Clarkson University (CU) is planning to join the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) entitled "Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR)" which currently is a multi- university center comprised of West Virginia University (lead institution) and the University of Arizona. CITeR focuses on research in identification which includes iris, fingerprint, and face recognition and helps enhance the research database available for the disciplines involved with security biometrics technologies.
CU requests funding for becoming a site of the NSF Center for Identification Technology Research under the leadership of Professor Stephanie Shuckers. Clarkson University will help expand CiTER's focus on identity management to include a core of expertise that marries human identification with intelligence and cybersecurity. Emerging areas of research include how to contextualize the identity information with other information collected which includes people, places, patterns of activities, relationships, geospatial mapping, events, and signal intelligence.
CITeR's research will assist industry and governmental agencies in advancing biometric technology which has broad impacts on stopping terrorism. This center will also have an impact on the participating students, and faculty through involvement with industrial members. Students will obtain hands on training to prepare them for high-tech jobs in the industry upon graduation. Faculty will get an exposure to industry-oriented research problems. The Clarkson site plans to work with McNair and CSTEP programs to encourage students to be active in this vibrant area.
This grant was given in order to host a planning meeting to develop a research agenda for the development of a new NSF IUCRC center with Clarkson University and its interested affiliates as the lead in combination with West Virginia University and University of Arizona and their respective affiliates. Currently West Virginia University and University of Arizona are university sites in the Center for Identification Technology (CITeR). Clarkson University has proposed to migrate the overall focus of the center to understanding of identity in the human envelop of activity in the larger context of ubiquitous observation and contextual exploitation. A planning meeting was held immediately following the regular CITeR meeting in May 2010. We invited potential affiliates to attend both the regular CITeR meeting, as well as the planning meeting, proposed herein. The planning meeting promoted a dialog whereby complementary research directions can be identified. Over 100 people attended the meeting. Clarkson University presented six proposals and six additional proposal posters and had attendance from nine faculty, nine students, seven administrators from Clarkson, and eight potential affiliates. As part of the meeting, Clarkson University developed and implemented a survey of affiliates. The results of the survey indicate that approximately 70% of the affiliates responding either agree or strongly agree that CITeR has helped to promote the technology capabilities of their organizations. An additional 23% indicated indecision with many of those being new affiliates. Biometric modalities, multimodal systems and biometric image coding and quality are the areas/thrusts that affiliates believe have been the most useful to their organizations, followed by performance & modeling framework, system analysis and vulnerabilities. The affiliates were asked to express their views on what future avenues of research they would like to see added to the CITeR portfolio. The results indicate a need to continue the research in the areas of liveness, spoofing, multi-modal biometrics, and face/iris aging. The new areas in which interest was expressed include cellular and nano-biometrics, DNA biometrics and biometric counter measures. In summary, the overall sense from the results of the survey is that the affiliates are seeing direct positive impact on their businesses/organizations as a result of their involvement with CITeR. The output from CITeR funded research is being used to shape the direction of the biometric technology in government and industry affiliate organizations.
