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Homeland Security 5 Year Anniversary 2003 - 2008, One Team, One Mission Securing the Homeland

Office of University Programs Fact Sheet

Release Date: 11/17/03 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 17, 2003

Through the Science and Technology division, the Department of Homeland Security is harnessing the nation's scientific knowledge to protect America and our way of life from terrorists and their weapons of mass destruction. The Office of University Programs is furthering this mission by engaging the academic community to create learning and research environments in areas critical to homeland security.  

Through the Homeland Security Centers of Excellence, the Office of University Programs is encouraging universities to become centers of multi-disciplinary research where these important areas of inquiry can be analyzed, debated and shared. The future of homeland security science is also being advanced by the development of the next generation of scientists in the Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program, which benefits students with intellectual pursuits that align with the Department's missions.  

President Bush demonstrated his commitment to the Department's efforts with academia when he signed the first Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill on October 1, 2003. This measure included $70 million in fiscal year 2004 for the Science and Technology division's Office of University Programs.  

Harnessing the future of science:

  • The Department established the Homeland Security Scholars and Fellows Program in order to support the development and mentoring of the next generation of scientists as they study ways to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recovery efforts from attacks that do occur.
  • The program provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees including physical, biological, social and behavioral sciences to ensure the future supply of individuals skilled in these critical areas. After graduation, students are encouraged to consider employment offers from the Department of Homeland Security; state and local operational offices, or laboratories, universities or other facilities affiliated with the Department.
  • In September 2003, the Department announced the Program's inaugural class of 100 recipients. The students receiving these highly competitive awards began their studies this fall. Fifty undergraduate Scholars and 50 graduate Fellows are among the 2003 class. The group includes students in engineering, math and computer science, social science and psychology, life sciences and physical sciences who are attending colleges and universities across the United States.  
  • Students from engineering disciplines comprised about one-third of the awards followed by computer science and math, psychology and social sciences. Men and women were almost equally represented as award recipients.  
  • As part of the program, undergraduate Scholars receive tuition and fees, plus a $1,000 per month stipend for nine months. Graduate Fellows receive tuition and fees, plus a $2,300 per month stipend for a period of one year. With satisfactory academic performance, undergraduate students are eligible for a scholarship for up to two years and graduate students are eligible for a fellowship of up to 3 years.
  • The Department received nearly 2,500 applications for review by over 100 experts selected from a variety of fields that included physical, biological, social and behavioral sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.  
  • In the coming years, the Science and Technology division plans to expand the Program by increasing the number of scholarship and fellowship and enhancing the internship component.

Engaging the academic community:

  • The academic community will play a key role in securing America.  To facilitate this involvement, the Department established university-based Homeland Security Centers of Excellence (HS-Centers), to attract and retain the nation's best and brightest academic scholars in pursuit of homeland security related disciplines.  
  • The HS-Centers are a critical component of our nation's defenses. They provide a dedicated capability that will enhance our ability to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks.
  • The Office of University Programs and outside advisors reviewed more than 70 proposals to establish the first HS-Center. This Center will focus on providing tools to model the risks and vulnerabilities of terrorism and assessing the economic impact and consequences of terrorist countermeasures and responses.
  • The Department plans to establish a number of additional HS-Centers across a spectrum of short- and long-range research and development areas such as the physical, information, engineering, life, and social sciences.  Areas of support include but are not limited to behavioral research on terrorism and countermeasures, public and health safety technology transfer, agro-bioterrorism countermeasures, and research and development of needed response technologies and operations.

This page was last reviewed/modified on 11/17/03 00:00:00.