Homeland Security Workshop
Organized by University of Georgia
UCGIS Grant Sponsored by ESRI
November 6-7, 2003
UGA, Amicalola Falls, Georgia

This retreat site will provide a forum for close interaction and development of the needed collaboration to develop a comprehensive pre-proposal. The potential agencies for the final proposal include the Department of Homeland Security and its Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Imagery and Mapping Agency, Federal Geographic Data Committee, and the National Science Foundation.

The intent is to review relevant government initiatives and identify critical issues including geographical data and technology infrastructure, detecting and managing threats, risk research, emergency response, risk to liberty, and infrastructure including devices, delivery/ communication. We also plan to review available commercial technologies and academic research programs in the area of GIScience for Homeland Security. During the workshop, we plan to discuss the following objectives:

1. Creation of a test-bed/benchmark environment for GIScience for National Security. This may involve definition of measures of quality, creating/extracting/organizing test data, making it available for scientists and contractors to evaluate their techniques or findings, and finally ensuring security of the critical data.

2. Organizing workshops and scientific conferences for GIScience for Homeland and National Security that may also provide meeting grounds for project meetings from related government initiatives as well as scientific presentations.

3. Identifying short/mid/long-term research priorities, challenges, and some possible solutions that can provide inputs to upcoming initiatives.

The workshop is being organized at a very beautiful retreat offered at the Amicalola State Park (http://www.amicalolafalls.com/ ), and up to $1000 is available for each participant who needs travel support. Additional information about the workshop will be posted at: http://www.uga.edu/ucgis/