In the days that followed the terrorist strikes on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon, reporters and government officials scrambled to find experts and research that could help the country prepare for future threats.
Now, a consortium led by Ohio State University of more than 50 major universities and a host of smaller institutions has created a clearinghouse to collect, store and disseminate that kind of information.
The National Academic Consortium for Homeland Security is the brainchild of Dr. Todd Stewart, retired Air Force major general and executive director of Ohio State's Program for International and Homeland Security.
"The ultimate goal of the Consortium is to help improve the security of the country and its worldwide interests," Stewart explained, "while at the same time protecting and preserving our national values, freedoms, civil liberties and worldwide interests."
Stewart knew that much of the nation's knowledge concerning research and education on security and terrorism issues was housed in the minds of the country's university scholars and scientists. He wanted to produce a quick and painless way that people could tap that knowledge base. And the World Wide Web provided a perfect vehicle for that.
His website (http://www.osu.edu/homelandsecurity/NACHS) provides users with a quick and effective doorway to mountains of information about ongoing programs. Users can run searches based on four specific categories -- focus area, program type, university and/or state.
The 24 focus areas include agri-terrorism, bioterrorism, border security, business and economic issues, critical infrastructure protection, cyberterrorism/security, domestic counter-terrorism, education and training, emergency preparedness and response, government and political issues, homeland security -- general, information sharing and systems, intelligence and warning, international issues, legal issues, medical care delivery, public health, science and technology, sensors and detection, social and cultural issues, terrorism -- general, transportation security, weapons of mass destruction, a catchall "other" category or choose to search through all areas.
Users of the website can also pick from either program/course, research or service program categories or from all of them combined. Searches can also be done based on either state or specific universities.
"Our primary goal is for the Consortium to promote collaboration and information-sharing among academic institutions, researchers and scholars," Stewart says. "But it can also serve as an effective sounding board and consulting body to assist decision-makers in the federal government."
These officials must develop more effective national policies and programs pertaining to national security. Stewart says that the Consortium can inform them of academic research and technology developments, education and training and related service programs pertaining to national security.
There is no charge for institutions to join the Consortium. They simply need to register online and then submit their particular information to the data bank.
"We hope that this combined effort will improve our collective understanding of many national security issues," Stewart said. "It is vital that we know as much as possible about the use of terrorism by extremist groups, as well as the proliferation of technologies that could be used as weapons of mass destruction."
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