DHS intends to fund this new COE for five years for a total of approximately $20 million through a cooperative agreement. The Center will conduct research and education to enhance and inform DHS and other federal state and local agencies’ border security, trade, and immigration activities.
DHS is soliciting proposals from scientists and engineers from a wide variety of research disciplines who have research experience or interest in border security, trade, and immigration. DHS needs to ensure border security while enhancing the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Research will improve understanding of the impacts of security technologies on cross-border trade, travel, and border security operations. DHS also needs to gain a better understanding of human trafficking and transnational crime and to evaluate solutions to combat them. DHS also welcomes research that investigates the impacts of export control on trade and commerce.
The COEs are university consortia that work closely with DHS operating components to conduct research, develop and transition mission-relevant science and technology, and educate the next generation of homeland security technical experts. Each COE is led by a U.S. college or university and has multiple partners from universities, industry, DHS, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, and other federal state and local agencies.
The funding opportunity announcements for Center for Borders, Trade and Immigration Research Lead institution and Partner institution are available at grants.gov. For additional information about the DHS COEs, visit DHS S&T Centers of Excellence.