The CIARE research center provides a forum that can be used by faculty, students, and professionals from the public and private sectors. This collaboration helps to identify the issues on IA and cyber security that need to be solved. The Center will be a vehicle for: training, research, invention, innovation, education, public awareness, entrepreneurship, economic development, and dissemination of best practices.

Research in information assurance is supported by the Wireless IA Laboratory facilities, the Turing Lab, the HPC Lab, and the DoD sponsored Windows to the Caribbean facilities. All these labs and equipment are used to enhance IA collaboration with some of the mainland universities and local four year institutions.

The goal of this effort is to strengthen the existing and new industries and the overall economic development in the state of Puerto Rico. PUPR is in the process of developing joint research projects in computer security and encouraging the practice of emerging security standards with minority institutions. Another important goal is to initiate a program of collaboration with top universities nationwide.

The CIARE will center its efforts on the following activities:

• An early priority is to offer technical certification, training, workshops, conferences, lectures, as a continuing education to professionals. There will be special training for teachers and high school students.

• Strengthen the Master in Science in Computer Science with a specialization in IA through the recruitment of top faculty researchers.

• Collaborating research with the public and private sectors, including individuals.

• Attract and retain outstanding PhD faculty/researchers for the MS CS program.

• Provide consulting services.

• Participate in joint development partnerships.

• Promote best practices in IA & cyber security.

Outreach Initiatives

The Center emphasizes on the participation of underrepresented groups. One of the aims is to expand our collaboration with the four-year colleges in Puerto Rico and sponsor some of their best senior students to participate in the IA research projects. To encourage undergraduate participation we will set up a committee to work closely with students in the four-year colleges. We will also include an outreach program to high-school students and teachers. Part of this outreach program will be making university short courses in IA available to high schools and allowing teachers to attend workshops in IA.