[Department of Defense] Minerva Initiative is Accepting Research Proposals

University consortia and individual investigators are encouraged to submit white papers and full funding proposals to the Minerva Initiative, the Department of Defense’s competitive, university-based social science basic research program. Because of a delay in releasing the funding solicitation, program managers have extended the deadline for white paper submissions to Friday, September 16, 2011, and the deadline for full proposals to Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

The Minerva Initiative was created in 2008 under the leadership of former Defense Secretary Robert Gates as a means to improve our fundamental understanding of the social, cultural, behavioral, and political forces that shape regions of the world of strategic importance to the U.S.  Secretary Gates announced the Initiative at the April 2008 meeting of the AAU presidents and chancellors in Washington, DC.

The Minerva Initiative is inviting white papers and full proposals for basic research in the following seven areas:

(1)    Strategic Impact of Religious and Cultural Changes

(2)    Terrorism and Terrorist Ideologies

(3)    Science, Technology and Military Transformations in China and Developing States

(4)    National Security Implications of Energy and Environmental Stress

(5)    New Theories of Cross-Domain Deterrence

(6)    Regime and Social Dynamics in Failed, Failing, and Fragile Authoritarian States

(7)    New Approaches to Understanding Dimensions of National Security,Conflict, and Cooperation