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

假冒的负面社会影响是广泛的，几乎涉及到每一个经济部门，包括医疗保健，并威胁到我们的国家安全。非法经济的爆炸式增长可以追溯到在线商务的增长和流氓互联网行为者的“滥用生态系统”，直接面向消费者的快递服务以及缺乏产品保护措施来打击假冒。制假者可获得的新的数字工具，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、南达科他州立大学和南达科他州立大学），将为研究生提供科学知识、专业技能和培训，使他们成为打击假冒产品的下一代领导者。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。该模型采用了一种综合方法，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相容。这种模式将使学员能够解决复杂的问题，这些问题的解决方案必须实时地将网络、物理和社会互动紧密结合起来。该项目预计将培养45名博士和硕士学生，包括30名受资助的学员，来自物理科学、工程、计算机科学和行为科学。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)纳米光子学防伪和认证，(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。教育和培训计划包括两个主要主题：(1)主动学习和(2)对非法经济和缓解非法经济所需技术的转化性理解。这些主题中包含了领导力的组成部分，涉及创业和沟通方面的明确培训。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历，这将使学员迅速获得对假冒流行病和技术前景的背景理解；一个综合的和多层次的指导计划，为学员提供持续的反馈和指导，促进保留和及时入学；并通过为公众设立外联和证书项目来吸引更广泛的受众。这些项目的特点将确保学员成为训练有素的STEM领导者，参与一系列重要的相互关联的问题，并能够解决复杂的社会技术挑战。美国国家科学基金会研究实习生（NRT）计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、具有潜在变革性的STEM研究生教育培训新模式。该项目致力于通过创新、循证、适应不断变化的劳动力和研究需求的综合培训模式，在高优先级跨学科研究领域对STEM研究生进行有效培训。本提案由促进竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。EPSCoR共同资助促进科学和工程研究和教育卓越的项目。促进EPSCoR辖区内研究、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国家科学基金支持的领域。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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.