The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) has awarded just over $6 million for 12 disaster resilience research projects. The grants support NIST’s efforts to strengthen the ability of communities to prepare for anticipated hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate announced the selection of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions and other partners for a new Center of Excellence in Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security published the first working definition of Global Catastrophic Biological Risks (GCBRs) to place new focus on a special category of biological risks that have received limited research and effort given their potential for harm to humanity: future flu pandemics, novel strains of contagious pathogens, biological accidents, threats to food supplies, or artificial organisms.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that it has been awarded approximately $23 million to develop a novel multi-drug auto-injector for nerve agent antidote delivery. Emergent’s device is being designed for intramuscular self- or buddy-administration of antidotes for use in military environments and for civilian emergencies.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory demonstrated that monolayer 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides – atomically thin semiconductors – undergo a change from semiconductor-to-metallic phase when exposed to airborne chemical vapors. The team validated evidence of the phase transition and how the behavior can be used to create an entirely new class of chemical vapor sensors.
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate awarded a five-year Other Transaction Agreement, with a maximum value of $70 million, to Cyber Apex Solutions LLC, which is based in Arlington, Virginia. This contract will fund testing, evaluation, and transition of prototype cybersecurity technologies that will reduce risk of cyberattacks to critical infrastructure sectors.
To ensure the security of airline passengers and the nation’s airports, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is implementing new, stronger screening procedures for carry-on items that require travelers to place all electronics larger than a cellphone in bins for X-ray screening in standard lanes.
The 2017 First Responder Electronic Jamming Exercise was hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) July 16-22. Nearly 100 federal, state, and local public safety and private organizations gathered to test tactics and technologies to identify, locate, and mitigate illegal jamming of communications systems.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s First Responders Group has partnered with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) to develop a new Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology and geo-targeting alerts that aim to help first responders to better respond to flood events, resulting in saving more lives and property faster.
To increase law enforcement capabilities to identify, collect, and analyze evidentiary data from consumer and professional drones, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has awarded a research-and-development contract to VTO Inc. of Broomfield, Colorado. The award is part of the S&T Cyber Security Division’s Cyber Forensics project.
