DHS Science & Technology Directorate (10/06)

The terrible events of September 11, 2001 transformed the country. The President’s subsequent National Strategy for Homeland Security made clear that the science and technology expertise the Nation possesses must be harnessed and brought together, to counter both terrorist events and natural disasters.

The work carried out in the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in partnership with the private sector, national laboratories, and universities helps push the innovation envelope, and drives development and use of high technology in support of the Department’s operational units.

Toward this end, S&T is:
• Creating a customer focused, output-oriented, full-service S&T management organization that is consistent with its enabling legislation
• Incorporating lessons learned since the start-up of DHS to sharpen its focus on executing mission-oriented programs
• Providing leadership and resources to develop the intellectual basis that is essential to future mission success

S&T is focusing on enabling our customers — the DHS components — and their customers, including Border Patrol agents, Coast Guardsmen, airport baggage screeners, Federal Air Marshals, emergency responders and the many others teamed and committed to the vital mission of securing the Nation.

What we do… How we do it…How we work…
S&T is results oriented – balancing risk, cost, impact, and time to delivery. We engage the Nation’s most able researchers – urging them to look beyond the obvious and ask what comes next. We must get cutting edge capabilities to the front lines, leveraging other Federal agencies, academia, industry, national labs, and international partners to develop the most urgently needed solutions – and must also provide for leap-ahead improvements in all homeland security mission areas.
Our six Divisions address critical needs spanning basic research through advanced technology development and transition. These divisions are supported by Directors of Research (University Programs and the Laboratories), Innovation (HSARPA), and Transition who report directly to the Under Secretary, as well as Test and Evaluation/Standards, Agency/International Liaison, and Special Programs offices, and the Homeland Security Institute – DHS’s Federally Funded Research and Development Center.

University Programs cultivates the next generation of scientists and engineers, through mission-inspired research at colleges and universities. S&T also collaborates with the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, throughout the country.

The Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) develops critical technologies now by funding high-risk/high payoff prototypes and applying innovative technologies to help us WIN the continuing war on terrorism.

DHS laboratories include the Chemical Security Analysis Center, Environmental Measurements Laboratory, National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, and Transportation Security Laboratory.

Explosives Division

Stopping the things that go ‘bang’
Explosives and other energetic materials are the weapons of choice for terrorists plotting to disrupt civil society and create mass casualties. Our Explosives Division focuses on the detection, mitigation, and response to explosives such as improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers.

S&T coordinates with Federal partners that include the Departments of Defense and Justice as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation in supporting our primary customer, the Transportation Security Administration.

A broad range of existing and emerging approaches to detect and lessen the impact of explosive materials are being employed, from baggage-screening devices to those that can identify explosives residue.

Our Key Deliverables
• Develop systems to detect explosives and concealed weapons on passengers
• Test current air cargo screening technologies and develop the next generation of air cargo screening systems
• Develop approaches to harden passenger cabins and cargo holds against explosions
• Test security measures to screen passengers in urban mass transit systems
• Test and evaluate technologies that can detect novel, liquid, or gel-based explosives
• Sponsor innovative Research and Development (R&D) to allow a generational leap in explosives detection capabilities

Chemical and Biological Division

Defending against germs and poisons

Throughout history, pathogenic organisms and toxins have posed threats to human health, agriculture, and the food supply. Chemical warfare agents also present terrorists with the potential for inflicting mass casualties on an unsuspecting public.

Our Chemical and Biological Division is conducting analyses for better characterization and prioritization of the threat, developing detection systems to provide early warning of a possible attack so as to minimize exposure and speed treatment of victims, conducting forensic analyses to support attribution, and working with our Federal partners who have lead responsibilities in decontamination and restoration, agrodefense, and food security.

Our Key Deliverables
• Threat and risk assessments that inform national investments in biological and chemical defense
• Operation of the current BioWatch system for monitoring urban areas against biological attacks and development of a fully automated system to provide increased coverage and capability
• Rapid warning systems for protecting facilities that can detect chemical and biological agents in minutes.
• Forensic analyses of samples from bio-crimes and bioterror events to support attribution
• Demonstration of systems approaches to speed recovery from a chemical or biological attack
• Development of veterinary countermeasures to help protect against threats to our livestock

Border and Maritime Security Division

Controlling our land and sea borders
The Border and Maritime Security Division develops, evaluates, and demonstrates technologies and tools for better securing our land and maritime ports of entry. We are pilot testing surveillance and monitoring capabilities to cover vast expanses of remote border and developing and testing security devices and inspection methods to secure the large volume of cargo entering U.S. ports daily.

We work with the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Railroad Administration to develop and test identity verification tools, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unattended surveillance systems, and cargo security and inspection devices to achieve operational control of our borders and ports while allowing the flow of legitimate travel and commerce.

