The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) renewed the sponsorship for the continued operation of the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute (HSSEDI), Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) with the MITRE Corporation (MITRE), DHS announced April 8. MITRE has operated the HSSEDI in five-year increments since 2009.
“HSSEDI is an integral part of the DHS and S&T strategies for tackling the pressing homeland security issues of our time,” said William Bryan, the senior official performing the duties of the under secretary for science and technology. “It is critical to chart a steady course and continue the important work being accomplished by HSSEDI and MITRE to the benefit of DHS and the broader Homeland Security Enterprise.”
Several offices and divisions within 13 DHS operational and headquarters components, as well as three different federal departments, placed task orders on the prior IDIQ contract to leverage HSSEDI’s objective, independent research and development technical expertise for high visibility, complex research and development programs and projects.
Similar to the prior IDIQ contract, MITRE will focus HSSEDI’s system engineering research and development on the most complex technical challenges, including a refined focus on cybersecurity. Overall, the seven HSSEDI focus areas include:
- Acquisition planning and development
- Emerging threats, concept explorations, experimentation and evaluation
- Information technology and communications
- Cyber solutions and operations
- Systems engineering, system architecture and integration
- Technical quality and performance
- Independent test and evaluation
S&T’s FFRDC Program Management Office (PMO) provides government oversight and management of the two DHS FFRDCs, HSSEDI and the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center. As the centralized management office, the PMO works with DHS component sponsors to develop and award task orders, develops and sponsors core research efforts, acts as a clearinghouse and repository for the FFRDCs’ research deliverables, and reviews and approves work for non-DHS FFRDCs.
Source: DHS
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