Researchers from seven New Jersey universities gathered at Rutgers last week to share information on homeland security work and discuss opportunities for research partnerships with government and industry representatives.

The meeting was the seventh in a series of symposia held by New Jersey Universities Homeland Security Research Consortium. It was also sponsored by the Rutgers University Homeland Security Research Initiative. Both groups were formed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to better understand problems and develop solutions to homeland security challenges.

In his keynote address, Richard Canas, New Jersey’s director of homeland security and preparedness, talked about the role that researchers could play in securing the people of New Jersey from terrorism and natural disasters.

“Technology has limits in all fields, including homeland security,” Canas said. “It’s one thing for smart people to develop solutions, another thing to apply them. We want to develop the human side of the equation, and not get lost in the glitz of technology.”

A veteran law enforcement and counterterrorism official who described himself as “an old street cop,” Canas said he wanted to further engage the researchers in solving problems the state is facing in emergency preparedness. One of his plans is to create a fellowship for university- or industry-based researchers to work in his department.

Canas detailed steps the state has taken to centralize emergency operations and ensure that all law enforcement agencies have access to sensitive information. He also said the state is working on an information technology plan to improve interoperability among state, county and municipal offices. Progress, however, depends on increased federal funding. “We need to make sure our grant submissions are sustainable, regional in scope, and risk-based,” he said.

Predominant among the morning’s technical sessions were transportation issues, from improving how agencies screen cargo containers at the state’s ports to effectively evacuating regions facing hurricanes or bioterrorist attacks. Afternoon sessions looked at improving the security and robustness of wired and wireless computer networks, and public health challenges in bioterrorism situations.

Closing talks looked at the safety and security challenges of doing research on virulent biological, chemical and nuclear agents that could be agents in future terror attacks. Rigorous laboratory practices and monitoring procedures are needed to ensure the safety of lab workers and surrounding communities.

Leslie Kennedy, dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers-Newark and program chair of the Rutgers Center for the Study of Public Safety, chaired the symposium. The organizer was Fred Roberts, director of the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS), chair of the Rutgers University Homeland Security Research Initiative and co-chair of the New Jersey Universities Homeland Security Research Consortium.