About INSER

The Institute for National Security Education and Research (INSER) provides a forum for independent research and cutting-edge scholarship in areas with broad relevance to public safety and national security issues, including distributed collaboration in virtual organizations and knowledge management and decision-making.

INSER is one of the nation’s 10 Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence (IC CAE) established by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The IC CAEs were established to promote the alignment of curricula (e.g. scientific and technical programs of study, international relations) necessary to develop core skills relevant to the intelligence community.

In its role as an IC CAE, INSER coordinates research and education for more than a dozen well-recognized experts, including University of Washington faculty in a number of disciplines:

• Asian Languages and Literature
• Electrical Engineering
• Information School
• Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
• Near-Eastern Languages and Civilization
• Physics
• Political Science
• Technical Communication
• Urban Design and Planning

INSER works closely with the following University of Washington centers:

• Pacific Rim Visualization and Analytics Center (PARVAC)
• Center for Global Studies (CGS)
• Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (CIAC)

INSER Vision

To conduct cutting-edge scholarship on complex public safety and national security information issues through design and dissemination of innovative educational programs and research outcomes.

INSER Goals

Our goal is to guide practice that shapes real world decisions in both public and private sectors within the scope of public safety and national security. Areas of application include:

• Civil liberties and ethics
• Collaborative practices in organizations and communities
• Decision making and knowledge management
• Social interactions in virtual worlds