University of Maryland, Department of Defense Celebrate Opening of the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS)

COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- Officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and the University of Maryland gathered today for a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the official opening of facilities that house the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS).

Located in the University of Maryland’s Discovery District, ARLIS is one of 14 designated Department of Defense University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) in the nation. It is the first and only UARC dedicated to solving intelligence and security problems using research and science through a long-term, strategic relationship with academia.

Among the distinguished guests on hand for today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony were Dr. Kathleen Hicks, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Ronald S. Moultrie, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.

Dr. Kathleen Hicks, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, said the United States faces advanced, dynamic and persistent threats from state and non-state actors. “ARLIS will meet this challenge by taking a human-centered approach to security and intelligence matters,” she said.

“While the technology is important, our people are our front line in every security and intelligence mission we undertake. That is why ARLIS’s emphasis on human understanding is so important,” Hicks said.

Ronald S. Moultrie, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, noted that the event represents the vision and efforts of many people who are responsible for establishing the foundation on which ARLIS stands. "Their support enables the Department of Defense to keep the nation safe, and to do so in both traditional and creative ways."

"The future of intelligence and security needs both advanced technology and advanced human understanding. We need human and technological capabilities, and we need to integrate them into our tradecraft. That is precisely what I see happening at ARLIS," Moultrie said.

ARLIS offers engagement with the broader academic community through the Intelligence and Security University Research Enterprise (INSURE) consortium. INSURE enables responsiveness to emerging needs and access to specific expertise through partnerships with other U.S. academic institutions, including those traditionally underrepresented in DoD contracting such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“The university is tremendously proud of this collaboration with the Department of Defense and grateful for the opportunities it awards our faculty and students to help address ever-evolving threats to national security and to shape the intelligence and security workforce of the future,” said Darryll J. Pines, President of the University of Maryland.

ARLIS is also committed to workforce development through the Research in Intelligence and Security Challenges (RISC) intern program, which offers undergraduate and graduate students a chance to apply their knowledge to real-world problems and provides a pipeline to careers in the intelligence and security fields.

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About the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security

The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), based at the University of Maryland, was established in 2018 under the sponsorship of the U.S. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, intended as a long-term strategic asset for research and development in artificial intelligence, information engineering, and human systems. ARLIS combines expertise, research, and development in human behavior, social science, culture, and language with emerging and advanced technologies. This enables development of problem-focused, evidence-based solutions for security and intelligence challenges that can be operationalized quickly and at scale. Learn more at arlis.umd.edu.

About the University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 300 academic programs. As one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright scholars, its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, four Pulitzer Prize winners and 59 members of the national academies. The institution has a $2.2 billion operating budget and secures more than $1 billion annually in research funding together with the University of Maryland, Baltimore. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu.