DHS Summer Research Team Program

COMPETITION CLOSED:

The current competition cycle for this program is now closed. The information and application materials posted on this Web site are for reference only and may change with the next competition cycle,which will begin in Fall 2012.

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Office of University Programs sponsors the DHS Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions to provide faculty and student research teams with the opportunity to conduct research at the university-based DHS Centers of Excellence (DHS Centers).

The intent of the program is to provide research opportunities to increase and enhance the scientific leadership at Minority Serving Institutions in research areas that support the mission and goals of DHS. In addition, the program is designed to engage early career faculty, along with undergraduate and graduate students, in research that will provide them opportunities to understand the mission and research needs of DHS and make advances in Research Areas of importance to DHS, while strengthening the talent pool of scientists and engineers.

Summer research opportunities will be awarded to qualified faculty members and students to work on collaborative research of mutual interest to the team, the DHS Center and DHS. Faculty members and students must be at an eligible institution in a discipline, major or concentration directly related to a homeland security science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) research area listed below:

Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization
Biological Threats and Countermeasures
Border Security
Chemical Threats and Countermeasures
Communications and Interoperability
Community, Commerce and Infrastructure Resilience
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response
Food and Agriculture Security
Human Factors
Immigration Studies
Infrastructure Protection
Maritime and Port Security
Natural Disasters and Related Geophysical Studies
Risk, Economics and Decision Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Transportation Security

DHS is the funding organization for the research experiences at the DHS Centers. The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) administers and manages the program on behalf of DHS. ORISE is responsible for the implementation of the program, processing applications, managing the application review process, notifying applicants of awards, managing stipends, and making travel arrangements.

AWARD DESCRIPTION

Available funds are for awards for the summer of 2012. Awards may not be deferred. The final stipend payment will not be issued before ORISE has received the deliverables detailed in Requirements.

1. Stipend
The stipend payments for 10 weeks (beginning no earlier than May 7, 2012, and ending no later than August 31, 2012) are:

$1,200 a week for faculty
$600 a week for rising and current graduate students
$500 a week for undergraduate students (rising juniors and seniors)

Faculty and students participating at a DHS Center located in an area designated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as a high cost locality pay area will automatically receive a stipend supplement based on the OPM locality payment percentage increase for that area. Areas that may qualify include, but are not limited to, Washington/Baltimore, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and New York City.

2. Allowances
For faculty: A housing allowance of $150 per week will be provided to faculty who live more than fifty miles, one-way, from their assigned DHS Center. The housing allowance will be provided only to faculty living away from their home address and paying for housing while at the DHS Center. If the housing allowance is provided, limited travel expenses for one round-trip will also be provided. The maximum combined allowance for housing and travel is $2,000. Travel expenses greater than $500 may be approved for teams traveling to or from a location outside the continental U.S.

For students: A housing allowance of $100 per week will be provided to students who live or are attending an institution more than fifty miles, one-way, from their assigned DHS Center. The housing allowance will be provided only if students are living away from their home address and/or institution and are paying for housing while at the DHS Center. If the housing allowance is provided, limited travel expenses for one round-trip will also be provided. The maximum combined allowance for housing and travel is $1,500. Travel expenses greater than $500 may be approved for teams traveling to or from a location outside the continental U.S.

Travel by the faculty and students during the summer in support of the team’s research may be approved for expense reimbursement by DHS/ORISE according to federal government travel policies. Travel plans must be approved by DHS/ORISE before travel begins. Travel expenses that have not been approved before travel begins may not be reimbursed by DHS/ORISE.

3. Follow-on Funding
Faculty are expected to submit a proposal for continued research and collaboration with the DHS Center. Faculty may apply for up to $50,000 in follow-on funding to continue research beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year.

4. Research Equipment and Supplies
The DHS Center will be responsible for providing the research equipment and supplies required for the team’s project. Participants are not expected to purchase materials needed to complete the assigned project.

