Collaborative Research: NRT: Cyber-Physical-Social System for Understanding and Thwarting the Illicit Economy

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The negative societal impacts of counterfeiting are widespread, touching nearly every economic sector, including health care, and threatening our national security. The explosion of the illicit economy can be traced to the growth in online commerce and an "abuse ecosystem" of rogue internet actors, direct-to-consumer courier delivery services, and the lack of product protective measures to counteract counterfeiting. This increase is further fueled by new digital tools available to counterfeiters, such as higher resolution digital printers. This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) collaborative award to four South Dakota universities (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Dakota State University) will provide graduate students with the scientific knowledge and professional skills and training needed to become next-generation leaders in the fight against counterfeiting. Participants will receive professional and leadership training within the framework of a unique cyber-physical-social model. This model takes a comprehensive approach that factors in not only the technical aspects of the cyber strategies and physical methods used to combat counterfeiting, but also whether these strategies and methods are compatible with human behavior. This model will allow trainees to solve complex problems, where the solutions must tightly integrate cyber, physical, and social interactions in real-time. The project anticipates training forty-five (45) Ph.D. and M.S. students, including thirty (30) funded trainees, from physical science, engineering, computer science and behavioral science.Trainees will be immersed in a mission-driven framework to conduct research across three collaborative research areas: (1) nano-photonics for anti-counterfeiting and authentication, (2) identification and detection of counterfeit chemicals/pharmaceutics, and (3) internet-based investigations, digital forensics and the cyber/physical interface. The education and training program encompasses two overarching themes: (1) active learning and (2) translational understanding of the illicit economy and the technologies needed to mitigate it. Embedded within these themes is a leadership component involving explicit training in entrepreneurship and communication. Additional highlights of the program include an internship experience with leading private/public sector organizations that will allow trainees to quickly gain a contextual understanding of the counterfeiting epidemic and technology landscape; an integrated and multi-level mentorship program to provide trainees with ongoing feedback and guidance, promoting retention and timely matriculation; and engagement of a broader audience through creation of outreach and certificate programs for the general public. These program features will ensure trainees emerge as highly-trained STEM leaders, engaged in a wide array of important interconnected issues, and able to tackle complex socio-technical challenges. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.This proposal is co-funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). EPSCoR co-funds projects that advance excellence in science and engineering research and education. Fostering sustainable increases in research, education, and training capacity and competitiveness within EPSCoR jurisdictions will enable EPSCoR participants to have increased engagement in areas supported by the NSF.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.