About us

Mission:
The future strength and resiliency of homeland security rests upon the diverse and highly talented science and technology leadership community represented within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Student Program.

The DHS Student & Alumni Network

DHS University Programs

DHS Centers of Excellence

DHS Education Programs

Science & Technology Minority-Serving Institutions Program

The DHS Student and Alumni Network serves to:

Tom O'Sullivan '07 - '08 President	Diana David '07 - '08 Vice President	Clint Leysath '06-'07 Past President

- President's Message -- December 2007

- Become involved in the DHS Network Leadership team

- Contact us

DHS University Programs

The Office of University Programs at the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate is investing in the Nation’s colleges and universities to conduct multidisciplinary research and education for homeland security. University Programs brings together leading experts from intersecting fields of study to develop essential research and technologies to deter terrorism and reduce damages from natural hazards. University Programs also supports the development of curricula, as well as faculty, students, and well-trained professionals, to be the next generation of academic and professional homeland security leaders.

When it passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Congress directed the S&T Directorate to establish university-based Centers of Excellence in critical research areas. Through its competitive selection process, the Directorate supports the best qualified colleges and universities for these Centers. These institutions deliver the best and brightest researchers available from their own talent pool and through collaborations with other agencies, laboratories, organizations, and the private sector.

The Centers of Excellence are closely aligned with the S&T Directorate’s six enduring divisions, as well as cross-cutting initiatives and responsibilities. This divisional alignment provides strong linkages between University Programs and customers within and beyond DHS, including the Office of Infrastructure Protection, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, the business community, and first responders.

DHS Centers of Excellence

Since 2003, University Programs has been establishing a series of DHS Centers of Excellence, each concentrating on topics vital to homeland security. The Centers are led by universities in collaboration with various research partners.

The Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), led by the University of Southern California

The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), led by the University of Minnesota

The National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD), led by Texas A&M University

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), led by the University of Maryland

The National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER), led by Johns Hopkins University

The Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA), led by Michigan State University and funded jointly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Discrete Sciences University Affiliate Centers (UACs), led by Rutgers University, which collaborate with the Institute for Discrete Sciences at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The Regional Visualization and Analytics Centers (RVACs), led by Stanford University, which collaborate with the National Visualization and Analytics Center at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Student researchers at the DHS Research and Education Centers:

Nearly 300 undergraduate through post-doctoral students are engaged in research activites relevant to critical homeland security needs at the DHS Research and Education Centers. These individuals provide critical support to the individual missions of the various projects being developed at nearly 70 university partners.

DHS Education Programs

University Programs supports several education programs to develop the scientific and technical leadership needed for the Nation’s future security. Through scholarships, fellowships, and other initiatives, the office is sponsoring high performers at all degree levels, from associate degrees at community colleges to PhDs at premier universities.

The Scholarship and Fellowship Program provides: 1. Individual scholarships for undergraduate and fellowships for graduate students pursuing degrees in homeland security-focused courses of study, and 2. Institutional scholarship and fellowship awards to support students in established homeland security programs of study.

The Postdoctoral Research Associateship Program provides one-year awards to postdoctoral scientists and engineers who have held their doctoral degree for less than five years, and are of exceptional ability or proven achievement.

The AAAS Fellows Program in National Defense and Global Security is one of six policy fellowship programs for science and technology operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The Visiting Scholars Program provides opportunities for faculty and researchers to work side by side with Federal professionals and researchers at a DHS or National Laboratory for up to 18 months, helping to integrate research and education.

The Summer Internship Program provides rising undergraduate juniors and seniors with the opportunity to work along side homeland security professionals and researchers for 10 weeks during the summer.

S&T Minority Serving Institutions Program

The S&T Directorate also has developed significant engagements with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). DHS is committed to providing broad opportunities to representatives of every American community to become the scientific and homeland security leaders of tomorrow. In addition, University Programs strongly supports the participation of MSIs in the Centers of Excellence, both as partners and as lead institutions.

MSI Leadership Grants combine early career grants to promising investigators in homeland security scientific and technology disciplines with scholarships and fellowships for students, from associates to doctoral levels. The goal of this program is to develop the research programs, curricula, and student participation for homeland security-focused programs at MSIs.

The Summer Research Team Program for MSIs provides an opportunity for highly qualified faculty and student research teams from MSIs to enrich their research skills and increase their knowledge of the DHS mission through a summer of research projects at a Center of Excellence.

For More Information

Visit: www.dhs.gov/universityprograms Or Contact: universityprograms@dhs.gov