The purpose of the project is to identify patterns in the evolution of terrorist organizations, specify their causes and consequences, and analyze the development of Al Qaeda and its cohort in a comprehensive comparative framework. The project analyzes the organizational structure of different families of terrorist organizations and traces their relationships over time. The project will produce a database of terrorist organizations and a series of dynamic maps of the architecture of violent and non-violent opposition groups operating in the same conflict zone. The project will identify common patterns of organizational evolution, as groups form, split, merge, collaborate, compete, shift ideological direction, adopt or renounce terrorism, grow, shrink, and eventually decline over time. Models based on comparisons of historical terrorist genealogies will be applied to the case of Al Qaeda and its affiliates and associates, including the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Theories generated from the study will thus shed light on an important national security threat that is constantly evolving. The project will also identify or develop computer software to assemble, organize, and display information about organizations and their interactions over time. This award was funded through the Social and Behavioral Dimensions of National Security, Conflict, and Cooperation competition, a joint venture between NSF and the Department of Defense.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0905082
Program Officer
Amber L. Story
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2009-09-15
Budget End
2012-08-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$500,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Palo Alto
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94304