5. Persons with Disabilities
DHS is fully committed to implementing all federal laws, regulations and guidelines related to the development of affirmative employment plans and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Therefore, we strongly encourage the participation of persons with disabilities in the program. To facilitate the participation of individuals with targeted disabilities, DHS will provide up to $1,500 in supplemental funding for special assistance and/or equipment necessary to enable the researcher to perform the work under the award.

TEAM APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants are encouraged to contact ORISE at DHSed@orau.org at any point during this process for further guidance and information about the program.

Faculty Identifies DHS Center(s) of Excellence and Research Activities of Interest:

The faculty reviews online information to identify DHS Centers engaged in research of interest to the faculty. Information about the DHS Centers and the types of research and research projects being conducted there can be found at DHS Centers of Excellence and COE Projects Search.

Faculty Submits Faculty Application and Curriculum Vitae (CV):

By January 8, 2012, the faculty submits a Faculty Application Form and CV to ORISE by email. See Application Requirements for detailed information. In the application, the faculty provides (i) information about his or her research interests and (ii) the names of up to three DHS Centers at which the faculty would be interested in conducting research over the summer. Note that the following DHS Centers will not be hosting participants this summer:
- Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA)
- National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER)
ORISE reviews the information submitted, confirms faculty and institution eligibility, seeks any necessary clarification regarding the faculty research interests, and forwards the information to the appropriate DHS Center(s) for review.

DHS Centers Identify Possible Research Collaborators:

The DHS Centers review the faculty application and CV. The DHS Centers may contact the faculty directly to gather additional information about his or her research interests.
The DHS Centers determine if there is a viable basis for collaboration with the faculty given the faculty’s research interests and the DHS Center research mission. If so, the DHS Centers identify a researcher with whom the faculty may collaborate over the summer, if the team is selected. The collaborating DHS Center researcher may be affiliated with the DHS Center lead research institution or a partnering institution.
If a potential research collaborator can be identified, the faculty is put in contact with the researcher to define a research project to propose to DHS.

Faculty Assembles Research Team, and Students Submit Applications:

The faculty identifies one or two qualified students who, together with the faculty, make up the summer research team. The students must:
- Have an appropriate background and skill set for the research that the team will accomplish during their appointment,
- Possess a strong work ethic and appropriate level of maturity,
- Satisfy all eligibility requirements listed under Applicant Eligibility (including a GPA of at least 3.0),
- Be able to commit to 10 weeks of full-time participation on-site at the DHS Center.
By February 5, 2012, each student submits an application form to ORISE by email.
The faculty is responsible for ensuring that the students complete and submit their applications and all supporting materials by the program deadlines. Because this program is for faculty-student teams, no awards will be made to teams with no student team members or to teams with no faculty team member.

Faculty Defines Research Project and Submits Research Project Proposal Form:

With input from the DHS Center researcher(s), the faculty defines a research project to propose to DHS. The faculty and relevant DHS Center must agree on the project, its goals, and the location at which the research project will be conducted. Preapproval from the DHS Center must be obtained before submitting the Research Project Proposal Form to ORISE.
By February 5, 2012, the faculty submits the Research Project Proposal Form to ORISE by email.

Research Team Submits Supporting Materials to ORISE:

The deadline for the following supporting materials is February 5, 2012. This is a postmark deadline, not receipt deadline, for materials that must be submitted by regular mail.
The faculty requests a letter of reference from the faculty’s department head. The letter must be submitted by the department head to ORISE by email.
Each student asks two references to complete the Student Reference Report Form. The Student Reference Report Forms must be submitted by the references to ORISE by email. The faculty team member cannot serve as a reference.
Students request official academic transcripts from their current postsecondary institution and any postsecondary institutions attended from Fall 2010 through Fall 2011. Transcripts must include Fall 2011 grades and must be sent by the institution(s) to ORISE by regular mail.
Any undergraduate student attending a community college at the time of application sends to ORISE by email or regular mail documentation of application to a four-year institution for Fall 2012.
Any rising graduate student (senior at the time of application) sends to ORISE by email or regular mail documentation of application to graduate school for Fall 2012.
Faculty and students each submit a Citizenship Information Form to ORISE by regular mail. This document cannot be sent by email because it contains personally identifiable information that, if lost or compromised, could cause serious harm (including identity theft).
Any faculty or student who cannot provide a current or expired U.S. Passport number on the Citizenship Information Form must submit to ORISE by regular mail a copy of his or her birth certificate. This document cannot be sent by email because it contains personally identifiable information that, if lost or compromised, could cause serious harm (including identity theft).

