DHS Science and Technology Directorate

🔥 Introducing the C-THRU Navigator 🔥

This new helmet-mounted device, developed by Qwake Tech with support from S&T, uses AI-enhanced vision to help firefighters navigate through smoke-filled environments. Key features include:

🚒 High-speed thermal camera
🚒 Real-time livestreaming to incident commanders
🚒 Mayday function for locating lost firefighters

Fire departments can apply for real-world testing now. Apply by July 31, 2024: https://bit.ly/3VHeHdc

🎉 Happy National Intern Day! 🎉

At S&T, we're celebrating our amazing interns who are doing phenomenal work across DHS. From STEM to social sciences, they're making a real difference. Check out our blog to see what they're up to: https://bit.ly/4dbYsMi

Day 2 of wrapped up with a fantastic session on preparedness led by Under Secretary Dr. Kusnezov. Joined by experts from Miami-Dade and Boulder, we explored innovative ways to build resilience against natural disasters. Collaboration and innovation are key! Stay tuned for more updates.

S&T and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are revolutionizing digital credentials to protect your identity and privacy! Using new open standards, this innovation ensures you only share the necessary info. Imagine proving you're over 21 without revealing your full ID!

🔗 Learn more: https://bit.ly/466gLAo.

🎉 Celebrating 70 Years of Agricultural Protection! 🌾🚜

Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) has been a vital force in protecting U.S. agriculture and livestock from animal diseases for seven decades! Join us as Dr. Tod Companion, PIADC's Director, takes us on a journey through its remarkable history and groundbreaking achievements.

From developing life-saving vaccines to training top-notch veterinarians, PIADC's work has been nothing short of extraordinary. Celebrate this milestone with us and dive into the fascinating story of PIADC: https://bit.ly/3L61Ps7.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

🏎️💨 S&T brought cutting-edge technology to this year's Indy 500 with the deployment of DETER (Deployable Expedient Traffic Entry Regulator), a portable vehicle barrier developed by U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in partnership with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. DETER can be set up in under an hour and can stop a box truck, then lower in seconds to allow first responders through. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3A0XmVi

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 The 2024 National Homeland Security Conference is happening next week! We're thrilled to announce that S&T will be participating in this year's event at the Miami Beach Convention Center from July 23-25. Visit us at booth #401 to learn about our latest research, development, and technology solutions for emergency managers, law enforcement, and firefighters across the nation. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bVgCAS

🌟Intern Friday Spotlight! 🌟

Join us in celebrating the hard-working interns at S&T’s Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS) and the Office of Strategy and Policy (SPO). MCS provides timely, transparent, and agile technology development support to DHS, its operational Components and the Homeland Security Enterprise. SPO oversees S&T-wide strategy development and sets strategic direction for the organization.

💡 Kristian Jensen attends BYU and is an International Relations major.

💡 Allie Ngoy attends UNC Charlotte and is a Public Administration major.

💡 Dina Spector is attending The College of New Jersey and is majoring in Mathematics.

💡 Nicole Tomazi is attending Baruch College and is majoring in International Affairs.

💡 Steven Zimmerman is attending the Florida Institute of Technology and is majoring in Aerospace Engineering.

Check out S&T’s opportunities: www.dhs.gov/st-oup

S&T has awarded contracts to six forward-thinking companies to enhance the privacy and security of digital credentials for immigration and travel. These digital solutions will help protect personal information and improve convenience for users.

Congratulations to Credence ID, LLC, Hushmesh, Netis d.o.o., Procivis, SpruceID, and Ubiqu for their groundbreaking work!

"Supporting standards-based digital credentials and secure digital wallets enables us to meet customer expectations in an increasingly digital world," said Jared X. Goodwin, Acting Chief, USCIS. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4dch13d

🚨 Breaking News for Fire Departments! 🚨

S&T is proud to announce that fire departments can now apply to test the C-THRU Navigator, a helmet-mounted device that lets firefighters see through dense smoke. This innovative technology aims to improve situational awareness and save lives.

