Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab

What Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab does

PERIL (Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab) is a non-profit research and innovation organization founded in 2018 by Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Brian Hughes at American University in Washington, D.C. The lab applies a public health approach — distinct from surveillance- or security-based models — to design, test, and scale evidence-based interventions that prevent online and offline radicalization, polarization, and extremist violence, with explicit emphasis on serving targeted groups and victims. Its portfolio spans the BRICK toolkit for higher education (including a Hispanic Serving Institutions variant), the DUCC K-5 digital-literacy curriculum, the NVE Tracker and Dashboard covering 42 countries and roughly 600 coded nihilistic violent extremism incidents, the VEER train-the-trainer program funded by a DHS CP3 grant, the CARE community advisory centers, and a gendered-violence program built around a validated Male Supremacy Scale.

The lab's underlying methodology combines social-science survey instrumentation (validated across N=3,116 for MSS), pre- and post-intervention testing of short-form video inoculation content, and an interactive research dashboard for visualizing incident data. Quantified intervention outcomes include a 7.3% reduction in agreement with antisemitic content, an 11.3% improvement in recognizing manipulation tactics, 12–19% increases in protective emotional responses, and a 23.9% boost in willingness to challenge harmful content after brief video exposure.

PERIL's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. In December 2022 it became a social enterprise organization of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation; in 2023 it received the DHS EMW-2022-GR-00095 grant under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention program, supplemented by funding from Lumina Foundation, Joyce Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and DRK Foundation. All resources, toolkits, and publications are distributed free of charge through perilresearch.com and through direct engagements with educators, government officials, faith leaders, and community organizations. In March 2026, PERIL announced a merger with Bedrock, the initiative launched after the September 2022 White House United We Stand Summit co-presented by Miller-Idriss and Braniff, with former DHS CP3 Director Bill Braniff (now PERIL Executive Director) and former DHS CP3 leader Hala V. Furst (Vice Chair) anchoring the transition.

Name

Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab

Legal name

Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab

Website

https://perilresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PERIL is a non-profit research lab at American University that designs, tests, and scales evidence-based tools — including the BRICK, DUCC, NVE Tracker, and VEER programs — to prevent online and offline radicalization and extremism. It serves educators, government officials, caregivers, faith leaders, and community organizations, distributing all resources free of charge through grant-funded programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Extremism and Polarization Prevention Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)

Keywords

• Extremism prevention research
• Digital literacy curriculum
• Community resilience training
• Online radicalization prevention
• Public health approach

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Donations: PERIL operates as a social enterprise organization of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. Funded through grants including Department of Homeland Security's 2023 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grant cycle (VEER program, grant number EMW-2022-GR-00095). Revenue comes from foundation support, donations via American University giving page.
2. Training and Workshop Services: Provides customizable workshops and training programs to organizations, governments, and institutions. Contact-based sales model where organizations reach out to request training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PERIL is a non-profit research and innovation lab that designs, tests, and scales evidence-based tools, curricula, and training programs to prevent online and offline polarization, radicalization, and extremist violence. Its deliverables include toolkits (BRICK, DUCC, Parents & Caregivers Guide, Peacemaker's Toolkit), a research dashboard (NVE Tracker), a train-the-trainer program (VEER), community-based CARE Centers, validated survey instruments (Male Supremacy Scale), and policy advisory services for federal, state, and local officials.

Product overview

PERIL offers a portfolio of research-based prevention tools and programs rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include the BRICK toolkit for higher education campuses, CARE Centers for community-based violence prevention, DUCC curriculum for K-5 digital literacy education, NVE Tracker for nihilistic violent extremism research, VEER train-the-trainer program, and a Gendered Violence portfolio including the Male Supremacy Scale. These products work together through a public health approach—combining educational resources, training programs, research tools, and community advisory services to prevent radicalization and build resilience against extremism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BRICK: Building Resilient & Inclusive Communities of Knowledge toolkit for higher education sector to build resilient campuses and reduce risks associated with polarization and extremism
• CARE
• DUCC
• NVE Tracker
• VEER
• Man Up Podcast
• Bedrock

Products and services

• BRICK Toolkit (Building Resilient & Inclusive Communities of Knowledge) A free toolkit designed for the higher education sector to proactively build resilient campuses and reduce risks associated with polarization and extremism. Includes practical strategies for identifying and responding to radicalization and polarization risks online and offline, with tailored versions for different campus roles and a specialized HSIs edition.
• DUCC Curriculum (Developing & Using Critical Comprehension) A free, non-partisan K-5 digital literacy and social-emotional learning curriculum teaching critical thinking skills. Includes 24 lessons with four lesson plans per grade, four animated videos, and two online games aligned to national standards.
• NVE Tracker and Dashboard (Nihilistic Violent Extremism Tracker) An interactive research tool documenting, analyzing, and visualizing the global landscape of nihilistic violent extremism. The dataset captures incidents from 2011 to present across 42 countries and includes features for temporal trends, legal outcomes, and data export.
• VEER Program (Violent Extremism Education and Resilience) A DHS-funded train-the-trainer program focused on video-based inoculation and pre-bunking methods for preventing radicalization. Builds a network of community leaders with skills to develop prevention and resilience programs tailored to their communities. Includes the VEER Portal, a self-guided online training platform.
• CARE (Community Advisory, Resource, and Education Centers) A community-based field-deployment model placing Field Staff and CARE Centers throughout the United States to provide on-site trainings, support, and resources for communities in the prevention of targeted violence. Combines education, resources, and advisory services using a public health approach.
• Youth Advisory Council (YAC) An advisory board of 8-10 young people ages 18-24 who meet quarterly to discuss trends in online culture including polarization, online harms, misogyny, and extremism, providing project feedback and surfacing emerging needs facing young people.
• Training Programs Research-based and data-driven trainings including BRICK Toolkit, Constructive Speech in Contentious Times, Signs of Youth Radicalization, and Tailored Programs. Customizable workshops, webinars, and comprehensive training programs for educators, practitioners, and governments.
• Public Policy Advisory Services Policy advising and partnership services for federal, state, and local officials to empower individuals and communities to intervene in early radicalization. Includes policy statements, state commission service, briefings, and training sessions for elected officials.
• Protection from Digital Antisemitism Program Uses psychological science to help people protect themselves from antisemitic manipulation through short video interventions that teach recognition of manipulation tactics. Includes threat detection, protection development, and distribution through community networks.
• Parents & Caregivers Guide A free guide for parents, caregivers, and anyone who lives or works with youth that equips them with tools to address radicalization. Includes understanding drivers of radicalization and learning to recognize and respond to extremist propaganda.
• Peacemaker's Toolkit A free guide to peacemaking and building community resilience designed for faith leaders concerned about radicalization within their communities of worship. Covers defining peace, frameworks for action, and understanding patterns of radicalization.
• Male Supremacy Scale (MSS) A 15-item survey instrument measuring contemporary male supremacy with three subscales: Anti-feminism, Female Dishonesty in Relationships, and 'Women Like Alphas'. Developed through iterative factor analytic scale construction across four studies (N=3,116).

