DHS S&T Highlights Key Tech Areas in Research Agenda

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate Technology Centers Division has unveiled its Research Agenda, a multi-year strategic framework outlining research and investment priorities.

Melanie Cummings, director of the S&T Technology Centers Division, said experts worked to identify key priority areas over the next five years. Key points under the Research Agenda include artificial intelligence, Earth systems sciences and advanced communications, Cummings said in a DHS post.

Under Earth systems sciences, the DHS wants to continue its research into extreme weather and damage mitigation. On advanced communications, the DHS wants to take advantage of 5G and satellite communications, which can facilitate new applications such as real-time remote operations and improved situational awareness.

Work on AI will focus on national security applications and highlight security concerns posed by the technology. According to Cummings, research on AI will ensure that S&T will understand and mitigate adversarial uses of AI.

The announcement of the Research Agenda follows the agency’s unveiling of the plans for the DHS Information Technology Academy, an establishment designed to improve employees’ tech skills. The facility is designed to educate the DHS workforce on key matters, including artificial intelligence, data science and agile development.

According to DHS Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen, the department needs a specialized IT workforce to spur modernization efforts.