Interested in participating? Applications are open until July 31, 2024. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3VHeHdc

Qwake Tech

Last week, S&T had an incredible time at the Capitol Hill Expo, hosted by the National Training and Simulation Association. Our Modeling and Simulation Technology Center showcased cutting-edge capabilities in:

⌨️ Immersive Visualization: 3D immersive, augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies.
⌨️Predictive Threat Modeling: Agent-based simulations and risk modeling.
⌨️Process Modeling and Gaming: Predictive models using machine learning algorithms.
⌨️Prototyping and Systems Integration: Advanced simulators and training scenarios.

We appreciate the chance to engage with the legislative branch, industry, and academia to discuss M&S equities and future collaborations.

📰 In case you missed it: S&T successfully completed and commissioned the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas under budget! Proud to deliver this state-of-the-art facility for U.S. Department of Agriculture and return $10 million in gift funds to our partners in Kansas. 🏛️💼

Schedule your one-on-one meeting now with the DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Director at a stop on the America’s Seed Fund Road Tour Great Lakes! DHS SBIR is ready to meet with small businesses to share how you can take advantage of federal early-stage funding opportunities! Upcoming stops include:

• July 15: East Lansing, MI
• July 16: Indianapolis, IN
• July 17: Urbana-Champaign, IL
• July 18: Madison, WI
• July 19: Minneapolis, MN

We’re looking to meet with innovators, researchers, and small tech firms to talk about how you can partner with DHS to help address homeland security challenges.

Check-out our “Upcoming Events” to learn more and find helpful resources to prepare you for your meeting: https://go.dhs.gov/or2

🌟Intern Friday Spotlight! 🌟

Join us in celebrating more incredible interns at S&T’s Technology Centers! S&T Technology Centers are the source hub for science, engineering, and technology expertise and solutions to common problems across DHS mission spaces.

The Technology Centers conduct enduring baseline research into crosscutting scientific areas to ensure that advancements in technology are harnessed for cutting- edge solutions to operational challenges and ensure that technical Subject Matter Expert capabilities are available to S&T.

💡 Clark Godinez attends Southern Methodist University and is an Electrical Engineering major.

💡 Kevin Kapadia attends University of Southern California and his research focuses on the protection of soft targets as well as measuring risk.

💡 Hunter Leary is attending Virginia Tech and is majoring in Computer Science and Applications.

💡 Dylan Tagrin is attending University of Florida and is studying semiconductor fabrication techniques.

For more about S&T’s opportunities: www.dhs.gov/st-oup

🌪️ As Hurricane Beryl spun into the earliest Category Five hurricane in the Atlantic basin, it highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. In his guest post, Dan Cotter, Executive Director of S&T’s Office of Science and Engineering, emphasizes the need for better preparedness through data analysis and proactive strategies to help people and communities mitigate the deadly destruction of these storms. Learn how the EMOTR Program is shaping the future of emergency management. ➡️ https://bit.ly/3S3phKq

📣Wallicia Tapscott, Executive Director, OIC and Nitin Natarajan, Deputy Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency celebrated graduates from the second cohort of the MBA Security Technology Transition (MBA STT) program, a groundbreaking DHS Center of Excellence led by the The George Washington University School of Business! Congratulations to the Class of 2024! Your hard work paves the way for future leaders in the field of homeland security.

💳 S&T, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and other partners are revolutionizing identification with Decentralized Identifiers (DiD). These self-generated digital IDs enable you to control and protect your private information, sharing only what you choose. Learn more: https://bit.ly/466gLAo

🏛️ Exciting news! S&T's Modeling and Simulation Technology Center will be at the NTSA Capitol Hill Modeling & Simulation Expo on July 11. Discover our Digital Twins and Predictive Threat Modeling projects. Join us to see how we support DHS missions with cutting-edge tech! ➡️ https://bit.ly/45LkxPj

S&T is proud to award contracts to six startups— Credence ID, LLC, Hushmesh,
Netis d.o.o., Procivis, SpruceID, and Ubiqu. These companies will develop privacy-enhancing digital wallets, ensuring secure and verified digital credentials for immigrants and travelers. This project is a big step toward improving privacy and security nationwide. Read more: https://bit.ly/4dch13d

Last chance! Join us for the DHS SBIR First Responder Showcase on July 9 & 10 at 1pm ET. Register now to hear from ten SBIR awardees shaping the future of . Don’t miss out! Register here: https://go.dhs.gov/3Mx

🌟 Intern Spotlight Friday! 🌟

It's time to shine the spotlight on our talented interns at S&T’s Technology Centers! Research at our Tech Centers builds an understanding of how emerging technology can be harnessed to secure the use of advanced capabilities and mitigate the potential impacts of the threats we face.

