Minnesota, Texas Capture Two DHS Centers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently selected Texas A&M University and the University of Minnesota to lead the second and third Homeland Security Centers of Excellence (HS-Centers). The department anticipates providing Texas A&M University, the University of Minnesota and their partners with a total of $33 million over the course of the next three years to address security in two key agricultural sectors -- foreign animal diseases and food security.

The selections were made from 23 proposals submitted in response to a December 2003 broad agency announcement by DHS' Science and Technology Directorate. Site visits were conducted for  seven finalists before selecting the two new HS-Centers.

• Texas A&M University and its partners are expected to receive $18 million for the study of high consequence foreign animal and zoonotic diseases. Additional university partners include the University of Texas Medical Branch, the University of California at Davis, the University of Southern California and the University of Maryland.
• With $15 million of DHS funding, the University of Minnesota's HS-Center will address agro-security issues related to post-harvest food protection. The University of Minnesota's team involves partnerships with major food companies and other universities, including Michigan State University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, North Dakota State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, Harvard University, the University of Tennessee, Cornell University, Purdue University and North Carolina State University.

In November 2003, the University of Southern California partnered with other universities and was chosen to house the first HS-Center, known as the Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events.

DHS plans to establish additional HS-Centers in 2004, spanning a variety of research and development areas of interest. More information will be available at http://www.dhs.gov.