Border & immigrationDHS selects U Houston as Center of Excellence for Borders, Trade and Immigration Research

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) yesterday announced the selection of the University of Houston as the lead institution for a new DHS Center of Excellence (COE) for Borders, Trade and Immigration Research.

S&T will provide the Center for Borders, Trade and Immigration Research with an initial $3.4 million grant for its first operating year.

“We are excited that the University of Houston will join our family of Centers to provide innovative solutions across these extremely important mission areas in the Department,” said S&T’s Office of University Programs (OUP) director Matthew Clark, Ph.D., which manages the COE system.

S&T selected the University of Houston through an open call for proposals and a rigorous competitive process. This is the first COE award for the University of Houston. The new award will expand efforts initiated in 2008 through the National Center for Border Security and Immigration co-led by the University of Arizona and University of Texas at El Paso. The University of Arizona and University of Texas at El Paso will be invited to continue as partners in the new Center.

The Center for Borders, Trade and Immigration Research will collaborate with DHS S&T, DHS operational components, other government agencies, private sector partners, first responder agencies, and other COEs to help the United States address challenges to border security, trade and immigration mission goals. The Center for Borders, Trade and Immigration Research will also contribute toward the education of both university students and professionals who work in the realm of border security, trade and immigration.

The DHS COEs were established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to be a “coordinated, university-based system to enhance the Nation’s homeland security.” S&T says its COEs are a well-integrated network of researchers focused on specific high-priority DHS challenges. The COEs work directly with DHS operational Components to solve complex and challenging homeland security problems.