[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 115 (Friday, June 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33835-33837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13288]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary


Notice Designating the University of Texas at El Paso as a DHS 
Center of Excellence for the Study of Border Security and Immigration 
for Education Lead Institution

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security has designated the 
University of Texas at El Paso as a DHS Center of Excellence for the 
Study of Border Security and Immigration, Education Lead Institution.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tiffany Lightbourn, Program Manager, 
University Programs, Science and Technology Directorate, Department of 
Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528; telephone 202-254-5843, 
facsimile 202-254-6179; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 308 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-
296, (the ``Homeland Security Act''), as amended by the Consolidated 
Appropriations Resolution 2003, Public Law 108-7, and as codified in 
Title 6 of the United States Code Chapter I Subchapter III

[[Page 33836]]

Section 188(b)(2) [6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)], directs the Department of 
Homeland Security (``Department'') to sponsor extramural research, 
development, demonstration, testing and evaluation programs relating to 
homeland security. As part of this program, the Department has 
established a coordinated system of university-based centers for 
homeland security (the ``Centers'').
    The Centers are envisioned to be an integral component of the 
Department's capability to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover 
from terrorist attacks. The Centers will leverage multidisciplinary 
capabilities and fill gaps in current knowledge.
    Title 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) lists fourteen areas of substantive 
expertise that, if demonstrated, might qualify universities for 
designation as university-based centers. The listed areas of expertise 
include: (1) The training of first responders; (2) responding to 
incidents involving weapons of mass destruction and biological warfare; 
(3) emergency and diagnostic medical services; (4) chemical, 
biological, radiological and nuclear countermeasures or detection; (5) 
animal and plant health and diagnostics; (6) food safety; (7) water and 
wastewater operations; (8) port and waterway security; (9) multi-modal 
transportation; (10) information security and information engineering; 
(11) engineering; (12) educational outreach and technical assistance; 
(13) border and transportation security; and (14) the public policy 
implications and public dissemination of homeland security relevant 
research and development. However, the list is not exclusive. 6 U.S.C. 
188(b)(2)(C) gives the Secretary discretion to except certain criteria 
specified in 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) and consider additional criteria 
beyond those specified in 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) in selecting 
universities for this program, as long as the Department issues a 
Federal Register notice explaining the criteria used for the 
designation.

Criteria

    In response to Congressional direction contained in the Conference 
Report for the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Homeland Security 
Appropriations Act, the DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology 
developed a plan in November 2006 to establish new DHS Centers of 
Excellence in high priority science and technology areas which aligned 
to the DHS Science and Technology Directorate's research portfolios and 
for which DHS determined there were significant gaps in scientific 
understanding and technological development. These areas included: (1) 
Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management, (2) 
Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response, (3) Maritime, Island and 
Remote Environment Security, and (4) Border Security and Immigration. 
Research in these areas will contribute significantly to the 
Department's ability to enhance homeland security and the safety of our 
citizens from both natural and man-made threats.
    The criteria for designation for this new Center of Excellence for 
the Study of Border Security and Immigration will demonstrate expertise 
in conducting fundamental research into the policy and technological 
issues and challenges of U.S. border security, immigration, and 
national security. Research results will support DHS, other federal, 
state and local agencies missions to secure our national borders while 
welcoming legitimate visitors and trade. This COE will collaborate 
closely with S&T's Borders & Maritime Division which manages a full-
spectrum research and development (R&D) program from fundamental 
research to advanced technologies. The COE for the Study of Border 
Security and Immigration will provide enabling basic research that will 
advance the technical tools and information that S&T's customers will 
need in the future to balance the lawful movement of people and goods 
with effective border security. This COE will develop relevant 
educational curricula for both matriculated students and career 
professionals.
    The Center of Excellence for the Study of Border Security and 
Immigration will conduct basic and transformational research on border 
security issues in the following areas:
    1. Surveillance, Screening, Data Fusion, and Situational Awareness. 
Specifically they will research the best ways--in terms of legality, 
sensitivity to privacy, effectiveness, and affordability--of 
maintaining surveillance over borders and ports of entry. In addition 
they will develop improvements in our ability to screen cargo, 
vehicles, and passengers entering the U.S.
    2. Population Dynamics, Immigration Administration, and Immigration 
Enforcement. Research will develop methods to accurately measure and 
reliably predict the size of immigration flows to the U.S. and improve 
the efficiency of our system of immigration administration and enhance 
the enforcement of our immigration laws.
    3. Operational Analysis, & Command, Control, and Communications. In 
particular they will develop approaches that allow for multiple layers 
of security and diverse forms of surveillance, interdiction, and 
enforcement to be effectively integrated. Research will also facilitate 
the timely communication of information and analysis generated by 
surveillance and screening systems.
    4. Immigration Policy, Civic Integration, & Citizenship. Research 
will assess the consequences of immigration policies on future flows of 
migrants, the American labor market, and on the incorporation of 
immigrants into American society.
    5. Border Risk Management & International Governance. Research will 
assess new technologies and improved risk assessment methodologies to 
prioritize protection efforts. Research will also assess strategies 
that can enhance cooperation among national and international 
organizations that share common interests regarding the security of the 
border domain.

Announcement of Funding Opportunities and Competition

    In February 2007, the Department established a competitive process 
and requested white papers and proposals from universities that wished 
to be designated as DHS Centers of Excellence in: (1) Explosives 
Detection Mitigation and Response, (3) Maritime, Island and Remote 
Environment Security, or (4) Border Security and Immigration. The 
funding opportunity announcements for these four Centers of Excellence 
were published at http://www.grants.gov on February 4, 2007, as 
required by the Office of Management and Budget. In the area of Border 
Security and Immigration DHS received 11 white papers and evaluated 
them through a peer-review panel process that included scientific 
expertise from the federal government, peer-institutional faculty, and 
the private sector. Following the white paper review, DHS received 6 
full proposals by the closing date of July 30, 2007. The 6 full 
proposals were reviewed by subject matter experts external to DHS S&T. 
Three full proposals were referred to an internal review panel of S&T 
subject matter experts for evaluation, who recommended site visits at 
all 3 sites. Based on information collected on these site visits, DHS 
selected University of Arizona to be the Research Lead Institution for 
the Border Security and Immigration Center of Excellence, in 
partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso (the Education 
Lead), University of New Mexico and other affiliated universities.
    The University of Texas at El Paso and its partners will develop 
educational programs on the policy and

[[Page 33837]]

technological issues and challenges of U.S. border security, 
immigration, and national security.

Jay M. Cohen,
Under Secretary for Science and Technology, Department of Homeland 
Security.
[FR Doc. E8-13288 Filed 6-12-08; 8:45 am]
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