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Research

BTI addresses real-world challenges as they relate to borders, trade and travel, and immigration research. These challenges have been defined by our customers and stakeholders, such as Customs and Border Protection Office of Trade, Office of Field Operations, and U.S. Border Patrol Strategic Planning and Analysis Directorate. 

BTI partners with industry and community in order to transition research into technology and policies. The Institute accomplishes this by working closely with partners and researchers to identify opportunities, pursuing joint proposals, and collaborative conferences.

If you have an idea that you believe would address a Homeland Security challenge, then visit the Partner with BTI page for more information. 

Current Projects

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Tactical Mapping of Border Security Impacts: El Paso Sector
Mayra Maldonado, Hunt Institute
Research Theme: Border Security
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Addressing Cross Border E-Commerce Challenges with Emerging Technologies
Weidong "Larry" Shi, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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Assessment of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Program
Andrew Farrelly, CT Strategies
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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DNA Assays for Determining Honey Origins
Richard Willson, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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Measuring Border Wait Time at Land Ports of Entry: Technology Assessment and Data Dissemination
Juan Carlos Villa, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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The Road Less Traveled: Bolstering the Absorptive Capacity of Southern Central American States to Facilitate the Southern Flow of Northern Triangle Immigrants
Marcus Boyd, Ph.D., START
Research Theme: Immigration
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Mexican and Northern Triangle Perspectives on Mass Migration: Identifying and Assessing Strategic Narrative Alignment
Skye Cooley, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University
Research Theme: Immigration
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Economic Motivations of Migrants from the Northern Triangle
Detlof von Winterfeldt, Ph.D., USC CREATE
Research Theme: Immigration
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Developing a Regional Approach to Managing Migration Flows from the Northern Triangle through Mexico to the United States
Andrew Selee, Ph.D., Migration Policy Institute
Research Theme: Immigration

Complete Projects

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EDGE: The "Eye in the Woods" Image-based Human Detection and Recognition System: Phase II

Ioannis Kakadiaris, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Border Security
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Validating Deterrence Models for Scanning Technologies

George Thompson, ANSER Inc.
Research Theme: Border Security
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Image and Video Person Identification in an Operational Environment: Phase I

Ioannis Kakadiaris, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Border Security
facesinthewild

Unconstrained Face Recognition using Cell Phone Devices: Faces in the Wild

Thirimachos Bourlai, Ph.D., West Virginia University
Dimitris Metaxas, Ph.D., Rutgers University
Research Theme: Border Security
vulnerability-assessment

A Systematic Process for Vulnerability Assessment of Biometric Systems at Borders

Bojan Cukic, Ph.D., the University of Northern Carolina at Charlotte
Research Theme: Border Security
misseddetections

Missed Detections: From Data to Actionable Estimates

Dennis Egan, Ph.D., Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis
Research Theme: Border Security
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Exploring Homeland Security Applications for Unmanned Autonomous Systems at Maritime Ports

Ben Rohrbaugh, Lantern UAS
David Hansell, Lantern UAS
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
blockchain

Transforming Trade and Ensuring Global Supply Chain Security with Blockchain

Larry Shi, Ph.D., University of Houston
Eleftherios Iakovou, Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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Modeling Methodology and Simulation of Port-of-Entry Systems

Benjamin Melamed, Ph.D., Rutgers University
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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GPS/GNSS and Communication Authentication Standards for Reusable Electronic Conveyance Devices (RECONS)

Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, University of Minnesota 
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
poa

Participatory Operational Assessment: Evaluating and Predicting the Operational Effectiveness of Cargo Security Processes at Ports of Entry

Maria Burns, University of Houston
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
exportcontrols

Leveraging U.S. Export Control Reform: New Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Government Efforts to Counter WMD Proliferation through Enforcement of Export Controls

Robert Shaw, Ph.D., Middlebury Institute of International Studies 
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
supplychain

Secure and Transparent Cargo Supply Chain: Enabling Chain-of-Custody and Economical and Privacy Respecting Biometrics, and Blockchain Technology

Larry Shi, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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Developing a Concept of Operations for an Innovative System for Measuring Wait Times at Land Ports of Entry

Juan Villa, Texas A&M Transportation Institute 
Research Theme: Legitimate Trade and Travel
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Venezuela and Nicaragua: A Regional Migration Crisis in the Making

Andrew Selee, Ph.D., Migration Policy Institute
Randy Capps, Ph.D., Migration Policy Institute
Research Theme: Immigration
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Modeling International Migrant Flows: Theory, Evidence, and Forecasts

David Leblang, Ph.D., University of Virginia 
Research Theme: Immigration
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Central America's Immigrant and Refugee Crisis: Limiting Unauthorized Migration through the Alliance for Prosperity and Reintegration Efforts

Randy Capps, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Immigration
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Impact of Central American Child and Family Migration on U.S. Communities

Eric Hershberg, Ph.D., American University
Jodi Berger Cardoso, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Immigration
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Uncovering Human Smuggling Patterns from Guatemala to the U.S.

Gary Hale, Voir Dire International LLC 
Research Theme: Immigration
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Immigration Workshop

Luis Torres, Ph.D., University of Houston
Research Theme: Immigration