Ruppersberger and Mikulski Announce Intelligence Facility Will Stay at UMD – College Park

(Washington, D.C.)- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) today joined the University of Maryland to celebrate the announcement of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) will be permanently headquartered in College Park. IARPA is currently based at M Square's Center for Advanced Study of Language, the nation's largest foreign language research facility. 

IARPA will conduct cutting-edge, out-of-the-box, long-term, science and technology research across multiple agencies in the Intelligence Community.  IARPA is modeled after the military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).  The goal is to hire some of the best minds in the industry to stay ahead of Russia and China and generate revolutionary capabilities to arm the Intelligence Community with the latest advancements as they work to protect our country. 

"This is great news for Maryland and shows that the University of Maryland will continue to be a center for technology and innovation that will keep our country safe.  In order to stay a step ahead of the enemy, we must ensure our warfighters and intelligence workers have access to the latest in technology and innovation.  IARPA will help us to do that," said Congressman C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Chairman of the Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee. 

"Our intelligence community is facing new threats and new challenges everyday - IARPA develops the new innovations and technologies to keep us safe at home and abroad," said Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD).  "I can think of no better place than the University of Maryland, College Park, for IARPA's headquarters.  Its innovative academic research, world-class facilities, and close proximity to federal intelligence agencies make it an excellent choice.  I will continue to fight to make sure we are making the right investments to develop the new ideas that will protect us."

"The University of Maryland is excited to play a role in the creation of IARPA," says University of Maryland President C. Dan Mote, Jr.  "IARPA opens a new chapter in the nation's capacity to address its security challenges both those that are known today and those that are sure to come.  The University's education and research programs will serve IARPA extremely well."

As members of the Senate and House Select Committees on Intelligence, Senator Mikulski and Congressman Ruppersberger have worked for several months against attempts to move IARPA out of Maryland and to permanently establish and expand IARPA's headquarters on the university campus in Prince George's County.  Construction of a new facility will be completed in early 2009.  IARPA will make Maryland a high-tech center for intelligence research and development.  This facility will bring together government, academia and the private sector - creating jobs and developing technology to improve our national and economic security. 

IARPA consolidates the NSA's Disruptive Technology office, previously called the Advanced Research and Development Activity, the NGA's National Technology Alliance, and the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Intelligence Technology Innovation Center.

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