Award Recipients Are Selected and Notified:

Application packages are reviewed (i) by ORISE for eligibility and completeness, (ii) by the DHS Centers for strength and relevance to the DHS Center mission, and (iii) by DHS for strength and other DHS-relevant factors. DHS is responsible for determining which teams receive awards.
Teams are notified about awards beginning March 1, 2012. For those teams receiving awards, the Department Chair Head, Dean, Institution President, and DHS Center(s) are notified in writing as well. All selection notifications are made by ORISE.

Before the Summer Appointment Begins, Any Outstanding Documentation Is Submitted:

Any undergraduate student attending a community college at the time of application sends to ORISE by email or regular mail documentation of acceptance to a four-year institution for Fall 2012.
Any rising graduate student (senior at the time of application) sends to ORISE by email or regular mail documentation of acceptance to graduate school for Fall 2012.

PARTICIPATION

Orientation:

The faculty team member meets with representatives of the DHS Center of Excellence at the DHS Center for a one-day pre-appointment orientation meeting in March or early April - no later than April 15, 2012. During the meeting, the research project and logistical issues, including summer housing, are discussed. Expenses for travel to this meeting are reimbursed by DHS.
The faculty team member attends a half-day DHS teleconference orientation meeting via phone and/or internet. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 23, 2012. During the meeting, DHS and ORISE provide information regarding program requirements and administration, as well as an overview of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate and future funding opportunities.

Requirements:

During the summer, each team member commits to 10 weeks of full-time participation on-site at the DHS Center.
At the end of the summer, each team is expected to co-author with the DHS Center, a research proposal that identifies a potential collaborative research opportunity between the team’s institution and the DHS Center. DHS will review the proposal and consider follow-on funding of up to $50,000 for the Minority Serving Institution to continue research beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year.
Each team conducts a research briefing at the DHS Center near the completion of the summer research experience and may be invited to conduct a briefing at the DHS S&T Directorate in Washington, DC. Student participants may be invited to a DHS student conference in the 2012-2013 academic year.
Each team member completes a final DHS feedback form.
Each team member submits an eight to ten page summary report of his or her research experience.
Each faculty team member submits a one to two page plan that addresses how he or she will integrate the DHS summer research experience into classroom teaching.

Logistics:

All living expenses including local transportation, room, board and entertainment are the responsibility of the faculty and student participants. Participants are responsible for securing their own living space and determining their means of local transportation prior to arriving at the designated institution. In addition, it is the responsibility of the program participants to pay all bills associated with living expenses by the departure date from the DHS Center. Prior to committing to this award, applicants are encouraged to research housing options and cost of living factors for their potential placement locations.
ORISE makes travel arrangements for team members and reimburses approved expenses.

HANDBOOK FOR PARTICIPANTS

A copy of the Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions Policies and Procedures Handbook from the 2011 competition cycle is available for review at http://www.orau.gov/dhsfaculty/newpages/DHSHandbook.pdf. Before accepting an award, faculty and student team members must review the final 2012 competition cycle handbook provided with their award package.

INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY

Most accredited U.S. postsecondary institutions that meet the statutory criteria for identification as Minority Serving Institutions are listed at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst.html.

Institutions that meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible:

Must be an accredited two- or four-year institution of higher education whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment (20 U.S.C 1067k(3)); or
Must be an accredited two- or four-year Historically Black College or University under Title III Part B of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1060 et seq.); or
Must be an accredited two- or four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution under Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.); or
Must be a Tribal College or University cited in the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act of 1994, the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, or the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978; or a Native American-Serving, Nontribal Institution as defined by the Department of Education: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/edlite-minorityinst-list-pg9.html; or
Must be an Alaska Native-serving institution and eligible as such in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1058(b) and 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(2); or
Must be a Native Hawaiian-serving institution and eligible as such in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1058(b) and 20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(4).

