RFI: 70RSAT26RFI000023

Distribution is authorized to U.S. government agencies only. Contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act. Before this SOW is released to the public, approval is required by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.

Statement of Work (SOW) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Center of Excellence (COE) Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats (ALERT)

70RSAT26RFI000023

I. Background

The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002, as amended, mandated that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) designate university-based centers for the purpose of establishing a coordinated, university-based system to enhance our nation’s homeland security. DHS established its Centers of Excellence (COEs) program to fulfill this mission. The COEs conduct research, analysis, and educational programs to enhance homeland security capabilities. The HSA also identified that S&T could use grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. The initial suite of COEs were funded as grants.

Since then, S&T has utilized the cooperative agreement instrument (allows substantial federal involvement) for COE base funding. In addition, the DHS S&T Office of University Programs (OUP) established COE Basic Ordering Agreements (BOAs) in July 2010 to allow for contract funding to the COEs, where appropriate. These two mechanisms support the OUP mission to maximize DHS’s return on investment in university-based research and education.

Traditionally, federal funding for basic and applied research and educational programs by universities is through the use of assistance instruments (grants/cooperative agreements), as the fundamental purpose of the work to be performed by the recipient is in the furtherance of the public good. OUP funds grants and cooperative agreements to the COEs to establish fundamental research and education programs in specific multidisciplinary subject matter areas. DHS S&T expects the universities that comprise the COEs to become self-sufficient over time and to obtain additional sources of funding beyond S&T OUP’s investment in order to support more directed research.

Interest in the work of the COEs has increased, particularly among other DHS components.

Other S&T Divisions and DHS components frequently need to access the capabilities created by the COEs at the lead or partner universities for directed research, analysis, and related technical services, both unclassified and classified. It should be noted, however, research that is more directed and research involving classified information cannot be performed under S&T’s grants and cooperative agreements, as the appropriate funding instrument would be a contract. Also, our customers have identified emerging needs that require a timely response (e.g., research on the effects on the U.S. of emerging threat groups and countering violent extremism) that could be more quickly addressed through issuance of a task order under a BOA.

II. Scope of Work

Based on the success of the current BOA vehicles, DHS S&T, OUP intends to issue a BOA to Northeastern University for Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats (ALERT).

Mission: conduct transformational research, technology and educational development for effective characterization, detection, mitigation and response to the explosives-related threats facing the country. ALERT’s research is focused on ultra-reliable screening, explosives detection at a distance, and unequivocal pre- and post-blast mitigation.

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The new five-year BOA will be awarded to accommodate additional DHS requirements for COE research, analysis, and technical services. The BOA will be issued for a five-year period, ending in 2031. OUP estimates the value of the task orders issued under this BOA to range from $0.25 - $9 million, and $1-$3 million annually depending on the task orders awarded. We based this estimate on the following:

1. The historical funding of projects as assistance supplements.

2. As the COEs mature and build up their capabilities/tools DHS S&T’s customers will seek to use those capabilities and tools more.

3. Use of a procurement action in lieu of obtaining assistance authority will allow more DHS S&T customers to utilize the capacity developed at the COEs.

ALERT’s four core fundamental science research thrusts are:

(1) Explosives Characterization: characterization of signatures and properties of a variety of potential threat materials; Design of protocols for safe handling and disposal of these threats, including ways to prevent common chemicals from being used to make illicit explosives while still allowing their intended uses; Determination of surface-explosive particle interaction in order to best locate and collect explosive residue.

(2) Explosives Detection Sensors: concentration on understanding the fundamental problems of trace and vapor detection of explosives. The goal of this effort is to enable development of sensing systems capable of detecting ultra-low amounts of explosives which are both selective (i.e., able to reduce number of false positives and false negatives), and adaptable (i.e., can accommodate new explosives as they become threats).

(3) Explosives Detection Sensor Systems: focus on designing and implementing novel bulk sensors and multi-sensor detection systems, including optimization of millimeter wave-based sensing of anomalies under clothing to detect explosives on and within the human body. Detecting threats of interest at distance using new sensor modalities is also of interest.

(4) Video Analytics and Signature Analysis: focus on multi-camera video anomaly detection in scenarios relevant to passenger tracking and area monitoring in public spaces. Signature analysis work will develop fundamental processing algorithms for trace; bulk and multi-sensor systems will extract maximal information from available sensed signals to increase the probability of detection and classification of explosives while reducing the number of false alarms.

