Networks that illegally traffic in everything from people and opioids to human organs and nuclear material pose threats to U.S. health, prosperity and security. Nine new awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will advance the scientific understanding of how such illicit supply networks function -- and how to dismantle them. This image is from an NSF-funded project that developed an analytical framework to simulate slum evolution using Ahmedabad, India as a case study. Research into the impacts of various urban policies contribute to the advancement of national security and welfare through a greater understanding of the worldwide operations of illicit trafficking networks.

Credit: Ishani Mehta, CEPT university, Ahemedabad, India