Award for Fundamental Research in Socio-Mathematics of Information and Influence
BRO-20-SOMAII
Grants.gov  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=328111
Current Closing Date for Applications: August 28, 2020 at 4:00 pm Eastern time.

The fundamental science behind the objective of this topic covers multiple, coupled areas, thus requiring a combination of expertise, for example: computer science and machine learning, mathematics, cognitive psychology and sociology, network theory and/or game theory. Some specific research topics to be addressed in this undertaking may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1.  Carefully designed mathematical abstractions based on behavioral science for modeling the agent’s psychological and social variables, e.g.: emotional and cognitive states, human intent and belief, and group dynamics. These models should include approaches to multi-scale clustering for accurate comprehension and modeling of aggregate behavior, e.g. individual – group – nation.
2.   Game-theoretical and Machine Learning concepts, e.g. multi-agent reinforcement learning (RL) or distributional RL, as well as other innovative ideas that can consider a hybrid distribution of irrational and rational agents, including artificial ones (e.g. bots).
3.   Efficient mathematical methods and algorithms to detect malicious intent and learn agent behavior and objectives from limited and noisy observations.
4.  Concepts and methods for strategy optimization (inverse design), which may include counter-messaging, network-based intervention, or other means.