The Department of Defense’s Weaponized Conspiracies Project at Georgia State University

Context

The Defense’s Weaponized Conspiracies Project is one of the Minerva Research Initiative’s research programs, launched in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It is recognized as a university-based social science research program that tackles issues of strategic significance to national security. Unlike traditional federal funding agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which concentrate on broad scientific advancement or health-related research, the Minerva Initiative specifically focuses on understanding the social, cultural, behavioral, and political forces that influence global regions essential to U.S. interests. Its motto, “Social science for a safer world,” embodies its mission to produce actionable insights that enhance the DoD’s capacity to foresee and respond to emerging security challenges. This article examines the purpose of the Minerva Initiative, highlights some of its funded grants and the universities involved, and explores the specific goals of one notable project: “Weaponized Conspiracies: Mapping the Social Ecology of Misinformation, Radicalization, and Violence.”

The Purpose of the Minerva Research Initiative

The Minerva Research Initiative seeks to bolster the DoD’s intellectual capital by tapping into the expertise of university-based social scientists. Its primary purpose is to fund unclassified, basic research that provides a more in-depth understanding of complex social dynamics relevant to national security. The studies include topics like the drivers of conflict, the impact of cultural forces on stability, and the role of misinformation in shaping public behavior. The initiative seeks to produce knowledge to inform policy decisions and military strategies by fostering collaboration between the DoD and academia. The program typically awards grants for projects spanning three to five years, encouraging multidisciplinary approaches to tackle pressing global issues.

Examples of Funded Grants and Universities

Since its inception, the Minerva Initiative has awarded over 70 grants to researchers across various universities, reflecting its commitment to leveraging top academic talent. Here are a few examples:

Arizona State University

• Arizona State University received a Minerva grant to study how terrorists utilize social media. This project explores the digital strategies that dangerous groups employ to recruit, radicalize, and mobilize individuals, providing insights into countering online extremism.

University of Washington

• In 2024, the University of Washington was funded to research socio-economic vulnerabilities to climate change as part of a $46.8 million grant cycle. This project examines how environmental stressors intersect with social and economic factors to potentially destabilize regions of strategic importance.

Georgia State University

• In March 2021, under Mia Bloom’s leadership, Georgia State University was awarded a $400,000 grant for the project “Weaponized Conspiracies: Mapping the Social Ecology of Misinformation, Radicalization, and Violence.” This research, with a performance period extending to December 2025, investigates the interplay between conspiracy theories, misinformation, and violent outcomes.

These grants illustrate the diversity of topics funded by Minerva, ranging from extremism to environmental security. However, they are linked by their relevance to U.S. defense priorities.

The DoD’s Role in Funding Minerva Projects

Rather than relying on traditional agencies like the NSF or NIH, the DoD’s decision to fund the Minerva Initiative stems from its distinct objectives and operational needs. While the NSF and NIH prioritize fundamental scientific discovery and public health advancements—often with broad, civilian-focused applications—the DoD seeks research directly tied to national security and military strategy. The Minerva Initiative fills a gap by supporting social science research that traditional agencies might overlook due to its specific defense orientation. For instance, understanding how misinformation fuels radicalization or how climate change impacts geopolitical stability is critical for the DoD’s mission to maintain global security but is less aligned with the NSF’s focus on basic science or the NIH’s health-centric mandate.

Moreover, the DoD’s funding reflects a strategic intent to integrate academic insights into its policy-making and operational frameworks. By directly sponsoring this research, the DoD ensures that findings are tailored to its needs, bypassing the broader peer-review processes of civilian agencies that might dilute their immediate applicability to defense contexts. This approach, however, has sparked debate, with some critics arguing that DoD funding could bias research outcomes or militarize academic inquiry—concerns the Minerva Initiative counters by emphasizing its unclassified, transparent nature.

“Weaponized Conspiracies: Mapping the Social Ecology of Misinformation, Radicalization, and Violence”

The “Weaponized Conspiracies” project, led by Mia Bloom at Georgia State University, exemplifies the Minerva Initiative’s focus on emerging threats. Funded in March 2021, this research seeks to understand how conspiracy theories are weaponized to manipulate public opinion and behavior, ultimately aiming to develop strategies to counter the resulting threats of misinformation, radicalization, and violence. Its specific objectives include:

Mapping Misinformation Networks

• The project investigates the social and online ecosystems where conspiracy theories proliferate, identifying key platforms, influencers, and networks that amplify these narratives.

Linking Belief to Action

• It explores how belief in conspiracies can escalate into radicalization and violence, such as terrorism or politically motivated attacks, by analyzing psychological and social triggers.

Crafting Countermeasures

• By dissecting these dynamics, the research aims to propose evidence-based interventions—potentially for policymakers or social media platforms—to disrupt misinformation and prevent its harmful consequences.

Enhancing National Security

• With the DoD’s backing, the project emphasizes the security implications of misinformation, such as adversaries’ potential use in information warfare, aiming to bolster societal resilience.

This research likely draws on real-world cases, such as conspiracy theories around elections or pandemics, to ground its findings in practical, actionable insights. By December 2025, when the project concludes, it aims to offer a comprehensive framework for understanding and mitigating these threats.

On March 7, 2025, the Pentagon notified that they will begin culling social science research, prioritizing technologies for future battlefields through the discontinuation of 91 studies. Examples include:

• The Climate-Food-Urbanization Nexus and the Precursors of Instability in Africa
• Social and Institutional Determinants of Vulnerability and Resilience to Climate Hazards in the African Sahel
• Anticipating Costal Population Mobility: Path to Maladaptation or Sociopolitical Stability
• Comparing Underlying Drivers of South-North Migration in Central America and West Africa Democracy Quest
• The Language of Parasocial Influence and the Emergence of Extremism
• Weaponized Conspiracies
• Beyond the Clock: Understanding Cross-Cultural Temporal Orientation of Military Officers
• Food Fights: War Narratives and Identity Reproduction in Evolving Conflicts
• Future Fish Wars: Chasing Ocean Ecosystem Wealth

Finally

The Minerva Research Initiative was one of the initiatives to bring academia and the DoD together, channeling social science expertise into national security solutions. Through grants to universities like Arizona State, the University of Washington, and Georgia State, it tackles diverse challenges—from online extremism to climate-driven instability. The “Weaponized Conspiracies” project at Georgia State University highlights its forward-thinking approach, addressing the modern menace of misinformation with rigor and purpose. By funding such research directly, the DoD ensured that the knowledge produced aligned with its strategic goals, distinguishing Minerva from traditional federal funding models and reinforcing its role in safeguarding a complex, interconnected world.

However, with the cost-saving directives resulting from the discontinuation of studies in social sciences, priorities will focus solely on battlefield technologies. Funding for projects like Minerva has vanished for universities.

References

Bloom, M. (n.d.). Weaponized conspiracies: Mapping the social ecology of misinformation, radicalization and violence. Georgia State University, Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative. https://tcv.gsu.edu/2024/06/27/grant-news-the-minerva-research-initiative-awards-new-grant-to-georgia-state-university/

Minerva Research Initiative. DoD awards $46.8 million in grants for the Minerva Research Initiative. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3878008/department-of-defense-awards-468-million-in-grants-for-minerva-research-initiat/

National Science Foundation. (n.d.). About NSF. https://www.nsf.gov/about/

National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). About NIH. https://www.nih.gov/about-nih

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. (2021). Fiscal Year 2021 Minerva Research Initiative awards. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/

Final Remarks?

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