Nuclear Terrorism

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Project Title	Investigators	Project Period
Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) Process	John Sawyer, Steve Sin	September, 2014 to June, 2015
The Threat of Pakistani Criminal Organizations: Assessing the Potential for Involvement in Radiological/Nuclear Smuggling, Collaboration with Terrorist Groups and the Potential to Destabilize the Pakistani State	Amy Pate, Gary Ackerman	April, 2012 to July, 2012
Terrorist Groups and Weapons of Mass Destruction	Gary Ackerman, Jonathan Wilkenfeld, R. Karl Rethemeyer, Victor Asal	July, 2005 to May, 2008
Radiological/Nuclear Adversaries Future Project	Gary Ackerman, John Sawyer	October, 2012 to December, 2013
Profiles of Incidents Involving CBRN and Non-state Actors (POICN) Database	Markus Binder	March, 2010 to June, 2018
PRND Capability Development Framework Mapping	John Sawyer, Marcus A. Boyd	December, 2012 to June, 2015
Organized and/or Transnational Crime/Drug Cartel Nexus with Illicit Radiological/Nuclear Trade, Smuggling and/or Terrorism in Europe and North, Sahelian and West Africa	Amy Pate, John Sawyer, Marcus A. Boyd, Steve Sin	September, 2013 to March, 2015
More Bang for the Buck?: Examining the Effect of Technological Change on Terrorist Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction	Gary Ackerman, Jeffrey Bale	July, 2005 to September, 2009
Mobile Radiation Detectors: Threat Perception and Device Acceptance	Brooke Liu, Elizabet Petrun Sayers, Gary Ackerman, Steve Sin, Thomas Guarrieri	April, 2014 to April, 2019
International and Regional Architecture Reports	Brandon Behlendorf, Emily Iarocci, Gary Ackerman, Steve Sin	May, 2012 to September, 2015
Integration of International Architecture Analysis	Brandon Behlendorf, Emily Iarocci, Gary Ackerman, John Sawyer	September, 2013 to March, 2015
Integrated Discovery of Emerging and Novel Technologies (IDENT)	Steve Sin	June, 2018 to July, 2020
Insider Threat for Inbound International Air Cargo	Gary Ackerman	October, 2013 to March, 2015
Global Nuclear Detection Architecture: A Study of South Asia	Sharad Joshi	October, 2008 to September, 2009
Failure Points in Smuggling Networks	Brandon Behlendorf	September, 2013 to March, 2015
Dynamics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism Campaigns	Gary Ackerman, Joseph Young, R. Karl Rethemeyer, Victor Asal	July, 2014 to December, 2017
Distinctive Characteristics of Terrorist Groups	Gary LaFree, Laura Dugan	January, 2005 to June, 2009
Dissuading Adversaries and their Radiological/Nuclear Pathways: Integrating Deterrence Theory and Analytics in the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA)	Amy Pate, Brandon Behlendorf, Gary Ackerman, John Sawyer, Steve Sin, Hamid Mohtadi, Marcus A. Boyd	October, 2013 to September, 2018
Developing Integrated Radiological and Nuclear Detection Architecture for the Interior and International Mission Space	Steve Sin, Marcus A. Boyd	September, 2016 to September, 2019
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SIGMA+	Thomas Guarrieri, Marcus A. Boyd, Steve Sin	July, 2018 to April, 2020
Cargo Aviation Insider Threat Assessment Tool (CAITAT)	Thomas Guarrieri	September, 2016 to December, 2018
Anatomizing Radiological and Nuclear Non-State Adversaries	Gary Ackerman, Jeffrey Bale, R. Karl Rethemeyer	June, 2012 to January, 2014
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 Sin, Thomas Guarrieri	March, 2020 to March, 2022

Project Title	Publication Date	START Authors	Publication Type
WMD Terrorism: The Once and Future Threat	May 2018	Ackerman, Gary; Jacome, Michelle	Journal Article
WMD Terrorism Research: Whereto From Here?	March 2005	Ackerman, Gary	Journal Article
Winning with the Bomb	April 2009	Asal, Victor	Journal Article
Unconventional Weapons and Technology (UWT) Research Division	October 2018		Project Fact Sheet
Transnational Illicit Trafficking (TransIT) Geospatial Tool: Project Fact Sheet	September 2013	Sawyer, John	Project Fact Sheet
