Disasters and humanitarian crises are characterized by uncertainty due to lack of timely information, conflicting information and inaccurate information. Coupled with a fast pace of change in the facts on the ground, all too often this uncertainty hinders the effectiveness of relief efforts by impacting decision making and can result in critical resources not being allocated where most needed.  Natural disasters, disease outbreaks, war, regional conflicts, and terrorist acts all can threaten the stability of any government or civilian population as well as increase threats on our deployed forces. Therefore, being equipped to rapidly and effectively respond to all kinds of disasters and crises is not only a humanitarian responsibility, but also a security measure.

Our work in this domain focuses on command and control, planning, and resource allocation to help maximize emergency response effectiveness at the local, state and national levels.  This is achieved by facilitating course of action development through decision support, resource optimization algorithms, and effectiveness tracking as relief efforts unfold.  In addition, we are developing capabilities for health crisis monitoring through social media and field decision support using mobile apps.

Unique Technical Approach