Frequently Asked Questions
Why is CIAG affiliated with the University of Virginia and its School of Medicine?
CIAG was founded in 2002 within the University of Virginia School of Medicine by Dean Robert Carey, who appointed Dr. Gregory Saathoff as Associate Professor of Research in what is now the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. CIAG is housed in the School of Medicine because its work sits at the intersection of emergency response and human behavior during crises — both areas of core focus for the School. This home has opened doors to meaningful partnerships, including work with the American Red Cross.
CIAG has a long-standing commitment to UVA students. Undergraduate and graduate students with Federal Work Study grants support the group’s day-to-day work, gaining hands-on experience in the process. Developing student leaders is a core part of CIAG’s mission, and many UVA alumni have spoken warmly about the leadership skills they built through CIAG’s national and international conferences.
Although CIAG at the University of Virgina arose out of the government’s expressed need to reach out to international expertise in times of crisis, it has been multidisciplinary from the beginning, and has received grant and contract funding from a number of federal agencies, in addition to generous gifts from individuals and the private sector.
CIAG has collaborated with the American National Red Cross, as well as the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CIAG also has worked with a variety of University of Virginia departments and other universities.
Within the University of Virginia, CIAG has collaborated with
- Darden School of Business
- School of Law
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- Miller Center for Public Affairs
- Department of Emergency Medicine
- Blue Ridge Poison Center
- Department of Public Health Sciences
Beyond the University of Virginia, CIAG members have collaborated closely on projects with faculty, including faculty from
- Harvard Medical School
- Johns Hopkins University
- Duke University School of Medicine
- University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
- Uniformed Services University
- James Madison University
- The George Washington University
- George Mason University
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
- Swedish National Defence College
- King’s College London
- Queen’s College, University of Oxford
- London School of Economics
In addition, CIAG has benefited from collaborations with