Mechanisms and Determinants of Terrorist Technology Transfer 2017-10-01T12:00:00 Research Brief
Non-State Actors, Terrorism, and Weapons of Mass Destruction 2005-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Pascale Ferrier and the Threat of Bioterror 2023-11-20T12:00:00 Journal Article
Pick Your POICN: Introducing the Profiles of Incidents involving CBRN and Non-State Actors (POICN) Database 2019-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Profiling the CB Adversary: Motivation, Psychology and Decision 2017-09-01T12:00:00 Research Brief
Profiling the WMD Terrorism Threat 2009-08-01T12:00:00 Book Chapter
Radiological/Nuclear Detection Capability Development Framework Mapping Tool 2016-03-01T12:00:00 Project Fact Sheet
Ricin Letters Mailed to President and Senator 2013-04-01T12:00:00 Background Report
Risk Analysis of Chemical, Biological, or Radionuclear Threats: Implications for Food Security 2009-06-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
South Africa's Project Coast: "Death Squads," Covert State-Sponsored Poisonings, and the Dangers of CBW Proliferation 2006-01-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Speaking with One Voice: Risk Communication Lessons from the US Anthrax Attacks 2006-06-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
START Annual Meeting 2016: Quick-Fire Presentation - Unconventional Weapons and Technology, Political Instability, Risk Communication 2016-10-01T12:00:00 Presentation
Terrorism Risk and Optimal Policy Response: Theory and Empirics 2019-10-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
The Curious Incident of the Bench in the Daylight 2018-04-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
The DNI's Open Source Center: An Organizational Communication Perspective 2007-02-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
The Interplay between Terrorism, Nonstate Actors, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Exploration of the Pinkerton Database 2005-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
The thin red line 2013-03-01T12:00:00 Op-ed
Transnational Illicit Trafficking (TransIT) Geospatial Tool: Project Fact Sheet 2013-09-01T12:00:00 Project Fact Sheet
Tropical Nights, Burning Eyes: Chloropicrin in Hawaii 2024-09-10T12:00:00 Journal Article
Unconventional Weapons and Technology (UWT) Research Division 2018-10-01T12:00:00 Project Fact Sheet
WMD Terrorism Research: Whereto From Here? 2005-03-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
WMD Terrorism: The Once and Future Threat 2018-05-01T12:00:00 Journal Article
Title
Apply Now: Summer Workshop on Teaching about Terrorism
Are U.S. chemical facilities still open to terrorist attacks?
Breiger turns regression models 'inside out'
CBRN terrorism by non-state actors
Current Job Opportunities at START
DARPA-SIGMA+ interns get a great start at START
Database spotlight: Big Allied and Dangerous (BAAD)
Former START intern strives to create culture of responsible scientific investigation
Gary Ackerman, Steve Sin Represent START at 2015 CBRNe USA Conference
Islamic State Chemical Weapons: A Case Contained by its Context?
JOB OPPORTUNITY: START Special Research Projects IT Assistant
New project seeks to provide DARPA with ways to deter CBRN attacks by non-state actors
New study shows alliances and not religious ideology are key to forecasting CBRN pursuit
Partner Institution Releases Comments on Quarantine Rules
Press Release: START Panel Addresses Key Questions in Terrorism
Recommendations from START-sponsored Working Group on Community Engagement in Health Emergency Planning
Research identifies most likely non-state chem-bio threats
Researcher Spotlight: Lauren Pinson
Researcher Spotlight: Ronald Breiger
START Advisory Board member quoted in "Daily Telegraph" and CNN
START aims to strengthen defense capabilities against WMD-seeking terrorists
START Announces Fellowships for 2005-06
START intern serves her country by fighting disease and discrimination
START launches online course on terror-crime nexus and CBRN
START researcher presents paper on preventing illegal weapons trafficking in international waters at CBRNe USA Conference
START seeking 2014 Outstanding Article Award nominations
START study leads to support for SLTT officials
START workshop gives better understanding of CBRN technologies
START’s Steve Sin chaired CBRNe Asia 2014 conference
The Non-Conventional Threat CBRNe event series comes to America
UMD Report: Conspiracy theories fueled more terror attacks in 2020
Unconventional Weapons and Technology division announces upcoming CBRN Data Suite and Portal
Unconventional Weapons and Technology division launches CBRN Data Suite and Portal
Title Job Title Institution
person-default Alexandra Williams Junior Researcher University of Maryland
Gary Ackerman Gary Ackerman Associate Professor, SUNY Albany University at Albany, State University of New York
Tinsley_Herbert Herbert Tinsley Analyst, Government Accountability Office
Panyan Karina Panyan Research Assistant, Global Terrorism Database (GTD), START University of Maryland
Binder_Markus Markus Binder Project Manager/Researcher, START University of Maryland
person-default Megan Rutter Researcher, START University of Maryland
Prabhakar misra Prabhakar Misra Professor of Physics Howard University
R. Karl Rethemeyer R. Karl Rethemeyer Associate Professor of Public Administration & Policy University at Albany, State University of New York
person-default Rebecca (Becca) Earnhardt PhD student
Research Associate, Stimson Center 		University of Maryland
Steve S. Sin Steve S. Sin, Ph.D. Associate Research Scientist & Director, Unconventional & Asymmetric Threats Division
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service, American University
Adjunct Instructor for Forensic Sciences, Oklahoma State University
Chief Academic Officer, Platinum East 		University of Maryland
Guarrieri Thomas Guarrieri Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies
Assistant Research Scientist, Unconventional Weapons &
Technology (UWT) Division, START 		University of Maryland
Clark tyler Tyler A. Clark Data Scientist, Doctoral Student University of Maryland
Asal_Victor Victor Asal Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of Public Administration University at Albany, State University of New York
Abbreviation Thumbnail Image Title Direct Link
Advancing U.S. CWMD/CWMT Capabilities in Support of the SIGMA+ Program through Development of Anticipatory Human Social Systems Models and Adversary Weapon Selection Decision Processes
Anatomizing the Behavior of Chemical and Biological Non-State Adversaries
Best Practices for Preparing Communities: Citizen Engagement in Public Health Planning
Biosecurity in the Americas: Research, Practitioner Education/Training and Transition
CBRN CBRN: Violent Non-State Actor Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Data Portal Go
Consensus Framework for Informing Decision-Making in the Biological Threat Characterization Program
Death in a Small Package: A Social History of Anthrax
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SIGMA+
Domestic Weapons of Mass Destruction: Populations at Risk from U.S. Chemical Facilities Releases
Dynamics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism Campaigns
Effective Organizational Communication During Crises: Learning from the 2001 Anthrax Attacks
GTD Global Terrorism Database (GTD)
Global Terrorism Database (GTD)
Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Acceleration
Integrated Discovery of Emerging and Novel Technologies (IDENT)
More Bang for the Buck?: Examining the Effect of Technological Change on Terrorist Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction
New Analytical Methods for the Exploitation of Open-Source Structured Databases to Enhance Situational Awareness for Effective Counter-WMD Strategies
Organizational Factors in the Successful Application of 'Community Engagement' Principles for Bioterrorism Preparedness
CBAdversary Poisonous Minds: Profiling the CB Adversary Go
Population Vulnerability Analysis, Spatial Social Science, and GIS
Profiles of Incidents Involving CBRN and Non-state Actors (POICN) Database
Profiling the CB Adversary: Motivation, Psychology and Decision