The “New” Face of Transnational Crime Organizations (TCOs): A Geopolitical Perspective and Implications to U.S. National Security	May 2013	Pate, Amy; Ackerman, Gary; Johns, Mila	White Paper
The Trust Paradox in Nuclear Smuggling	December 2015	Murauskaite, Egle	Journal Article
The Interplay between Terrorism, Nonstate Actors, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Exploration of the Pinkerton Database	March 2005	LaFree, Gary; Dugan, Laura	Journal Article
The DNI's Open Source Center: An Organizational Communication Perspective	February 2007	Bean, Hamilton	Journal Article
Testimony Before United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing on Nuclear Terrorism: Assessing the Threat to the Homeland	April 2008	Ackerman, Gary	Congressional Testimony
Terrorism Risk and Optimal Policy Response: Theory and Empirics	October 2019	Mohtadi, Hamid	Journal Article
Searching for the Nuclear Silk Road: Geospatial Analysis of Potential Illicit Radiological and Nuclear Material Trafficking Pathways	January 2016	Boyd, Marcus A.; Sin, Steve	Book Chapter
Risk Analysis of Chemical, Biological, or Radionuclear Threats: Implications for Food Security	June 2009	Mohtadi, Hamid	Journal Article
Profiling the WMD Terrorism Threat	August 2009	Ackerman, Gary; Bale, Jeffrey	Book Chapter
Pick Your POICN: Introducing the Profiles of Incidents involving CBRN and Non-State Actors (POICN) Database	March 2019	Ackerman, Gary; Binder, Markus	Journal Article
Nuclear Weapons as Shields	July 2009	Asal, Victor	Journal Article
Nuclear Weapons and Existential Threats: Insights from a Comparative Analysis of Nuclear-Armed States	October 2014	Asal, Victor	Journal Article
Nuclear Smuggling and Threats to Lithuanian Security	December 2016	Murauskaite, Egle	Journal Article
Nuclear Matters: Lithuanian Security Culture in the Context of NATO Trends	January 2018	Murauskaite, Egle	Journal Article
Non-State Actors, Terrorism, and Weapons of Mass Destruction	March 2005	Wilkenfeld, Jonathan; Asal, Victor	Journal Article
Modeling Terrorist Attack Cycles as a Stochastic Process: Analyzing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Incidents	August 2020	Guarrieri, Thomas; Clark, Tyler A.	Journal Article
Islamist Use and Pursuit of CBRN Terrorism	November 2008	Rethemeyer, R. Karl	Book Chapter
Insider Threat for Inbound International Air Cargo	October 2015	Matuzsan, Gabrielle; Ackerman, Gary; Tinsley, Herbert; Jacome, Michelle	Research Brief
How terrorist actors in Pakistan use nuclear weapons for political influence	March 2019	Joshi, Sharad	Journal Article
How Prepared Are the Public and Responders for Nuclear Terrorism?	February 2018	Schoch-Spana, Monica	Journal Article
Gauging the Threat	August 2013	Ackerman, Gary; Pinson, Lauren	Journal Article
Dissuading Adversaries and Their RN Pathways: Integrating Deterrence Theory and Analytics in the GNDA	November 2018	Sin, Steve	Research Brief
Diffusing Portable Radiation Detectors Among First Responders: Device Acceptance and Implications for Community Resilience	August 2016	Liu, Brooke; Petrun Sayers, Elizabeth; Ackerman, Gary; Roberts, Holly; Iles, Irina A.	Book Chapter
Developing Consensus on Strengthening Article X(1) of the NPT	February 2015	Murauskaite, Egle	Research Brief
Defining Knowledge Gaps Within CBRN Terrorism Research	January 2009	Ackerman, Gary	Book Chapter
Countering Nuclear and Radiological Materials Illicit Trafficking Through Maritime Security Initiatives: Paper Tiger or Concrete Solution? A Case Study	May 2015	Sin, Steve	Conference Paper
Connections Can Be Toxic: Terrorist Organizational Factors and the Pursuit of CBRN Weapons	February 2012	Ackerman, Gary; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor	Journal Article
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism	April 2018	Ackerman, Gary	Book Chapter
CBRN Activity and Attacks by Insurgent Organizations	October 2015	Ackerman, Gary; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Asal, Victor	Research Brief
Back to the Future: Teaching about the End of the World	July 2019	Sin, Steve; Asal, Victor	Journal Article
