Local Government Mobilization Center
| Initiative: | Local Government Mobilization Center |
| University: | UH, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences |
| Focus: | Homeland Security |
Home Department
Center for Public Policy (CPP), Political Science, and Economics
Key Faculty
Professor Richard Murray, Professor Barton Smith
Program Description
The Local Government Mobilization Center will study ways to effectively mobilize local governments in response to security threats such as biological, chemical, and nuclear WMD attacks. Studies would focus on optimal forms of local government, interaction of local and federal governments, mobilization of local governments, local government communication networks, as well as how emergency systems could parallel, enhance, or degrade normal local political institutions and systems.
Priorities Addressed
Homeland Security
Background and Qualifications
CPP already has faculty experts in the areas of the local economy and local politics. Houston is an international trade center and a multiethnic city which qualifies it as a high threat area. The university has expertise in the areas of international economics and foreign languages which would give the center the perspective to respond to the unique threats faced by a global city.
Federal Agency
Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Division, Homeland Security Centers of Excellence
Annual Budget
| Research Faculty | $500,000 |
| Administration | $200,000 |
|
Research Support (research assistants, tech support, equipment) |
$200,000 |
| Other M&O | $100,000 |
| TOTAL | $1,000,000 |
This proposal is for a new center including a research faculty that would be affiliated with the two departments and the CPP. The research assistants would be graduate students, and the research faculty would be nontenure track or part-tenure track with some teaching in the departments. Pursuit of other federal funding would be a priority.
