cde call influence through cyberspace (released 22 april 2010)

7/29/2019 CDE Call Influence Through Cyberspace (Released 22 April 2010)

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Understanding and Influencingin Cyberspace

Centre for Defence Enterprise call for proposals and expressions of interest

Release Date: 22ndApril 2010

Second Life Twitter

World of

Warcraft

YouTubeFacebook

APP store

Second Life Twitter

World of

Warcraft

YouTubeFacebook

APP store

This call for research aims to explore how human and social behaviour is manifest inthe virtual worlds of cyberspace and how this behaviour might be shaped or influenced.

Nothing herein shall be relied upon as constituting a contract, agreement or representation that any contract shall be offered inaccordance herewith. The MoD reserves the right, subject to the appropriate procurement regulations, to change without notice thebasis of, or the procedures for, or to terminate the process at any time. Under no circumstances shall MoD incur any liability in respectthereof.

www.science.mod.ukwww.dstl.gov.uk

Cyber & Influence S&T [email protected]
http://www.science.mod.uk/http://www.science.mod.uk/http://www.dstl.gov.uk/http://www.dstl.gov.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.dstl.gov.uk/http://www.science.mod.uk/


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Understanding & Influencing in Cyberspace

1. Context

The UK Government spends over 30Bn per year on Defence. The MOD invests over half of thisbudget on equipment, works and miscellaneous stores and services ranging from, for example,tanks, ships and aircraft through to tools, clothing and window cleaning.

The Defence Industrial Strategy1

A recent study

describes MODs future military capability requirements and the

interaction between MOD and the defence supplier base. This strategy stresses the value MODplaces on engagement with a wider supplier base, including the academic sector and smallcompanies, to stimulate innovation and exploit technological advance for the benefit of UKdefence.

2

Advice / Assessments

Single SourceResearch

Single SourceResearch andTechnology

Risk ReductionDemonstrators

Equipment and

Support forOperations

High RiskHigh Impact

Demonstrators

RapidEnterprise

Growth

Seed CornResearch

C o u n t e r T e r r o r i s mCompetition of

Ideas

Grand Challenge DefenceTechnology

Centres

ChallengeWorkshops

Consortia basedResearch and

Technology

Risk ReductionDemonstrators

InternationalResearch

Collaboration Joint FundedResearch andTechnology

Equipment and

Support forOperations

High RiskHigh Impact

Demonstrators

Development of

Solutions inOperations

found that research and development (R&D) accounted for approximately 2.6Bnof the defence budget. Approximately 2.1Bn of this is part of the equipment and supportprogramme. Approximately 500M is centrally managed as a Science, Innovation and Technology(SIT) programme. Figure 1 illustrates the transition from ideas through growth to demonstratorsand on to application, and lists initiatives in place to support each stage.

Figure 1 - R&D Lifecycle Model ("4 box model")

The Defence Industrial Strategy and MOD Innovation Strategy3

emphasises the need for flexibility,agility and responsiveness in developing new technology and concepts to meet emergingcapability needs. The Defence Technology Plan, which was announced in Autumn 2007 andpublicly launched in February 2009, outlines the priorities and direction that MoD requires aresearch programme to deliver. This call forms part of the Human & Social Influence ResearchProgramme of the Cyber & Influence S&T Centre and will complement existing research activitiesidentified within the Defence Technology Plan (DTP) under the Cyber & Influence RDO.

1Defence White Paper: Defence Industrial Strategy Cm6697, published December 2005

2Maximising Defence Capability Through R&D, published October 2007

3Ministry of Defence Innovation Strategy, published December 2007


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IndividualIndividual

PersonalityPersonality

CultureCulture

Team / Group

InformationInformation

EnvironmentEnvironment

ContextContext

IndividualIndividual

PersonalityPersonality

CultureCulture

Team / Group

InformationInformation

EnvironmentEnvironment

ContextContext

2. Problem space

Influence Activities4

affect the character or behaviour of an individual, group or organisation: they realisecognitive effects. Whilst activities in the physical domain will undoubtedly have such effects.the focus ofInformation Activities is in the information domain.

Cyberspace, as part of the information dimension,5

is as much a part of the contemporary operating

environment as the land, sea or air. Moreover, as identified by the National Security Strategy (NSS), it is themost important new domain in national security of recent years.

6

Its existence is undeniable, and has beenfor a period of decades, yet it remains a poorly understood domain which is all-too-often seen as thepreserve of computer specialists.

Whilst Defence activities are known primarily for their physical effect upon the real world, there isincreasing interest in their ability to create effects, by means of military influence activities, in thecognitive domain, often described in terms of the battle for hearts and minds. Whilst capabilities toanalyse and understand human behaviour and attitudes do exist, these have focused on people inthe physical world: there has been relatively little emphasis on how behaviour and attitudes arerevealed, and can be shaped by, on-line activity within the new media. Cyberspace, socialnetworking and virtual worlds have created new environments within which people can inte ract and

therefore represent new and challenging areas of research for human and social scientists 7

and asa domain within which Influence can be exerted.

