October 3, 2007

Purdue awarded $500,000 for student scholarships in homeland security research, studies

The Homeland Security Institute and the Regional Visualization and Analytics Center in the university's Discovery Park are leading the initiative in conjunction with Purdue's Homeland Security Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics Career Development Program.

Applications for the scholarships will be taken through Oct. 22, said Sandra Amass, a Purdue professor of veterinary clinical sciences. The first awards will be announced on Nov. 9, and the scholarships will be distributed by Nov. 30 for the spring semester, she said.

Sandy Amass
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"This nation has never been more in need of individuals with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who are interested in pursuing a career working or conducting research in homeland security," said Amass, also the interim co-director of the Homeland Security Institute. "These scholarships will help Purdue grow this academic field and place students in careers that are in great demand today."

Scholarships are available only to junior and senior undergraduate students and graduate students and vary for Indiana and non-resident applicants:

* Undergraduate recipients: Scholarships for full-time Indiana residents are $8,697 per semester and $5,000 during the summer for a total of $22,394, or a two-year maximum of $44,788. Non-resident students can receive $16,101 per semester and $5,000 each summer for a total of $37,202, or a two-year maximum of $74,404.

* Graduate recipients: Scholarships, which will be disbursed in the form of fellowships, are $27,600 a year or a maximum of $82,800 over three years.

David Ebert
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"This scholarship program will help identify undergraduate and graduate students who are excited about advancing interdisciplinary research that will help emergency planners, health-care professionals, law enforcement officials and others on the front lines of homeland security," said David Ebert, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and computer science, and director of Purdue's Regional Visualization and Analytics Center.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and agree to work one year after their studies in a research facility or laboratory sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Student applicants also must write an essay of 500 words or less on why they want to pursue an academic or professional career in homeland security.

Students are asked on the form to highlight their areas of interest. The list includes advanced data analysis and visualization; border security and immigration studies; chemical and biological threats; communications, operations and interoperability; emergency preparedness and response; explosives detection, mitigation and response; human factors; infrastructure, protection and geophysical applications to natural disasters, maritime, coastal and port security; and social, behavioral and economic sciences.

To download an application form, go to https://purvac.org/  or contact Marti Burns at (765) 494-2216 for more information.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the national scholarship program, focused on homeland security science, technology, engineering and mathematics, to bolster the agency's research efforts and to support a new generation of scientists capable of advancing homeland security goals and aid in faculty retention.

The Purdue Homeland Security Institute, which is a part of the e-Enterprise Center at Discovery Park, is working with academic units at Purdue in developing and delivering academic programs in homeland security. It also offers provides customized emergency preparedness training programs that have impacted more than 1,000 emergency responders in the past year alone.

Purdue's Regional Visualization and Analytics Center is developing tools for analyzing information that can improve the detection and management of disease outbreaks and major health events, bolster response and recovery during an emergency, aid first responders, and assist local and state officials during crisis situations.

Funded by a $1.4 million contract from the Department of Homeland Security and $387,000 from Purdue, the center is creating a team of Purdue and Indiana University School of Medicine researchers to create tools to analyze vast amounts of information involving emergency planning and response, and health-care monitoring and management.

The center is part of Discovery Park and the federal Homeland Security Department's Visual Analytics Center of Excellence.

Writer: Phillip Fiorini, (765) 496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu

Sources: Sandy Amass, (765) 494-8052, amasss@purdue.edu

David Ebert, (765) 494-9064, ebertd@ecn.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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