Quantifiable outcome

• 7.3% reduction in agreement with antisemitic content after brief video intervention
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BedrockcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Bedrock merged with PERIL in March 2026. PERIL is proud to support Bedrock as an initiative. Bedrock helps local officials identify signs of online extremism to prevent violence and hate crimes. The merger combines anti-extremism research capabilities with practical tools for local officials.
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership including co-development of resources such as the Parents and Caregivers Guide, Building Networks & Addressing Harm guide, and strategies guides for coaches, educators, and mental health professionals. Joint pilot of CARE model in Michigan and Georgia.
• Lumina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on higher education, particularly supporting the BRICK toolkit development and impact evaluation for Building Resilient & Inclusive Communities of Knowledge on campuses.
• Jigsaw (Google)majorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership leveraging Jigsaw's expertise in counter-extremism technology and online safety tools.
• Everytown for Gun SafetymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing the intersection of gun safety, extremism, and political violence. Collaboration on research and resources.
• American UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome institution of PERIL. Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a professor of sociology at American University. The lab is housed within the university and operates as a social enterprise of Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership contributing expertise in public health approaches to violence prevention.
• American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting BRICK toolkit implementation across AASCU member institutions.
• Search for Common GroundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership on conflict resolution and peacebuilding approaches to extremism prevention.
• ISD GlobalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Institute for Strategic Dialogue on extremism research and prevention programs.
• University of Oslo - C-REXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Center for Research on Extremism at University of Oslo.
• Over ZeromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on gendered violence research, including Digital Male Supremacy report collaboration.
• Diversifying and Responding to Hate (Diverting Hate)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on gender-based violence prevention initiatives.
• Seattle (City Government)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Seattle city government on local extremism prevention and community resilience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): SPLC is a direct peer — both organizations track extremism, develop educational resources for parents and educators, and co-develop materials on radicalization (PERIL and SPLC co-published 'Building Networks and Addressing Harm'). SPLC's Hatewatch intelligence function substantially overlaps PERIL's NVE Tracker and extremism research mission.
• Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD): ISD is a direct peer and existing PERIL partner — both conduct applied extremism research, build counter-narrative interventions, and advise governments on preventing radicalization. Their shared focus on online extremism analysis, disinformation monitoring, and youth-targeted prevention makes them highly comparable in mission and methodology.
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL): ADL is a direct peer that tracks extremist incidents, produces educational curricula for schools, and conducts research on antisemitism and hate — directly overlapping with PERIL's Digital Antisemitism program and NVE Tracker. Both organizations produce media-facing research on contemporary hate movements and provide K-12 educational resources.
• Search for Common Ground: Search for Common Ground is a direct peer and existing PERIL partner working on conflict resolution and peacebuilding approaches to extremism prevention internationally. Both use community-centered, public-health-framed interventions targeting polarization and violent conflict in diverse contexts.
• NCITE (National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center): NCITE is a direct peer housed at the University of Nebraska Omaha that conducts counterterrorism and targeted violence prevention research and is named as a peer forum where PERIL presents. Both organizations are DHS-adjacent academic research centers focused on preventing targeted violence.
• University of Maryland START (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism): START is a direct peer research consortium producing terrorist incident databases and counterterrorism research similar to PERIL's NVE Tracker. Both are federally funded academic research centers producing open-source datasets used globally by extremism researchers, analysts, and policymakers.
• Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET): GNET is a direct peer academic research network studying the nexus of extremism and technology with global coverage. Its research outputs, policy briefs, and academic partnerships substantially overlap PERIL's work on online radicalization, technology-facilitated extremism, and evidence-based interventions.
• Over Zero: Over Zero is a direct peer and existing PERIL partner focused on gendered hate research, including the Digital Male Supremacy report collaboration. Both organizations specialize in preventing identity-based violence, conducting applied research, and supporting community-based interventions.

Emerging players

• Moonshot CVE: Moonshot is an emerging player in counter-extremism technology that develops intervention tools targeting violent extremist content online — overlapping with PERIL's video-based inoculation work and Jigsaw partnership activities. Both use evidence-based, technology-enabled approaches to prevent radicalization at scale.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: RAND is a broad incumbent research organization with substantial work on terrorism, social polarization, and violent extremism — research domains that overlap PERIL's academic research outputs. While much larger and broader in scope, RAND represents the kind of established policy-research institution PERIL's research products compete with for federal contracts and academic influence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PERIL_AU

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab