Office of University ProgramsToday’s Research and Education, Tomorrow’s Security

DHS Office of University Programs

The Office of University Programs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science

& Technology (S&T) Directorate engages the expertise of the academic community to

address the Nation’s homeland security challenges.

Through the DHS Centers of Excellence, the Office of University Programs brings together

leading experts from intersecting fields of study to deliver essential research and

technology to enhance the Department’s capabilities to secure the Nation. The Office

of University Programs also supports the development of curricula – as well as faculty,

students and well-trained professionals – to prepare the next generation of homeland

security science and engineering leaders.

Homeland Security Centers of Excellence

The S&T Directorate selects university-based Centers of Excellence using a rigorous

merit-based review process. Each Center is led by a major university in collaboration

with public- and private-sector partners. The Centers are closely aligned with the S&T

Directorate’s technical divisions and the missions of DHS operational agencies,

providing strong linkages to DHS and other federal partners.

The National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), led by the University of Southern California, develops advanced tools to evaluate the risks, costs, and consequences of terrorism.

The Center of Excellence for Zoonotic and Animal Disease Defense (ZADD), co-led by Texas A&M University and Kansas State University, protects the nation’s agriculture and public health sectors against high-consequence foreign, emerging, and zoonotic animal disease threats.

The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), led by the University of Minnesota, defends the safety and security of the food system by conducting research to protect vulnerabilities in the Nation’s food supply chain.

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), led by the University of Maryland, provides policy makers and practitioners with empirically grounded findings on the human elements of the terrorist threat and informs decisions on how to disrupt terrorists and terrorist groups.

The Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA), co-led by Michigan State University and Drexel University and established jointly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fills critical gaps in risk assessment for mitigating microbial hazards. The National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER), led by Johns Hopkins University, optimizes the Nation’s medical and public health preparedness, mitigation, and recovery strategies in the event of a high-consequence natural or man-made disaster. The Center of Excellence for Awareness & Localization of Explosives-Related Threats (ALERT), co-led by Northeastern University and the University of Rhode Island, develops new means and methods to protect the Nation from explosives-related threats. The National Center for Border Security and Immigration (NCBSI), co-led by the University of Arizona in Tucson and the University of Texas at El Paso, develops novel technologies, tools, and advanced methods to balance immigration and commerce with effective border security.

The Center for Maritime, Island and Remote and Extreme Environment Security (MIREES), co-led by the University of Hawaii and the Stevens Institute of Technology, focuses on developing robust research and education programs addressing maritime domain awareness to safeguard populations and properties in geographical areas that present significant security challenges.

The Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence (CHC), co-led by the University of North Carolina and Jackson State University, performs research and develops education programs to enhance the Nation’s ability to safeguard populations, properties, and economies from catastrophic natural disasters.

The National Transportation Security Center of Excellence (NTSCOE), co-led by the University of Connecticut, Tougaloo College and Texas Southern University, is a seven-institution consortium focused on developing new technologies, tools, and advanced methods to defend, protect, and increase the resilience of the Nation’s multi-modal transportation infrastructure.

Center for Visualization and Data Analytics (CVADA), co-led by Purdue University (visualization sciences-VACCINE) and Rutgers University (data sciences-CCICADA) creates the scientific basis and enduring technologies needed to analyze large quantities of information to detect security threats to the Nation.

S&T Education Programs

The Office of 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 of University Programs is sponsoring exceptional performers at all degree levels.

• The Scholarship and Fellowship Program provides individual scholarships and fellowships to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in homeland security-focused science and technology fields of study.

• The Summer Internship Program provides undergraduate juniors and seniors with the opportunity to work with homeland security professionals and researchers during the summer.

• The Homeland Security Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HS-STEM) Career Development Grant Program provides institutional grants to colleges and universities to support students in HS-STEM disciplines.

S&T Minority Serving Institutions Program

The S&T Directorate has developed significant engagements with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The Office of University Programs strongly supports the participation of MSIs in the Centers of Excellence, both as partners and as lead institutions.

MSI Leadership Grants provide grants to promising investigators in homeland security science and engineering disciplines, as well as scholarships and fellowships for students. The goal of this program is to develop faculty, research programs, curricula, and student participation in homeland security-focused programs at MSIs.

The Summer Research Team Program for MSIs provides an opportunity for highly qualified faculty and student research teams to enhance their research skills and increase their knowledge of the DHS mission by participating in a summer research project at a DHS Center of Excellence.

Homeland Security Solutions

As the homeland security community’s primary point of contact with the

Nation’s colleges and universities, the DHS Office of University Programs

enables partners to address critical homeland security needs through

access to university-based research results and education programs. The

Office of University Programs service offering portfolio includes tools and

technologies, expertise, education, training, research and testing facilities,

and science and engineering talent, tailored to an organization’s specific

needs. These services are available to partners from federal agencies,

industry, first-responders, and policy-makers.

To learn more about the Office of University Programs, visit

http://www.hsuniversityprograms.org or email universityprograms@dhs.gov

August 2012