DHS Takes First Step to Select Homeland Security Centers of Excellence

Release Date: 07/23/03 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 23, 2003

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will release this week a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) calling for academic white papers that will focus on specific areas related to social science issues.  This is the first step in the review process for colleges and universities that would like to be selected as a Homeland Security Center of Excellence (HS-Center). The Department anticipates selecting at least one HS-Center by end of November 2003 and up to nine other HS-Centers by end of 2004.  

"We are confident that the academic community will play an integral role in our mission to ensure our domestic security," said Secretary Tom Ridge. "We recognize the strengths brought to bear by our higher-education institutions to not only research and develop technologies but to also educate the next generation of American scientists."  

The university-based Homeland Security Centers of Excellence initiative was developed in response to language contained in the Homeland Security Act requesting the establishment of a coordinated, university-based system to enhance the Nation's homeland security.  The HS-Centers will be a critical component of our nation's defenses by providing a dedicated capability that will enhance our ability to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks.  

The President's budget called for $10 million in funding for the university programs for fiscal year 2004.

"We anticipate the Centers' will pursue research opportunities across a number of relevant areas in the physical, natural, information and chemical sciences and in engineering and the social sciences," said Under Secretary for Science and Technology, Dr. Charles McQueary.  "In addition, universities will be expected to coordinate their efforts with relevant Federal Agencies and private institutions to minimize duplication of research and development, enhance communications between programs and leverage financial support."  

The initial BAA will solicit whitepapers for the 2003 Centers of Excellence selection process that will focus on risk-based economic modeling on the impact and consequence of terrorism. Whitepapers must be submitted electronically and received no later than 4:00PM, Eastern Standard Time, on August 11, 2003.

DHS in coordination with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) will develop a team of expert external evaluators who will review the submissions based on merit and make recommendations to a select committee of the Department of Homeland Security. Candidates will be selected and invited to submit full and detailed proposals.  Following limited site visits, DHS will make an award announcement of one Center by the end of November.

Earlier this year, DHS requested that the Association of American Universities and National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges help identify existing Homeland Security Research efforts on university campuses. In that effort, a joint survey was conducted that resulted in a significant number of responses from the country's top research universities indicating that the competition to be selected as a HS-Center may be intense.  

For more information on the submission process, visit DHS at http://www.dhs.gov or Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) at http://www.orau.gov/dhsuce.

Read the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

This page was last modified on 07/23/03 00:00:00