Jobs in stem are some of the fastest growing in the workforce, yet minorities remain underrepresented in these jobs at a national level, particularly in the field of homeland security (HS)

This Cooperative Agreement award from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate under the Scientific Leadership Awards (CFDA 97.062) program provides $997,776 in funding to Florida International University (FIU) from July 7, 2023 to July 6, 2028. Through this award, FIU will:

1. Provide research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in areas related to homeland security, with a focus on preventing terrorism and securing borders through threat detection methods.

2. Redesign coursework to include experiential learning activities for students at all post-secondary levels to prepare them for homeland security careers.

3. Engage with Miami Dade College to promote STEM degree pathways and transitions from 2-year to 4-year institutions.

4. Collaborate with the DHS Center of Excellence for Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (DHS COE CINA) and other homeland security research entities to support the homeland security enterprise.

The goal of this program is to increase minority representation in high-growth STEM fields critical to homeland security through research, curriculum development, and partnerships.

FIU, with collaborations from miami dade college, george mason universitys DHS center of excellence criminal investigations and network analysis (DHS COE cina), as well as additional HS research entities, will address this problem by engaging diverse students and faculty in research and graduate and undergraduate-level curricula that will support the homeland security enterprise (HSE). Florida international university (FIU) is a multi-campus public research university offering a broad array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. As a minority-serving institution (MSI), 85 of FIU students are hispanic, black, asian or pacific islander, or other minority groups. FIU is also ranked R1 (doctoral universities very high research activity), the highest level awarded in the carnegie classification of institutions of higher education. As the largest producer of stem degrees for hispanics in the US, FIU has established itself as a leading MSI working to advance diversity in stem. Through its two preeminent programs, the global forensic justice center (gfjc) and the stem transformation institute (stem TI), FIU proposes the transforming forensic chemistry education and research to serve the homeland security enterprise and establish a diverse workforce program. Through this robust program, FIU will conduct research to improve detection of concealed threats by instruments and canine, broaden the reach of our established forensic program to include HS topics, and create an educational environment to encourage minority participation in stem and HS-related research needs. Our team proposes to strengthen DHS approaches strategically and scientifically in border security, countering biothreats in supply chains, law enforcement investigations, transportation security and screening, and terrorism prevention. CO-directed by gfjcs professor of forensic chemistry, DR. Lauryn degreeff, and stem TIS professor of chemistry education research, DR. Justin carmel, the proposed project will serve the mission of DHS at the highest levels. The objectives of fius scientific leadership award proposal are to 1) provide research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in areas relating to HS with a focus on prevention of terrorism and securing our borders through various methods of threat detection 2) rethink traditional coursework to include experiential learning activities for students at all post-secondary levels in order to prepare them for careers in the field of HS, 3) engage with miami dade college to bring career-relevant information to their doorstep and promote pathways toward stem degree completion and transition from 2-year to 4-year institutions, and 4) engage with DHS COE cina and additional HSE research collaborators to ensure the program effectively supports the HSE. Our vision is that these areas of research and workforce development will bring further alignment of practices and capabilities to make immediate, notable, and measurable impacts to detect and deter terrorism and increase security for all our citizens, as well as build a prepared, knowledgeable, and diverse workforce for the HSE.