Out of more than 50 universities nationwide to apply for grant funding from U.S. intelligence agencies, Rutgers University was picked among 8 schools to develop professional programs in intelligence.
The $1.95 million grant will be led by principal investigator John J. Farmer, Jr., a professor in Rutgers School of Law-Newark, reports
Rutgers Today.
As New Jersey's attorney general, Farmer led the state's response to the 9/11 attacks and served as senior counsel on the 9/11 Commission.
“As recent events have shown, the need for reliable, legally obtained intelligence has never been more acute,” Farmer said. “The designation and grant will enable Rutgers to build on the expertise that already exists at the university to shape intelligence policy and to educate and train the next generation of intelligence professionals.”
Among the initial projects at the institute is the Faith-Based Security Program, which examines how exremist violence poses threats to communities of faith. In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, Rutgers teams worked with community leaders in those cities, as well as in Washington, to assess threats and recommend best practices in law enforcement.
