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

造假的负面社会影响广泛存在，几乎波及到包括医疗保健在内的所有经济部门，并威胁到我们的国家安全。非法经济的爆炸性增长可以追溯到电子商务的增长和流氓互联网参与者的“滥用生态系统”、直接面向消费者的快递服务，以及缺乏打击假冒的产品保护措施。造假者可以使用的新数字工具，如更高分辨率的数字打印机，进一步推动了这一增长。这项国家科学基金会研究培训(NRT)合作奖授予南达科他州的四所大学(南达科他州矿业与技术学院、南达科他州大学、南达科他州州立大学和达科他州州立大学)，将为研究生提供必要的科学知识、专业技能和培训，使他们成为打击假冒工作的下一代领导者。参与者将在独特的网络-物理-社会模式框架内接受专业和领导力培训。这个模型采取了一种综合的方法，不仅考虑了用于打击假冒的网络战略和物理方法的技术方面，而且还考虑了这些战略和方法是否与人类行为兼容。这种模式将允许学员解决复杂的问题，解决方案必须将网络、物理和社交实时紧密地结合在一起。该项目预计将培训45名来自物理科学、工程、计算机科学和行为科学的博士和硕士研究生，其中包括30名受资助的学员。学员将沉浸在一个任务驱动的框架中，在三个合作研究领域进行研究：(1)用于防伪和认证的纳米光子学，(2)假冒化学品/药品的识别和检测，以及(3)基于互联网的调查、数字取证和网络/物理接口。教育和培训方案包括两个主要主题：(1)积极学习和(2)对非法经济和减轻非法经济所需技术的翻译理解。在这些主题中嵌入了一个领导力部分，涉及明确的创业和沟通培训。该计划的其他亮点包括在领先的私营/公共部门组织的实习经验，使学员能够迅速了解假冒流行和技术前景；一个综合的多层次导师计划，为学员提供持续的反馈和指导，促进留住和及时预科；以及通过为普通公众创建外联和证书计划，吸引更多的受众。这些计划功能将确保学员成为训练有素的STEM领导者，参与一系列相互关联的重要问题，并能够应对复杂的社会技术挑战。NSF研究培训(NRT)计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、具有潜在变革意义的STEM研究生教育培训模式。该计划致力于通过创新的、基于证据的、与不断变化的劳动力和研究需求保持一致的综合实习生模式，在高度优先的跨学科研究领域对STEM研究生进行有效培训。该计划由既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助。EPSCoR共同资助在科学和工程研究和教育方面取得卓越成就的项目。在EPSCoR辖区内促进研究、教育和培训能力和竞争力的可持续增长将使EPSCoR参与者能够更多地参与到NSF支持的领域。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.