S&T’s Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) serves to positively impact strategic and current mission execution within the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and, as appropriate, DHS Components with technically sound, innovative, solutions, and independent analysis. The Chief Scientist has the following responsibilities:

·     Oversee development and implementation of sound governance policies and validates their implementation in the strategic interest of homeland security.

·     Develop and execute data-driven analytic strategies to support decision making within DHS and S&T.

·     Respond to critical priorities and events to clearly inform homeland security leadership with timely evaluation and/or capability delivery.

·     Maintain the S&T strategic plan and execute strategic studies that anticipate and plan for disruptive events, threats, and technical opportunities.

·     Oversee development and ensure delivery of novel, non-traditional, and scientifically sound capabilities for selected high mission priority to the Homeland Security Enterprise.

OCS has the following sub-offices each with responsibilities designed to support the Chief Scientist, DHS S&T, and DHS:

·     Decision Support Analytics – Serves to develop and execute analytic strategies to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and/or timeliness of decision making within S&T.

·     Rapid Response Group – Serves to quickly assess acute homeland security situations and provide scientific engineering advice, evaluation, or quickly deployed prototype system capabilities to help return to a normal or to achieve enhanced state of operations.

·     Strategic Planning – Serves as the strategic S&T governance advisor and maintains an actionable strategic plan in support of S&T priorities. Provides science, engineering, coordination and strategic planning support for the resolution of pop-up events (e.g., unexpected, high-priority tasks) on behalf of the Under Secretary for S&T. Studies will be selected and executed to help to reduce surprise and reactionary decision making during disruptive events, threats, and opportunities.

·     Special Projects Office – Responsible for establishing and managing sound governance infrastructure of very sensitive, high-priority projects.