Happy summer! As temperatures are pushing us outdoors and rising vaccination numbers offer more opportunities to go farther than our backyards, we are reminded of that communal feeling of freedom and exploration that summer conjures. At the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), we are kicking off summer by hosting a series of expert-led discussions on the impact and importance of the work we do.
Today marks the first day of our Virtual Whole of Government R&D Showcase, which features many voices across the research and development (R&D) community. The problems we face are much too large to solve alone, and we’ve found that when we convene with partners, we can unify to bring great advancements that benefit the nation as a whole.
Our theme, “Unifying Research to Work for You,” addresses how S&T’s innovative whole-of-government research partnerships are securing our future now, ensuring no one is left behind. While we’ll discuss many different topics, the common thread is that we are here to put innovation to work—to help communities recover and move forward, to establish enduring support systems that ensure we remain resilient, and to realize more opportunities at the intersection of science and security.
Our R&D impacts are the result of real-time coordination across five national labs, seven technology centers, and ten Centers of Excellence. In an age when threats are invisible and moving fast, scientific analysis provides the needed guidance and direction to enhance our overall security and resilience. At S&T, we do the science because it saves lives. And taking a whole-of-government approach to research and technology development enables us to accelerate solutions and get the country moving again.
I encourage you to tune in to our first series that will focus on discussions around public health security and how we really are getting the country back on track. Take a lunch hour or a quick break to hear compelling stories from scientists working in our S&T labs, a police chief battling the opioid crisis in his Ohio community, researchers conducting analysis in sewage systems (in the name of science, of course) in Louisville, Kentucky, and transit officials getting trains running safely in New York City.
We see this digital showcase as an opportunity to educate our vast audience on all the work we have partnered on—across government, in academia, with non-governmental organizations, and at the state and local levels. By visiting our R&D Showcase resource hub, you can view videos, browse our e-book and delve deeper into the stories behind the science.
In Series Two, Three and Four, you can expect to learn about cross-sector collaborations in disaster preparedness, infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, drone operations, and the convergence of advanced technologies.
Wondering where to register? For ease of access, no registration is required for this free four-part series. Our panels are released every two weeks beginning today through August 9, and this content will remain available through November 2021.
I encourage you to bookmark our R&D Showcase page and view our content at your own pace to hear the many perspectives and experts who are solving major challenges for the nation. View the full schedule and content here: https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/virtual-rd-showcase. Follow us on social media to stay updated on upcoming showcase releases!