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

Faculty team members are subject to the following criteria:

United States citizenship by the application deadline
Full-time position at an eligible institution as defined under Institution Eligibility; tenure-track position if the eligible institution has a tenure system
Available to participate in the program for 10 weeks full-time at the DHS Center; not receiving compensation for faculty time during the 10-week appointment period from any other federally-funded research program
Coverage under a health insurance plan before arriving at the appointment site and maintenance of coverage during the appointment
PhD or Master’s degree (if teaching at an eligible community college) in a discipline, major or concentration directly related to a homeland security science, technology, engineering or mathematics (HS-STEM) Research Area of importance to DHS
Preference given to early career faculty (although all faculty will be considered), with early career defined as one of the following:
- No more than seven years since receipt of PhD degree as of the application deadline
- No more than seven years since receipt of Master’s degree if teaching at an eligible community college as of the application deadline
- If more than seven years since receipt of graduate degree, then less than seven years of teaching experience at a postsecondary institution as of the application deadline

Student team members are subject to the following criteria:

United States citizenship by the application deadline
At least 18 years of age at the start of the internship period
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as of the application deadline, as demonstrated in the most current transcript. Transcripts must include Fall 2011 grades. GPA requirements will be strictly enforced. Faculty team members should ensure that all student team members meet the GPA requirement.
Available to participate for 10 weeks full-time at the DHS Center during the same period as the faculty team member
Coverage under a health insurance plan before arriving at the appointment site and maintenance of coverage during the appointment
Eligible academic standing defined as one of the following:
- Undergraduate students who:
  - Are enrolled full-time at an eligible 4-year Minority Serving Institution as a sophomore or junior as of the application deadline
  - Will be enrolled full-time in Fall 2012 at an eligible 4-year Minority Serving Institution
- Undergraduate students who:
  - Are enrolled full-time at an eligible 2-year Minority Serving Institution as of the application deadline
  - Will be enrolled full-time in Fall 2012 as a junior at a 4-year U.S. accredited college or university. Applicant must show proof of enrollment in or acceptance to a 4-year institution before the summer appointment begins.
- Rising graduate students who:
  - Are enrolled full-time as a senior at an eligible Minority Serving Institution as of the application deadline
  - Will be enrolled full-time in graduate school in Fall 2012. Applicant must show proof of enrollment in or acceptance to a graduate school program before the summer appointment begins.
- Graduate students who:
  - Are enrolled full-time at an eligible 4-year Minority Serving Institution as of the application deadline
  - Will be enrolled full-time in Fall 2012 at an eligible 4-year Minority Serving Institution
Majoring in a discipline related to a homeland security science, technology, engineering or mathematics (HS-STEM) Research Area of importance to DHS

Faculty and student team members may not participate at their home institution.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The application materials for the DHS Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions are available at: http://www.orau.gov/dhsfaculty/newpages/application.html.

Application materials that are submitted electronically should be sent to: DHSed@orau.org

Application materials submitted via postal mail should be sent to:

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
DHS Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions, MS-36
PO Box 117
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117

For items submitted by postal mail, the deadlines below are postmark deadlines, not receipt deadlines.

Required items for faculty team member:

Faculty Application Form submitted by email by January 8, 2012
Curriculum vitae (CV) submitted by email by January 8, 2012. Should include:
- Colleges attended, with dates of attendance and degrees received, field, and titles of theses and dissertations;
- Chronology of professional employment and significant academic and professional activities;
- Any awards or honors received in the past five years;
- Current memberships/activities in professional organizations;
- Research experience;
- Courses taught;
- List of publications authored and co-authored, with refereed journal articles listed separately from reports, abstracts, papers in conference proceedings, etc.
Research Project Proposal Form submitted by email by February 5, 2012. Project must be preapproved by the DHS Center.
Letter of reference from department chair submitted directly by the reference by email by February 5, 2012.
Citizenship Information Form submitted by regular mail by February 5, 2012. This document cannot be submitted by email as it contains personally identifiable information that must be protected.
Copy of birth certificate submitted by regular mail by February 5, 2012, if applicant is unable to provide a current or expired U.S. Passport number on the Citizenship Information Form. This document cannot be submitted by email as it contains personally identifiable information that must be protected.

