The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) solicited colleges and universities nationwide this week with a $45 million funding opportunity, seeking proposals to guide a new Center of Excellence (COE) for Arctic operations.
Funds will be offered through a cooperative agreement lasting up to 10 years. Selectees will work with the COE to develop a greater understanding of the changing conditions in the Arctic and their impacts on the mission and operations of DHS components. They will also develop enhancements for situational awareness and resilience and build upon homeland security collaboration efforts.
“By partnering with universities, S&T harnesses the intellectual power of academia to address the most complex issues facing the homeland while training the next generation of homeland security experts,” Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology, said. “Once awarded, this COE will use cutting-edge approaches to conduct critical research needed to prepare for and implement an effective response to the challenges DHS faces in the Arctic domain.”
Such COEs work closely with DHS operational components and their partners for research, developmental and transitional science and technology, education, and training, each led by a different U.S. college or university. They partner with other federally funded research and development centers, academia, industry, and other federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies in pursuit of their goals.
On top of its investigations, the latest COE will offer training and education for current and future DHS workers interested in Arctic research relevant to homeland security. Arctic efforts, in particular, will seek to engage DHS components and improve understanding of the operational environment to shore up technical and training gaps.
The funding opportunity was posted on grants.gov, and applications will be accepted through June 19, 2023. Before this, though, S&T will also conduct an informational webinar on May 9, 2023, for those interested in discussing the funding opportunity and answering questions.