Funding- Homeland
Security--Sensing All-Threats to Reveal Concealed Hazards ;
June 27, 2009
Agency
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Description
The Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate administers programs to
develop, test and evaluate, and transition to commercialization next-generation
technologies required to effectively counter potential attacks on the Nation.
DHS S&T achieves this goal through sponsorships and partnerships with the
private sector, National Laboratories, universities, and other government
agencies (both domestic and foreign). The Chem/Bio
Division of DHS S&T supports this mission by identifying and developing
technologies for transition to DHS operational components that are needed to
reduce the probability and potential consequences of a biological pathogen or a
chemical attack on the nation’s civilian population, its infrastructure, or its
agricultural system. DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have identified a need to detect
and identify chemical, biological, explosive (CBE) and contraband materials
being transported in cargo, parcels, and luggage, to deter the transportation
of these materials and to increase their interdiction effectiveness. CBP and
TSA share a mission to secure our borders and transportation systems, not only
from a devastating attack using CBE materials, but also in the discovery and
capture of smuggled narcotics, weapons, agricultural products, stowaways, and
other contraband materials. In order to meet these challenges, new inspection
and detection tools are necessary that will be able to detect and identify a
wide range of threats and suspicious materials, rapidly alert operators to the
presence of suspicious materials, and synthesize information from disparate
sources for decision support. DHS S&T is initiating a multi-layered
research and development approach to addressing this technology need. The
components of an effective CBE and contraband detection architecture that DHS
S&T will be developing are:
•Non-intrusive inspection
technologies to detect anomalies and support targeting efforts; •Sensors to be
installed and operated in containers during transit, such as inside cargo
shipping containers, railcars, trucks, and air cargo holds; •Sample collection
and preparation techniques to extract samples from various shipping containers
and packaging materials; •Secondary inspection sensors for identification and
confirmation of threats and contraband; •Data management and decision support
tools; and, •Test and evaluation support. This solicitation will be focused on
the development and fielding of sensors for secondary inspection and detection
confirmation. The sensors developed under this project will be expected to
function within the current supply chain infrastructure and security
architecture described above.
Announcement Number: BAA_09_09_DHS_ST
Closing Date: Jun 26, 2009
Link to Full Announcement
Contact Information
William C Fuller, Anne Hultgren,
E-MAIL: William.C.Fuller@dhs.gov, anne.hultgren@dhs.gov
Sent to: Science/Engineering, Homeland Security, Sensors,
Transportation, Biodefense
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Proposal Development Office
335 Bowman Hall 0059
859-257-2861
http://www.research.uky.edu/pdo