DHS University Programs

Current COEs

The S&T Directorate has selected university based Centers of Excellence (COEs), each led by a major university in collaboration with public and private-sector partners. The Centers are closely aligned with the Directorate's six enduring divisions and cross-cutting responsibilities, providing strong linkages to DHS and other customers.

The Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), led by the Univeristy of Southern California

The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD), led by the University of Minnesota

The National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD), led by Texas A&M University

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), led by University of Maryland

The National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER), led by Johns Hopkins University

The Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA), led by Michigan State University and funded jointly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Discrete Sciences University Affiliate Centers (UACs) - led by Rutgers University - which collaborate with the Institute for Discrete Sciences at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The Regional Visualization and Analytics Centers (RVACs), which collaborate with the National Visualization and Analytics Center at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

The Center for Border Security and Immigration, led by the University of Arizona at Tucson and University of Texas at El Paso, will develop technologies, tools, and advanced methods to balance immigration and commerce with effective border security, as well as assess threats and vulnerabilities, improve surveillance and screening, analyze immigration trends, and enhance policy and law enforcement efforts.

The Center for Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response led by Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., will evaluate the risks, costs, and consequences of terrorism, and develop new means and methods to protect the nation, focusing on detecting leave-behind Improvised Explosive Devices, enhancing aviation cargo security, providing next-generation baggage screening, detecting liquid explosives, and enhancing suspicious passenger identification.

The Center for Maritime, Island and Remote/Extreme Environment, led by the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii for maritime and island security and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. for port security, will strengthen maritime domain awareness and safeguard populations and properties unique to U.S. islands, ports, and remote and extreme environments. Examples include protecting the Alaskan Pipeline and other infrastructure and enhancing response and recovery plans for natural disaster threats like earthquakes and tsunamis.

Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management, led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., will enhance the nation's ability to safeguard populations, properties, and economies as it relates to the consequences of catastrophic natural disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, droughts, and wildfires. Examples include protecting at-risk infrastructures and populations, enhancing post-catastrophic recovery, improving information sharing and communication, and enhancing critical supply chain resiliency.

National Transportation Security Center of Excellence, led by Texas Southern University in Houston, Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss., and the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., will develop new technologies, tools, and advanced methods to defend, protect, and increase the resilience of the nation's multi-modal transportation infrastructure.