Auburn University has secured $564,988 in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funds to develop projects designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of canines trained to detect explosives.
The funding allotment was provided through the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).
“Canines are the best, most versatile, mobile explosives detection tool we have supporting Homeland Security,” S&T Detection Canine Program Manager Don Roberts said. “S&T is making important investments in research to define the strengths and limits of detection canines. What we fund provides the community with the tools, techniques, and knowledge to better understand, train, and use explosives detection canines and enables more effective and efficient operational performance.”
Auburn’s Whole Spectrum Explosive Odor Training Project received $280,566 to develop a scientifically validated canine training program enabling canine teams to overcome adversaries’ attempts to modify, filter, or reduce explosive odor signatures in improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Examination and Enhancement of Canine Evaluations Project received $284,422.
That effort is expected to examine the practical difference in performance measurement data integrity between single- and double-blind canine team evaluation methods while using the resulting data to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures to improve detection canine team performance.