Science Blog -- Top Homeland Security Programs to be Cited in First Nat'l Award Program of its kind Created Since 9-11; Mitretek Systems, Harvard Join Forces

Top Homeland Security Programs to be Cited in First Nat'l Award Program of its kind Created Since 9-11; Mitretek Systems, Harvard Join Forces

4/27/2004

From: Edna Davis of Mitretek Systems, 703-610-1953 or Edavis@mitretek.org, Web: http://www.mitretek.org; or Doug Gavel of Harvard University, 617-495-8290, Web: http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Mitretek Systems and the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's prestigious JFK School, are accepting nominations for the first annual Mitretek Innovations in Homeland Security Award. This is the first major national award program of its kind created since 9/11, to discover, recognize, and honor, the most effective programs designed to address homeland security. Through the Award, Mitretek, a leading technology company operating in the public interest, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government will identify, explore, and highlight creative and effective government solutionsand the leaders behind themto the nation's homeland security concerns. All innovative government programs and public-private ventures in the field of homeland security are encouraged to apply for the Mitretek Innovations in Homeland Security Award.

The Mitretek-Harvard partnership is also bolstered by a panel of highly credentialed leaders and experts in the field who will be involved in the final selection of a winner drawn from diverse nominations from all over the country. The selection panel includes experts such as Patricia McGinnis, president and CEO, Council for Excellence in Government, and Kurt M. Campbell, The Henry Kissinger chair in National Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies. It will be the task of this panel to select a winner from among finalists who have been visited by representatives of the panel. The five finalists will gather in Cambridge, Mass., to participate in a final round of presentations and to appear at the prestigious Harvard Forum on Sept. 13, 2004 where the public will be able to ask them questions about their programs. An announcement of the finalist and winner of the Award will be made early in Fall 2004 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

All nominations are accepted as of today on-line at http://www.HomelandSecurityInnovations.org. The deadline for the 2004 Mitretek Innovations in Homeland Security Award is May 24, 2004. All rules and details for applying are included on the Web site.

The criteria for this award reflects a conviction held by leaders at both Mitretek and Harvard that the "front lines" in security are in local communities around the country and consequently the best practices, or programs that most effectively address homeland security concerns are emerging from local and statewide efforts that support national objectives. Successful applicants will demonstrate their leadership by showing how they creatively reduced barriers to innovative and effective interjurisdictional solutions for all kinds of homeland security challenges. With this award the most effective and innovative programs will gain national attention and be more effectively integrated in to urgent national policy and practice.

The Mitretek Innovations in Homeland Security Award represents an important collaboration between Mitretek Systems, a nonprofit scientific research and systems engineering company that operates solely in the public interest, and the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, sponsor of the Innovations in American Government Awards. This award is patterned, in part, after the twenty-year old Innovations program which is underwritten by an endowment established by The Ford Foundation.

Speaking of the Award, Mitretek CEO Lydia Thomas said, "To meet today's security challenges, we need new thinking, new approaches and new partnerships. America's greatest assets in defeating global terrorism and securing the homeland are the genius of our people and the free exchange of ideas. This award is intended to illuminate the best ideas of those on the front lines, share how they are put into practice in communities across the nation, and open a dialogue so that we can build on what works and inspire new solutions to the challenges of a new century."

Harvard's Ash Institute was invited to partner with Mitretek because of its track record in managing the Innovations in Government Program. According to its Director, Gowher Rizvi, "By identifying, evaluating, and disseminating some of the most creative and effective federal, state, and local initiatives in the field of homeland security, the Mitretek Innovations Award will contribute to the vital conversation of not whether we feel safer, but whether we are safer. Because of the Award, we will have a better understanding of three questions. What works? How do we know it works? And, how do we get others to adopt what works."