For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate today announced the formation of two new Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): the Homeland Security Studies & Analysis Institute (HSSAI) and the Homeland Security Systems Engineering & Development Institute (HSSEDI).
“FFRDCs enable us to use private sector resources for long-term research and development needs in a way that supports our mission and uses taxpayer dollars in a fiscally responsible way,” said acting Under Secretary for Science and Technology Bradley Buswell. “The award of these two contracts will take the department one step closer to Secretary Napolitano’s goal of creating ‘one DHS,’ by providing a superb research resource for the entire department.”
The HSSAI, to be operated by Analytic Services, Inc., will provide mission-focused homeland security analysis and expertise focusing on program objectives, system requirements, and metrics. HSSAI will apply their expertise to the “what and why” of DHS mission objectives. Based in Arlington, VA, Analytic Services is a not-for-profit public service institute that provides objective studies and analyses of the national security, homeland security, and public safety communities. The contract will be for one year with up to four extension options for a total estimated cost of up to $269 million.
The HSSEDI, to be operated by MITRE Corporation, will provide advice on concept evolution, development integration, best practices in lifecycle systems engineering and management, and program-level technical and integration expertise across the homeland security enterprise. HSSEDI will focus on “how” DHS can reach its objectives. The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit organization chartered to work in the public interest with expertise in systems engineering, information technology, operational concepts, and enterprise modernization. The contract will be for one year with up to four extension options for a total estimated cost of up to $443 million.
In order to perform these very specific missions, federal regulations define FFRDCs as having a special relationship with the government, allowing them access to data beyond standard contractual relationships. Because of these relationships, FFRDCs are required to operate in the public interest with objectivity and independence, must be free from organizational conflicts of interest, and must provide full disclosure of its affairs to its sponsoring government agency.
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