The EPSRC, ESRC, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and other government stakeholders are holding an IDEAS Factory sandpit focusing on Detecting Terrorist Activity. The DTAct sandpit is intended to generate research programmes which are highly innovative and offer the potential for a significant improvement in the UK’s ability to protect itself from terrorist attacks.
Under this call eligible academic participants will be funded to attend a five-day residential event on 11-15 May 2009 (venue to be confirmed). Other non-academic participants are not excluded from participating, but will not receive funding to attend.
The 'sandpit' will be led by a Director (Jeremy Watson, Director of Global Research at Arup) who will assist in shaping the topics and lead facilitated discussions. The Director will also be supported by a small number of Mentors with relevant experience who will take full part in the sandpit.
Expressions of Interest should be sent to DTAct@epsrc.ac.uk by 4:00 pm on Thursday 12 February at 4.00 pm using the form at the end of the attached call document which also includes contact details for further information.
The DTAct sandpit intends to bring together researchers and stakeholders from as diverse a range of backgrounds and organisations as possible to produce innovative research ideas to tackle this complex and challenging problem. Participants need not have detailed knowledge of, or prior experience in, security research; rather they should have a proven track record in one or more areas that might contribute to solutions.
It aims to generate research programmes which are highly innovative and adventurous. Ultimately the funders are looking for high-quality research which offers the potential for a significant improvement in the UK’s ability to protect itself from terrorist attacks.
In this context detection may include physiological, behavioural or spectral detection across a range of distance scales; remote detection; or detection of an electronic presence - or may even develop or use an even broader interpretation of the concept.