CIRAT was created in 1995 to enhance the intelligence-related hands-on skills of its student researchers/analysts and exploit the experience of its staff to produce a wide variety of tailored, open source intelligence (OSINT) products for diverse customers by developing contracts, grants and partnerships to that end. (client list )

Clients recognize that CIRAT provides them with the flexibility of trained individuals or teams that can respond to unmet open source research and analytical needs in surge situations or long term requirements.

The hundreds of advanced intelligence students available through CIRAT also represent a unique validating test bed for intelligence concepts, applications and software.

CIRAT is increasingly being chosen to develop tailored intelligence-related training for government and the private sector because of the established ability to MCIIS to blend theory and application into its academic courses. Several of these tailored courses have recently been licensed to federal agencies, and in some cases will be taught by CIRAT instructors. CIRAT staff are the authors of several intelligence studies textbooks and articles (link)

CIRAT provides consultants to several academic institutions which are developing intelligence studies programs. As the innovator of the applied intelligence studies concept it understands the challenges arising from such an effort and is capable of assisting in all phases of the process, from start to finish.

The Great Lakes Intelligence Initiative (GLII) was begun by MCIIS in mid 2006, with the goal of developing a knowledge-led community in Northwest Pennsylvania. Built around the “knowledge society” concepts of Peter Drucker and the advanced “knowledge worker” skills of MCIIS students and graduates, the GLII seeks to develop innovative educational efforts at pre-secondary, secondary and college levels that advance intelligence production capabilities, while creating awareness in the infrastructure of Northwest Pennsylvania, particularly business and manufacturing, to the value of intelligence in their respective worlds.

CIRAT serves as the research and operational arm of GLII.