New Laboratory Focuses on Big Data Analysis
The National Security Agency and North Carolina State University have partnered to establish the Laboratory for Analytic Sciences (LAS) on NC State's Centennial Campus in Raleigh.
Located near Research Triangle Park, the laboratory will be a cornerstone of the emerging advanced data innovation hub at NC State, bringing together some of the brightest minds from government, academia, and industry to collaborate on the most challenging big data problems. NSA's Research Directorate will take the lead in organizing the LAS research program.
"We have chosen the Research Triangle area for its vibrant academic and industry interest in large data analytics, and NC State for having the nation's first, and preeminent, advanced degree program in data analytics," said Dr. Michael Wertheimer, Director of Research, NSA. "By immersing intelligence analysts with NC State's diverse group of scientists, we hope to discover new and powerful ways to meet our foreign signals intelligence and information assurance missions - giving us an edge to better protect the nation."
NC State's strong connections to national industry leaders and other leading research universities, including Duke and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, further solidified NC State as the ideal location for the LAS. The new enterprise is expected to bring 100 new jobs to the area over the next five years.
"NC State is a leader in developing partnerships that solve the challenges facing society and promote innovative products and solutions to improve the lives of people around the globe," said NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson. "We appreciate the confidence of NSA to select NC State for this groundbreaking endeavor," he continued. "Not only will it enhance the academic experience for our students and faculty, it will also add to the economic prosperity of our community through new jobs, new industry, and new partnerships."
The mission of the National Security Agency and its military component, the Central Security Service, is to protect national security systems and to produce foreign signals intelligence information. Projects undertaken at the LAS will help NSA meet this ongoing challenge while also producing analytic techniques that will drive future commercial and academic endeavors.
Applying scientific methodologies to the analytic environment will enable the LAS to offer a fresh perspective on the future of analysis. By analyzing mission problems in a way that starts with the science base, the LAS will develop breakthrough capabilities and be uniquely positioned to harness the power of academic and commercial advances.
"The LAS is founded on the principles of collaboration and innovation, as evidenced by our choice of location, our multi-disciplinary staff, and our approach to problem solving," said LAS Director J. David Harris. "Research at the LAS will build upon existing analysis and analytics solutions, rethinking the enormous challenges and opportunities that are emerging as a result of big data."
The NSA Research Directorate creates breakthroughs in mathematics, science, and engineering. These discoveries enable NSA to achieve and sustain intelligence advances against immediate and emerging threats to U.S. national security. As the only "in-house" organization in the Intelligence Community dedicated to advancing intelligence through science, the Research Directorate provides a consistent advantage over the scientific discoveries of industry, academia, and adversarial nations.
More information about the National Security Agency is available online at NSA.gov.