The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) seeks to engage innovators and a wide variety of performers to develop science and technology solutions that address real-world threats and hazards.

S&T Areas of Interest

You can learn about many of S&T’s needs and priority topics through the following mechanisms and programs:

• S&T’s Broad Agency Announcements Program Portal and its Long Range Broad Agency Announcement Program Portal provide specific research topics of interest to S&T.
• Project Responder identifies gaps between current emergency response capabilities and those required to respond to a catastrophic event and prioritizes areas of investment to address or reduce those gaps. Capability gaps are drawn from interviews with leaders in law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), emergency management, and the fire service.

Additionally, the following Directorate-wide initiatives outline the strategic focus areas that will guide and make possible the next generation of capabilities and solutions that S&T will provide to the Homeland Security Enterprise:

• S&T Visionary Goals
• Apex Programs
• Technology Engines

Interested in working with S&T?

It is critical that you first understand how to work with DHS. You should also understand that S&T invests in research leading to the development of new technologies, not current acquisitions for DHS. S&T does not purchase or supply technologies for the department. If you already have technology products or services that are on the market, we encourage you to identify and bid on current acquisition opportunities.

If you are interested in doing business specifically with S&T, a good first step is to determine if your concept, technology or product aligns with a high-priority need identified by DHS. These needs are described on FedBizOpps, the primary portal for contracting opportunities.

S&T also provides additional online resources where businesses, organizations and universities can learn about potential partnerships with S&T.

• S&T’s Broad Agency Announcements and its Long Range Announcements provide details about S&T’s current solicitations, research topics and needs.
• S&T's Small Business Innovation Research Program awards funds to small businesses to rapidly commercialize and deliver operational prototypes to the Homeland Security Enterprise.
• S&T's Office of University Programs taps the expertise of the nation’s colleges and universities to address the country’s pressing homeland security needs.
• The SAFETY Act provides important legal liability protections for providers of Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies—whether they are products or services.
• The Technology Transfer Program serves as the focal point for technology transfer activities at DHS. Currently, the department operates one centralized office to manage technology transfer internally and at each of its laboratories.