Aum Shinrikyo’s Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Development Efforts	March 2016		Journal Article
Attacking Nuclear Facilities: Hype or Genuine Threat?	January 2016	Ackerman, Gary	Book Chapter
Application of a Profile Similarity Methodology for Identifying Terrorist Groups That Use or Pursue CBRN Weapons	September 2017	Ackerman, Gary; Milward, H. Brinton; Rethemeyer, R. Karl; Breiger, Ronald; Asal, Victor	Book Chapter
An Army of One: Assessing CBRN Pursuit and Use by Lone Wolves and Autonomous Cells	January 2014	Ackerman, Gary; Pinson, Lauren	Journal Article

Title	Byline
The Non-Conventional Threat CBRNe event series comes to America
START’s Steve Sin chaired CBRNe Asia 2014 conference	Laura Gonzalez
START workshop gives better understanding of CBRN technologies	Emily Bonta
START study leads to support for SLTT officials	Jessica Rivinius
START seeking 2014 Outstanding Article Award nominations	Jessica Rivinius
START researchers present work on transnational criminal organizations, terrorism and radiological/nuclear (RN) smuggling
START Researchers Present at American Political Science Association Annual Conference
START researcher presents paper on preventing illegal weapons trafficking in international waters at CBRNe USA Conference	Samara Tu
START Partner Center for Biosecurity Launches
START launches online course on terror-crime nexus and CBRN	Beth Schwartz
START intern serves her country by fighting disease and discrimination	Erin Copland
START Director speaks with National Nuclear Security Administration fellowship students
START Announces Fellowships for 2005-06
START aims to strengthen defense capabilities against WMD-seeking terrorists	Laura Walker
START Advisory Board member quoted in "Daily Telegraph" and CNN
Researcher Spotlight: Ronald Breiger	Emily Smith
Researcher Spotlight: Lauren Pinson	Nicholas Munson
Research Brief: Terrorism Trends with a Focus on Energy and Mining
New study shows alliances and not religious ideology are key to forecasting CBRN pursuit
New project seeks to provide DARPA with ways to deter CBRN attacks by non-state actors	Erin Copland
JOB OPPORTUNITY: START Special Research Projects IT Assistant
Hybrid political criminal organizations pose RN smuggling threat
Hybrid organizations have greater motivational and operations ability for RN trafficking	Liz Wasden
Database Spotlight: Radiological and Nuclear Non-State Adversaries (RANNSAD)	Emily Bonta
Database spotlight: Big Allied and Dangerous (BAAD)	Emily Bonta
DARPA-SIGMA+ interns get a great start at START	Erin Copland
Current Job Opportunities at START
CBRN terrorism by non-state actors	Sacha Ginsberg
Breiger turns regression models 'inside out'	Emily Smith
Background Report: Truck carrying radioactive material stolen in Mexico
Apply Now: Summer Workshop on Teaching about Terrorism

Title	Job Title	Institution
Victor Asal	Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of Public Administration	University at Albany, State University of New York
Tyler A. Clark	Junior Researcher, UWT	University of Maryland
Steve Sin	Director, Unconventional Weapons and Technology (UWT) Subject Matter Expert Instructor, National Center for Security & Preparedness	University of Maryland
Prabhakar Misra	Professor of Physics	Howard University
Michelle Jacome	Operations Officer on International Finance Cooperation at the World Bank
Markus Binder	Project Manager/Researcher, START	University of Maryland
Marcus A. Boyd	Geospatial Research Unit (GRU) Director, START Director of Graduate Studies, START	University of Maryland
John Sawyer	Director of Strategic Corporate Research Relationships	University of Maryland
Herbert Tinsley	Analyst, Government Accountability Office
Gary Ackerman	Associate Professor, SUNY Albany	University at Albany, State University of New York
Brandon Behlendorf	Assistant Professor, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, SUNY Albany	University at Albany, State University of New York