Being able to affect human & social behaviourdemands an understanding of how thisbehaviour is shaped, not simply by technologybut by multiple factors - personality, motivation,attitudes, social identity, organisational andsocial norms and cultural practices as well asthe wider context within which it occurs.

Analysis of these factors enables the planningand evaluation (measuring effect) of influenceefforts and potentially facilitates the forecastingof human and social behaviour in response tointerventions of all types.

In the first instance, the focus is on currentmanifestations of cyber or social media. Thusthe creation of new virtual worlds, immersiontechnologies and devices are seen as being ofsecondary importance to the underpinninghuman & social science issues.

This document provides an overview of some key human & social science challenges. It should bestressed that these are provided to shape and stimulate thought and should not constrain potentialresearch ideas or approaches, nor should they be seen as exhaustive. Individual proposals shouldnot seek to tackle all facets outlined here but should rather seek to make a contribution in aspecific domain of interest.

4Joint Doctrine Note 1/07

5JDP 0-01, British Defence Doctrine (3

rdEdition), (UK: MoD, 2008), para.240.

6National Security Strategy: Annual Update 2009, (UK: Cabinet Office), Jun 09, para.46.

7It is assumed that a wide range of human and social science disciplines are needed: psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.


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3. Specific areas of interestThis CDE call is looking for innovative proposals that when combined will span the 3 specific areas and the 3 foci (audiences) shown below:

FOCUS

AREAS INDIVIDUAL TEAM / GROUP WIDER AUDIENCE

UNDERPINNING

HUMAN &

SOCIAL SCIENCE

What is the relationship between online and off-line human and social behaviour?

Are online personae real orauthentic? In what way?

How much does the online selfreveal about the personality ofthe real self?

Do group & social norms evolve on-line in the same way as in the realworld?

Can the loose ties of connectedindividuals online transition into tightlybonded groups?

How does social identity and socialinfluence operate online?

Are protest or neighbourhood watchgroups different on-line? Will peopleparticipate more online and why?

INFORMATION

GATHERING

& ANALYSIS

How do we observe and analyse online human and social behaviour?

How can we verify the identity &credibility of individuals that haveonly virtual presence?

Do linguistic analysis techniquesapply on-line, i.e. in Texts, onTwitter?

How to study online groups? Can weuse existing social media / games orwill we need to develop our own?

Is online group activity sufficient ordoes it necessarily lead to off-lineactivity?

How can we use new media to betterassess public opinion and attitudes?

What defines key voices or opinionformers on-line? What analyses mightsupport this identification?

ENGAGEMENT,

PERSUASION,

INFLUENCE

How do we engage with, shape or influence human and social behaviour in cyberspace?

How does communications

synchronicity impact on thedevelopment of onlineinterpersonal relationships?

How is trust created / lost?

What causes online groups to lose

coherence, change goals, fragment? How does a newcomer establish

credibility / rapport with a virtualgroup?

How can social marketing go wrong?

Can we learn from others mistakes? How can we use immersive games as a

channel for our messages?

There is also interest in the procedural and methodological issues inherent in the cyber domain. These include:

How do we deal with problems of data and research / experimentation in this domain?

Can we reliably use second life or other virtual worlds as experimental vehicles?

What ethical / legal issues are there in this area as an experimental area?


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4. Getting involved

Proposals for the Understanding & Influencing in Cyberspaceprogramme are invited from industryand academia.

Proposals in response to this call should be submitted via the CDE process. Proposals should befor a maximum duration of twelve months and can be for full or partial MoD funding. There is no

cap on the value of proposals but it is more likely that a larger number of lower value proposals(20k - 50k) will be funded than a smaller number of higher value proposals. Proposals for thefirst stage of a larger project will be considered provided that a clear indication of the timeline andscope of the complete project is included.

Assessment of the proposals will be conducted using the PAF (Performance AssessmentFramework).

It is important for suppliers to understand that the Understanding & Influencing in Cyberspaceprogramme is focussed on looking at innovative concepts, underpinned by human sciences andfocused on delivering practical solutions. Suppliers are urged to submit their best ideas, regardlessof how unusual or outrageous they may at first appear.

Before submitting a proposal you should read carefully the guidance on the CDE website. Inparticular you should note that the standard terms and conditions of the CDE must beunequivocally accepted in order for a proposal to be considered.

In order to distinguish responses to this call the title of proposals should start with the words CyberInfluence proposal and, if possible, should identify which sub-area they are aimed at addressing.

The timeline for CDE proposals is as follows:

22 April 2010 - CDE seminar: Call opens.

7 June 2010 - Call closes.

21 June 2010 - Decision Conference takes place.

5 July 2010 - Target for contract placement

We are happy to informally discuss your proposal prior to submission. Detailed queries should beaddressed to:

Cyber & Influence S&T Centre

Porton DownSalisburyWiltshireSP4 0JQ

01980 [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

cde call influence through cyberspace (released 22 april 2010)

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