Our Key Deliverables
• An initial BorderNet prototype, providing agents with situational awareness and remote access to databases and other information via handhelds and vehicle-mounted computers
• Support to the Secure Border Initiative by developing a full border security operational architecture, and testing and evaluation of detection, identification, and tracking systems
• Support to the DHS UAV program with development, test, and evaluation of advanced aerial sensors and sense-and-avoid systems to minimize risk of mid-air collision and to gain access to the U.S. National Airspace System
• Container security devices that monitor the integrity of shipping containers during transit by providing alerts to tampering and intrusion

Command, Control, & Interoperability Division

Know the threats and be able to communicate them
The Command, Control, & Interoperability Division focuses on operable and interoperable communications for emergency responders, security and integrity of the Internet, and development of automated capabilities that “connect-the-dots” to recognize potential threats.

The Command, Control, & Interoperability Division is supporting our partners in Federal, State, local, and tribal emergency response; DHS operational components in predicting, detecting, and responding to all hazards; and our private sector partners who own, operate, maintain, and utilize much of the Nation’s cyber infrastructure.

Our Key Deliverables
• Comprehensive set of emergency response communications requirements that provides specifications to manufacturers, enabling them to build equipment that meets emergency responders’ communications needs
• Capabilities for simultaneous processing of tens of billions of facts to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including information extraction and pattern matching
• Bringing public key infrastructure solutions to the organizations that control and allocate Internet Protocol addresses to enable legitimate users to access information by encrypting and decrypting data
• Secure domain resolvers and modifications of end-user applications to assure authenticity and integrity of the Internet

Human Factors Division

Know our enemies, understand ourselves; put the human in the equation
Terrorists do not think like we do. We need to understand what motivates them and how such ideology can take root among both privileged and poor, the educated and the illiterate. Similarly, to respond better, we need to understand fully why certain events trigger social disruption but others do not, and we need to know how humans best interact with technology to accomplish their missions.

S&T's Human Factors Division applies the social and behavioral sciences to improve detection, analysis, and understanding of threats posed by individuals, groups, and radical movements; to support the preparedness, response and recovery of communities impacted by catastrophic events; and to advance national security by integrating human factors into homeland security technologies.

Our Key Deliverables
• Up-to-date comprehensive Global Terrorism Database with terrorist-incident data from 1970 to present, in coordination with University Programs
• Real-time, non-invasive intent- and deception-detection prototype
• Simple, accurate, and effective multi-biometrics capability for diverse identification scenarios
• Document on radicalization in the US & Europe used for DHS report on Sunni radicalization and distributed throughout DHS and the National Incident Management System Integration Center
• Capabilities to model likely scenarios for groups to engage in terrorism

Infrastructure/Geophysical Division

Preventing rubble

The Infrastructure/Geophysical Division focuses on identifying and mitigating the vulnerabilities of the 17 critical infrastructure and key assets that keep our society and economy functioning.

We model and simulate the Nation’s critical infrastructures to determine how various scenarios will affect each sector, provide decision support tools to guide decision makers in identifying gaps and vulnerabilities, and develop predictive tools and methods to aid in preparing for and responding to various catastrophes.

Our Key Deliverables
• Annual National Plan for Research and Development in Support of Critical Infrastructure Protection
• A comprehensive study for municipal domestic water security in coordination with EPA
• A Unified Incident Command & Decision Support System
• A proof-of-concept of the simulation-based Training, Exercise, and Lessons Learned system
• Test and evaluation for pilot Regional Technology Integration programs
• Development, test, and deployment of a fully operational Critical Infrastructure Protection Decision Support System
• Prototype testing of new materials and garments with improved protection for chemical, biological, and radiological hazards

Homeland security is a truly National effort. We are seeking the best ideas and most creative approaches to ensure the safety and security of our Nation. There are many opportunities to join this fight in partnership with the S&T Directorate:
• S&T publishes solicitations including Broad Agency Announcements about new technologies that are needed on www.fedbizopps.gov and www.hsarpabaa.com.
• S&T sponsors dozens of research efforts each year through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program: www.hsarpasbir.com.
• The SAFETY Act provides liability protections that make it feasible for sellers of qualified antiterrorism technologies to introduce homeland security solutions to the marketplace: www.safetyact.gov
• The S&T Directorate also houses two Presidential management initiatives: SAFECOM and Disaster Management (DM). SAFECOM is working to improve interoperable voice communications by developing tools, best practices, and methodologies that emergency response agencies can use immediately: www.safecomprogram.gov. DM is working to improve all-hazards incident response and recovery by creating the ability to share information securely across the Nation’s emergency management community.

For further information, please contact our S&T Divisions:
Explosives James.Tuttle@dhs.gov
Chem/Bio John.Vitko@dhs.gov
Command, Control, & Interoperability David.Boyd@dhs.gov
Borders/Maritime Mervyn.Leavitt@dhs.gov
Human Factors Sharla.Rausch@dhs.gov
Infrastructure/Geophysical --