DHS S&T Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks (ESE) Center of Excellence (COE) - Lead | ST ESE 21 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ST ESE 21 001

The DHS S&T Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks (ESE) Center of Excellence (COE) - Lead opportunity is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) funding call managed through the Office of University Programs (OUP) to select one accredited U.S. college or university to serve as the lead institution for a new DHS Center of Excellence. The chosen lead university is expected to stand up and manage a multi-institution consortium that will operate as a long-term, mission-focused research and education partner to DHS. The overarching purpose is to strengthen DHS capabilities by advancing science and technology that helps create, protect, and engineer secure environments against targeted attacks, while also building the talent pipeline and practical know-how needed across the homeland security enterprise.

This award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which generally signals a hands-on partnership model rather than a fully independent research grant. In practice, that means the Center is expected to work closely with DHS components throughout the lifecycle of its work, from shaping research priorities to ensuring results are usable and transition-ready. DHS centers of excellence are intended to be more than academic research hubs; they are designed to deliver mission-relevant research, translate that research into deployable tools and practices, and support DHS operations with a reliable, trusted network of subject matter expertise over time.

A key expectation is that the lead institution will build a consortium with multiple types of partners and manage those relationships effectively. Partners may include other academic institutions, private sector industry, DHS operational components, Department of Energy National Laboratories, other Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), other federal agencies with homeland security missions, and a wide range of state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government entities. Nonprofits and first responder organizations are also explicitly identified as potential collaborators, highlighting that DHS wants practical, field-informed outcomes, not just theoretical advances. The Center is expected to be fully integrated into the broader DHS COE network (a set of existing university-led centers listed on DHS's Centers of Excellence webpage) and to leverage network resources and connections to accelerate mission-critical research, education, and technology transition.

In terms of what the Center must deliver, the opportunity emphasizes four interlocking aims: conducting research aligned to DHS operational needs; developing and transitioning mission-relevant science and technology; educating the next generation of homeland security technical experts (which typically implies student engagement, curriculum development, and workforce pipeline activities); and training the current workforce in emerging scientific and technical applications. The emphasis on "transition" is important because DHS is looking for outcomes that can move beyond publications toward adoption by DHS components and partners, whether as prototypes, validated methods, decision-support tools, guidelines, or other operationally useful capabilities.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: ST ESE 21 001) under CFDA 97.061, offered by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division. Eligible applicants are limited to public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education in the United States, with the lead applicant being an accredited U.S. college or university. DHS anticipated making a single award (Expected Awards: 1), positioning this as a competitive selection to determine the sole lead institution responsible for organizing the consortium and representing the Center within the DHS COE network. The maximum funding amount listed (Award Ceiling) is $3,650,000, which serves as a top-line indicator of potential annual or initial funding scope depending on the award structure described in the full notice of funding opportunity.

The timeline provided in the opportunity materials shows it was originally posted on January 5, 2021, with an original closing date of March 10, 2021. DHS also scheduled an informational webinar for interested applicants on February 4, 2021 at 2:00pm EDT to walk through the notice of funding opportunity and answer questions, which indicates DHS expected complex proposals involving consortium formation, governance, and detailed plans for research, education, and technology transition.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as DHS seeking a long-term university-led hub that can coordinate multidisciplinary research and real-world partnerships to reduce risk from targeted attacks by improving how secure environments are engineered and operated. The lead university is not just applying for research funds; it is applying to run a Center of Excellence with network-level responsibilities, sustained engagement with DHS stakeholders, and a clear plan for producing outcomes that can be used by DHS and its operational partners.

• The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DHS S&T Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks (ESE) Center of Excellence (COE) - Lead" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.061.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 05, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 10, 2021 DHS will conduct an informational webinar for interested applicants on February 4, 2021 at 200pm (EDT). During the call, DHS will discuss the NOFO and provide an opportunity for interested applicants to ask questions.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for ST ESE 21 001

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