Required items for each student team member

Student Application Form submitted by email by February 5, 2012.
Two Student Reference Report Forms submitted directly by the references by email by February 5, 2012. The faculty team member cannot serve as a reference.
Official academic transcript from current postsecondary institution and any postsecondary institutions attended from Fall 2010 through Fall 2011. If additional postsecondary institutions have been attended, ORISE may require transcripts from these schools as well and will notify the student accordingly. Transcript(s) must be submitted directly to ORISE by the academic institutions by postal mail by February 5, 2012. Transcript(s) must include Fall 2011 grades.
Documentation of application to 4-year institution for fall 2012 for undergraduate students attending an eligible community college; submitted by email or regular mail before the summer appointment begins.
Documentation of application to graduate school for fall 2012 for rising graduate students (seniors at the time of application); submitted by email or regular mail before the summer appointment begins.
Citizenship Information Form submitted by regular mail by February 5, 2012. This document cannot be submitted by email as it contains personally identifiable information that must be protected.
Copy of birth certificate submitted by regular mail by February 5, 2012, if applicant is unable to provide a current or expired U.S. Passport number on the Citizenship Information Form. This document cannot be submitted by email as it contains personally identifiable information that must be protected.

EVALUATION PROCESS

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria, in order of importance:

Relevance and intrinsic merit of the research: The relevance and quality of the proposed research project, as described in the Research Project Proposal Form, to the DHS Center’s goals and one of the 17 DHS research areas. Funding is limited and will be directed to the highest priority research needs.
Faculty applicant qualifications: Evidence of the researcher’s skills, experience, and past accomplishments that demonstrate the capability to participate in a DHS S&T Office of University Programs research program.
Student applicant qualifications: The overall qualifications of the student applicant(s). Evidence of their interest and willingness to contribute to the success of the team as demonstrated in their essay responses.
Academic benefit: The overall academic benefit to the faculty applicant and his/her institution as described by the applicant.

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of merit review. The reviewers will assess applications based on the criteria outlined in the evaluation criteria:

Adjective	Definition
Excellent	A comprehensive and thorough application of exceptional merit, with numerous strengths and no major weaknesses.
Very good	An application that demonstrates overall competence and is worthy of support. However, the application has a few minor weaknesses.
Good	An application with a reasonable sound response. There are more strengths than weaknesses.
Fair	An application with strengths and weaknesses approximately equal. However, as a whole, weaknesses are not offset by strengths.
Poor	An application with serious deficiencies and should not be supported. There are numerous weaknesses and few strengths.

Team selection recommendations will be made by the respective DHS Centers with the final selection by DHS S&T Office of University Programs.

IMPORTANT NOTES AND REMINDERS

DHS reserves the right to make no awards or to cancel this program. DHS assumes no liability for canceling the program or for anyone’s failure to receive actual notification of cancellation.

Student GPA application requirements will be strictly enforced. Faculty team members should ensure that all student team members meet the GPA requirement.

Faculty receiving an award may not receive compensation for their time during the 10-week research appointment period from any other federally-funded research program.

Faculty must attend the DHS Orientation half-day DHS virtual orientation meeting scheduled tentatively for March 23, 2012, as well as the pre-appointment orientation meeting at the DHS Center in March or early April.

Each faculty and student team member must commit to 10 weeks of full-time participation on-site at the DHS Center. Any team member unable to fulfill the full-time requirement may be terminated from the program.

All living expenses including local transportation, room, board and entertainment are the responsibility of the faculty and student participants. Participants are responsible for securing their own living space and determining their means of local transportation prior to arriving at the designated institution. In addition, it is the responsibility of the program participants to pay all bills associated with living expenses by the departure date from the DHS Center.

All deliverables detailed under Requirements must be received by ORISE before issuance of the final stipend payment.