At a time when homeland security remains a top focus of government and academe, West Virginia University will host 55 of the world’s leading biometrics experts April 29-May 2 to develop a consensus for a biometric research agenda.

The workshop, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and coordinated by the Biometric Knowledge Center at WVU (BKnC), will be held at Lakeview Resort and Conference Center. Participants will deliberate research issues ranging from the development of new technologies to societal implications.

“WVU is breaking new ground in the areas of biometrics and information assurance research and education,”said President David C. Hardesty Jr.”We are excited to be hosting an event of such international importance that will no doubt attract some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the field.”

Experts from Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom will join researchers from across the United States at this event.

Biometrics is the use of unique identifying characteristics such as fingerprints, retina and voice scans to distinguish individuals from one another. The techniques can be used to verify the identity of an individual compared to a template, or in more challenging situations, to differentiate a single individual from among many others.

“The war on terrorism has been under way for more than 18 months, but the nation has yet to develop a long-range research agenda to fill anticipated biometric technology requirements,”said Edwin Rood, workshop co-chairman and director of WVU ’s BKnC.”This workshop will bring together experts in the various biometric disciplines including nature science, engineering, social science, political science, economics and others.”

The Biometric Knowledge Center was formed last year with a Research Challenge Grant from the State of West Virginia to foster scholarly biometric research, to connect that research with economic development, and to conduct outreach programs to enhance public awareness and understanding of biometrics.

Workshop topics will address many of the questions dealt with daily at the BKnC, Rood noted, including:

• What biometric technologies are currently used, currently available but not yet used, and in development that could be used in the future?

• What measures of effectiveness are required to ensure that these technologies help to provide security?

• What are the social and political implications of biometric technologies for personal security and preservation of individual liberties and for lifestyle within our society?

• What are the economic versus effectiveness trade-offs implementing these technologies, and how is the workforce created?

Presenters during the workshop include Rama Chellappa, University of Maryland; Charles L. Wilson, National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Steve Goldberg, Georgetown University Law Center. One of the featured banquet speakers is W. Russell Neuman, Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House.

Findings from the workshop will be documented by a writing committee, and then presented and defended to the NSF and the scientific community, Rood said. Much of the ensuing discussion of the Biometrics Research Agenda will take place at the Biometrics Symposium, co-sponsored by the BknC and the National Science Foundation, in September.

“Previous meetings addressed narrow aspects of biometrics and did not bring together a broad range of biometrics researchers,”Rood said.”This workshop will consider the critical multidisciplinary issues of this growing field as they pertain to security and privacy. We are truly excited about it.”