🔍 Logan Batista is attending UConn and is majoring in International Affairs.

🔍 Alessandra Bonavita attends Florida State University and is majoring in Biochemistry.

🔍 Janna Chang attends University of Maryland and is majoring in Computer Science.

🔍 Ian Chisholm is attending USC Aiken and is majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

🔍 Shriya Dale is attending University of Virginia and is majoring in Computer Science.

For more information about S&T’s opportunities: www.dhs.gov/st-oup

🌪️ EMPOWERing First Responders to Prepare for Severe Weather Events 🌪️

We're thrilled to share insights from Norman Speicher, program manager at S&T's Office of Mission and Capability Support. As severe weather events become more frequent, the EMPOWER initiative is providing vital real-time data and AI tools to our first responders. Developed with SUNY Albany, this initiative ensures our emergency personnel are equipped to respond effectively to weather extremes. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4c2peq9

Discover the latest in critical first responder tech at the virtual DHS SBIR First Responder Showcase, July 9-10, 1pm ET. From biothreat detection to emergency communications, join us to explore innovative solutions for . Learn more and register here: https://go.dhs.gov/3Mx

There’s a new tech in town, and we need your help testing it. S&T is looking for fire departments to test the C-THRU prototype, which provides wearers with better indoor navigation capabilities in smoke-filled environments. We’re looking for your feedback to help continue improving this technology and firefighter safety.

If your team is interested in participating in the latest round of testing, please review details and apply here:

S&T Makes Innovative Fire Safety Technology available for Real World Testing | Homeland Security DHS S&T announced that interested fire departments across the country can now apply to test an innovative new fire safety tool: a helmet-mounted, indoor visualization and navigation device that allows first responders to see through dark smoke.

🌟 70 Years of Protecting U.S. Agriculture! 🌟The Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) celebrates seven decades of safeguarding our agriculture and livestock. Learn more about their achievements from Dr. Tod Companion, Director of PIADC, in his guest post.

Read here: https://bit.ly/3L61Ps7

It's Intern Spotlight Friday! 🌟

Today, we are thrilled to introduce five talented students who are working at S&T’s Office of Science & Engineering and the Office of Enterprise Services. Welcome to our team!

🌟 Sarah Hodgdon attends The George Washington University and is majoring in Psychology and Brain Sciences.

🌟 Matthew Caldwell is attending The George Washington University and is majoring in International Affairs.

🌟 Joseph Perez attends St. Mary's University and his major is Mechanical Engineering.

🌟 Malachi Burden is attending The King's University and is majoring in Executive Leadership.

🌟 Shakeh Ghazaryan is attending CSUSBring in Information Technology. (Not Pictured)

For more information about opportunities with S&T, visit: www.dhs.gov/st-oup

🏁 Exciting News from the Indy 500! 🏁

At this year’s race, S&T, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) unveiled the latest DETER technology for enhanced access control. Join us on our latest episode of S&T’s podcast, Technologically Speaking, as we explore this innovation designed to improve safety and flexibility at events. Don’t miss it! ➡️ https://bit.ly/3zg6rZY

Register now for the DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program’s virtual First Responder Showcase on July 9 and 10 at 1pm ET! This webinar will feature ten cutting-edge technologies developed by small business awardees that first responders can leverage. Visit our event page to learn more about these innovations and to register: https://go.dhs.gov/3Mx

Senator Pete Ricketts was on hand to celebrate the NCITE ribbon cutting at NCITE’s new research space in . UNO Chancellor Joanne Li and NCITE Director Dr. Gina Ligon along with the University of Nebraska Foundation, welcomed local, state and national officials.

The event honored the 10-year partnership launch between University of Nebraska at Omaha and S&T’s Office of University Programs. The National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) is a DHS Center of Excellence (COE), led by University of Nebraska at Omaha. COEs are led by a U.S. college or university in partnership with other academic institutions; industry; national laboratories; federally funded research and development centers; state, local, tribal and territorial homeland security agencies; and first responder groups.

Check out DHS Centers of Excellence: http://dhs.gov/st-oup