Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. La Rhonda Nicholas, IARPA
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
3:30 p.m.
Room 2110 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301 405 5240
statum12@umd.edu
Engaging with IARPA and IC Research & Development
Abstract: Launched in 2007, IARPA invests in high risk, high payoff research to tackle some of the Intelligence Community's (IC) most difficult challenges. As part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which oversees the 17 agencies that make-up the IC, IARPA was established in the wake of 9/11 to anticipate unwarranted surprise, giving the IC foresight and a technological edge similar to what the Department of Defense has had for so long in DARPA. We are proud to say that based on the success of both the DARPA and IARPA models, several other ARPA’s have followed, including ARPA-E, ARPA-I, ARPA-H, and ARPA-C.
At IARPA, we take on problems that are complex and multidisciplinary with an emphasis on technical excellence and technical truth. To achieve results, we take real risks where failure is always an option, as this is the only way to achieve revolutionary technological breakthroughs. Since IARPA's inception, we have launched 97 research programs in diverse areas, including quantum computing, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, sociology, power sources, antennas, as well as chemical and biological sensing. Over the past 16 years, IARPA has specifically been noted for its research in quantum, biometrics, forecasting, and human language technology.
University of Maryland has long partnered with IARPA, supporting us as both a performer and testing and evaluation (T&E) partner on 35 IARPA programs primarily focused on quantum, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and synthetic biology.
At IARPA and the IC writ large, we are not only looking at next generation technology, but also attracting next generation talent. As an intern, postdoc, IPA, or PM, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with us and join the IC community. We welcome fresh and innovative ideas and those who are committed to our national security mission—all of which is critical for us to maintain an unfair technological advantage over our adversaries.
