Research

The ALERT research program is derived from a top-down understanding of societal issues related to explosive detection, mitigation, and response. These issues can be crystallized by considering a set of "Grand Challenges". These challenges in turn inform and drive the ALERT research program through an organizing three-level strategy which includes four core fundamental science research thrusts: Explosives Characterization (F1), Explosives Sensors (F2), Explosive Sensor Systems (F3), and Blast Mitigation (F4).


Grand Challenges that drive the ALERT research program

Ultra-Reliable Screening

  • Can we handle large crowds, e.g., at sports events, in subways, nightclubs and churches?
  • Can we improve the speed and reliability of passenger and luggage screening?
  • Can we non-invasively identify explosives in cargo containers in transit?

Greater than 50 meter Stand-Off Discovery and Assessment

  • Can we reliably pinpoint explosives in left behind packages or vehicles?
  • Can we recognize potential suicide bombers?
  • Can we find explosives in urban traffic?

Unequivocal Pre- and Post-Blast Mitigation

  • Can we render inactive an explosive material (shockless mitigation)?
  • Is there an optimal strategy to protect critical assets from an explosion?

Rapid and Thorough Preparedness and Response

  • Can we classify and understand unknown explosive materials in real time?
  • How can we quickly both learn from and educate first-responder teams?
  • Can we accurately develop and gain insight from realistic scenario simulations?


Addressing the Challenges: The Three-Level ALERT Strategy

ALERT's organizing and operational strategy is described through a three-level strategy, tying real-world Grand Challenges and the fundamental research together and keeping them synchronized but able to adapt as societal and DHS needs change. This top-down approach has proved exceedingly successful within the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center program that strives for breakthrough transformational research in areas of societal importance. The three-level approach helps to identify research barriers that prevent the achievement of the Grand Challenges, keeps resources focused on objectives, and assists in solving management issues. The three-level structure is illustrated below.

 

ALERT 3 Level Diagram

The Grand Challenge Level (top level-red) contains the challenges that need to be addressed in order to achieve a high level of protection from explosives-related threats. Within each broad challenge area there are subsets that will lead toward next-generation explosives detection and mitigation engineered systems, enabling an order-of-magnitude improvement in performance over present technologies. The first versions of these systems will begin to emerge from the ALERT COE in approximately four years. The Enabling Technology Level (middle level-green) contains testbeds needed to validate fundamental research results and to enable these research breakthroughs to play a role in addressing the grand challenges. Initial versions of these testbeds will emerge in about two years. The Fundamental Research Level (bottom level-blue) contains the basic research areas and associated projects needed to overcome barriers that prevent achievement of the grand challenges.