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November 2021
ALERT NEWSLETTER
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Northeastern to Lead New $36M DHS S&T Center of Excellence |
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced the selection of Northeastern University to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions and other partners for a new Center of Excellence (COE) for Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks, which will be known as SENTRY (Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality). DHS S&T will provide the new COE with a $3.6 million grant for its first operating year, for a total of $36 million over a ten-year grant period.
Northeastern University will lead the effort to develop tools, technologies, and protective measures to safeguard soft targets and secure environments that are easily accessible to large numbers of people, such as schools, public transportation hubs, and stadiums.
ALERT Director, Michael B. Silevitch will lead this new center which will also involve researchers and project leads from two other Emeritus COEs, CCICADA (Command, Control and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis) and CREATE (Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Threats and Emergencies).
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ALERT Transitions to a DHS S&T Emeritus Center of Excellence |
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Over the past 14 years, ALERT has conducted transformational research, developed technologies, and provided educational development to improve the effective characterization, detection, mitigation and response to explosives-related threats facing the country and the world. In June 2021 ALERT transitioned to an Emeritus Center of Excellence.
As an Emeritus Center of Excellence, ALERT will continue to conduct research and technology development on several Task Orders and will continue to organize the Advanced Development for Security Applications (ADSA) and the Customs and Border Protection – Advanced Developments Encompassing Processes and Technologies (CBP-ADEPT) workshop series.
This will be the final scheduled issue of the ALERT Newsletter and we will provide periodic updates on ALERT topics of note as needed through our website and other formats.
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CBP-ADEPT-03 Workshop
November 16-17 - Virtual
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The third workshop on Advanced Developments Encompassing Processes and Technologies for Customs and Border Protection (CBP-ADEPT-03) will be held virtually on November 16-17 beginning at 11 a.m. ET each day. The theme of the workshop is "Creating Effective Engagements with CBP." Topics to be addressed include CBP technology needs, processes for improving engagement and deployment, financial incentives for engagement, and stakeholder perspectives.
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Recap: ADSA24 Workshop
Focusing on Collaboration in Aviation Security
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Last month, ALERT hosted the ADSA24 workshop, "Advancing Collaboration for Enhanced Security," bringing together 172 stakeholders from academia, government, and industry online for expert-led presentations, engaging discussions on emerging technologies and industry standards, and networking.
"ADSA stimulates a free flow of ideas, often outside the boundaries of typical workshops and conferences. Security experts learn from medical researchers, and manufacturers openly exchange ideas with policy makers" said Carey Rappaport, ALERT Deputy Director.
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New U.S. Digital Corps Accepting Applications
Apply by November 15, 2021 for Two-Year Fellowship
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The U.S. Digital Corps, a new two-year fellowship that will recruit early-career technologists to contribute to high-impact efforts across the federal government was recently announced by the the Biden Administration in a collaboration between the General Services Administration, the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This program will work to advance the Administration priorities of coronavirus response, economic recovery, cybersecurity, and streamlining government services. Applications close on November 15, 2021. More information is available at digitalcorps.gsa.gov.
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Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship
Apply by December 1, 2021
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The Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship, managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will strengthen the pool of well-trained, diverse MS and PhD scholars who are equipped for research-intensive building technologies careers across all sectors. IBUILD Fellows will receive research and educational support to conduct innovative research at their home institution in an area with demonstrated relevance to building energy efficiency. In addition to funding high quality research, the fellowship will provide professional development, mentoring, networking, and internship opportunities.
The U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO) provides resources and strategies to significantly reduce building energy use and intensity. BTO’s funded research has contributed to significant improvement in building energy efficiency including new technologies in solid-state lighting, energy-saving windows, heat pump water heaters, and high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners.
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New DHS Prize Competition: The Cooling Solutions Challenge
Apply by December 7, 2021
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DHS is holding the first in a series of prize competitions focused on strengthening the nation’s resilience to climate change. The “Cooling Solutions Challenge” is part of DHS’s effort to implement a proactive approach to climate change resilience.
Extreme heat is the Nation’s leading cause of weather-related deaths, and this Challenge is designed to spur groundbreaking solutions to help better protect people—including first responders—during extreme heat events. Solutions should be climate-friendly and focused on countering extreme heat conditions. The Cooling Solutions Challenge is in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Winners will receive cash prizes from a total pool of $195,000 for their innovative solutions.
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START Offering Master of Professional Studies in Security & Terrorism
Applications Due January 7, 2022 for Enrollment in Spring Semester
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START's fully online Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree in Security and Terrorism Studies through the University of Maryland's Graduate School prepares students to examine the complex social, political, economic, and psychological underpinnings of terrorist and other asymmetric security threats. Students are exposed to the theoretical and methodological skills necessary to pursue advanced research opportunities, or be successful in a professional role where analysis and critical thinking are paramount. The program is appropriate for individuals interested in (and/or currently) working in fields related to intelligence analysis, national security analysis, or analysis of other relevant topic areas, and individuals interested in (and/or currently) conducting scholarly research on terrorism and security.
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DHS S&T SVIP Solicitation: Human Performance and Resiliency
Call for DHS Workforce Wellness Tools - Apply by January 13 & April 13, 2022
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DHS S&T's Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) has put out a topic call to seek technical capabilities that could serve the mission needs of operational components and programs including U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Human Performance and Resiliency solicitation calls for technologies and methods for personnel resilience, wellness promotion, and personnel tools to identify and resolve issues before reaching crisis levels. Applications must be able to describe alignment to at least one of the following technical topic areas:
- Biometric Wearables: Wearable biometric device(s) that capture several biometric and metabolic leading indicators that can alert the user to initiate mitigating action.
- Sleep/Recovery Enhancement: Capability that evaluates sleep quality and recovery and/or recreates the restorative benefits of sleep.
- AI-enabled Mobile App: Mobile application that allows personnel to input persona information (diet, exercise, mood, injuries, etc.) and/or compile information from various wearable biometric monitoring devices in order to generate outputs describing factors contributing to their overall wellness.
To download and view the solicitation, FAQs, application, and application instructions, please visit the solicitation page on sam.gov.
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ALERT Core Partner Institutions:
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ALERT is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Emeritus Center of Excellence. |
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