NETWORK SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER
Abstract
This project funds the establishment of the Network Science and Technology Research Center (NSTRC). The NSTRC will be competitively awarded and managed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). ARL researchers, with partners at other sites, will collaborate in a virtual center environment. There will be an effort undertaken to include additional partners such as universities, industry, and other government agencies. Network Science is the study of network representations of physical, biological, and social phenomena leading to predictive models of these phenomena. As such, network science may be seen as the cornerstone for future military operations and the conduct of network-centric warfare. The mission of this center will be to strengthen the theoretical underpinnings of network science; conduct basic research on how and why biological and social (non-physical) networks function and determine their applications to military networks; to manage the activities in network science research, technology development, and network experimentation for the Army; to focus science and technology investments to enable network-centric operations and warfare; to focus applied science and technology to enable social networks important to Army operations; and to enable the development of network science applications and facilitate their transition to Army and Joint operations. Network science, technology, and evaluations encompasses all information and information exchange, visualization, collaboration, manipulation, protection, restoration, transport, services, data storage, and application layers, including the knowledge that human use of networks is a critical component. Establishment of the center will require a phased approach cable of supporting development of fundamental network theory and network technologies, and carry out the assessment of impacts upon human performance; the integration of new technologies and social networks into capabilities; and experimentation as a means to evaluate and confirm fundamental theories and predictive models and/or characterize new technologies and operational concepts while also being capable of promoting training of personnel when applicable. Unlike the Training and Doctrine Commands on-going efforts within their centers, schools, and battle-labs, the focus of the NSTRC will be to develop the framework to perform research important to the Army in the areas of modeling, simulation and evaluation of very large networks, command and control of joint/combined networked forces, impact of network structure on organizational behavior, security and information assurance of networks, swarming behavior, and managing network complexity. It will also have a significant focus on and investment in the discovery and foundational aspects of the science of networks both human engineered and biologically evolved. Work is this project is coordinated with and complementary to the work at the United States Military Academy (USMA) Basic Research Network Science Center funded under PE 0601104/project H59. Beginning in FY12 all funds in this project will be realigned to PE 61104/project H50. The cited work is consistent with the Director, Defense Research and Engineering Strategic Plan, the Army Modernization Strategy, and the Army Science and Technology Master Plan. Work in this project will be primarily preformed extramurally with a small intramural effort by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, MD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2012
- Source ID
- J22_0601104A_1_2040_PB_2012
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- Root: University and Industry Research Centers
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