Examples of projects within these thrusts include study of the nanostructure of explosives, stand-off Raman spectroscopy, multi-modality imaging, blast-resistant composite materials, and developing novel algorithm methods for improved x-ray imaging. With the collaboration of its industrial and national laboratory partners, ALERT will also focus on transitioning research into fieldable systems such as a video analytics-based threat detection system for use in airports and other venues. Researchers from the partnership bring strengths in advanced sensor design, standoff weak-target detection, signal processing, sensor integration, explosives characterization, improvised explosive device detonator signatures, shock physics, and material science.

In addition to the research efforts, ALERT also seeks to contribute to the training and education of existing and future DHS contributors.

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Training and Education:

A key ALERT objective is to build an outstanding educational and training program that includes pre-college, undergraduate, graduate, and career professional components who are, or will be, important contributors to DHS and to the success of its critical mission. The ALERT team of educational institutions aims to address the need for personnel trained in DHS related technologies.

The ALERT Education Program initiatives are focused on the following areas:

1. University Graduate and Undergraduate Programs;

2. Professional Development Programs and Short Courses for DHS

Professionals and First Responders; and

3. K-12 and Community College Awareness and Involvement.

Examples include distance-learning courses in homeland security related technologies, an Engineering Leadership Program available to Department of Homeland Security personnel nationwide, and a “High- Tech Tools and Toys” lab for college freshmen, community colleges, and high schools. Workshops and short courses are being developed to review new threat detection and mitigation technologies for first responders such as the Secret Service, Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians.

III. Other Contract Details

1. Period of Performance

The sole-source BOA will be for a period of five (5) years. BOAs of shorter duration would not provide the time that DHS would need to conduct the initial science, test, pilot, and potentially transition research. This 5-year period of performance is the historical POP for the issuance of the COE BOAs and allows for DHS components to issue multiple year task orders under the BOAs as a strategic sourcing vehicle. The purpose is to streamline ongoing access of the capabilities available from the COEs. Task Order Request for Proposals (TORPs) POPs will vary based on the requirement.

2. Travel Travel may be required in the performance of the duties listed. All travel will be limited to Contiguous United States (CONUS).

3. DHS-Furnished Information and Property Not applicable.

4. Place(s) of Performance All work is required to be performed within the United States or its territories.

5. Program Status Report/Deliverables The Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) responsible for establishing of the BOAs will manage the contractual and technical aspects of the BOAs themselves, whereas the ordering officers and assigned CORs within each ordering component will manage their respective task orders using a combination of monitoring techniques including the use of in-process review meetings, monthly status reports, and reviews of all draft and final

Distribution is authorized to U.S. government agencies only. Contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act. Before this SOW is released to the public, approval is required by the Department of deliverables to ensure accuracy, functionality, completeness, professional quality, and overall compliance with the terms and conditions of the respective task orders and BOAs.

6. Invoices No invoices will be issued against the BOAs because no funds will be issued on the BOAs.

However, the TORP level COs and CORs will address as per current policy. Rate Agreement Pricing is updated annually by the universities.

7. Classified Information The BOA task orders do allow for sensitive and classified work.

8. Funding Requirements Obligations of funds shall be accomplished solely through task orders issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of the BOAs. It is the responsibility of the DHS component requiring offices to commit and obligate sufficient and appropriate funds in issuing their respective Task Orders under the COE BOAs. The amount of funds obligated and made available for payment will be specified in each task order. Funding shall be obligated under each task order in accordance with federal appropriations laws, federal acquisition regulations specified in each BOA, and internal DHS component procedures and practices.

9. Foreign Participation Reporting Instructions The admittance of foreign detailees, scientists, and students into DHS sponsored/funded academic and other programs may result in continuous exposure of DHS information, personnel, IT systems, technologies, facilities, resources, and programs by non-U.S. citizens. In order to mitigate this potential security risk, DHS Management Policy 121-08 stipulates all foreign detailees, scientists, professors, principal investigators, and student nominees involved in long-term (greater than 30 days) DHS sponsored/funded academic or other DHS programs must submit a DHS Form 11055 to Director of the Office of University Programs. The University is required to ensure all foreign investigators and students working on DHS sponsored/funded research or receiving tuition or travel support of any kind through this award, complete DHS Form11055, to report all foreign national students/teaching assistants. Within the Form, Section I (Foreign National Information), Section II (Foreign National Information - Passport/Visa), and Section III (Foreign National Information (Employer Information) must be completed. Sponsor information will be completed internally at S&T.

Please complete, save and return Form 11055 by email to the OUP Director. Do Not Use the “Submit” button on the form. For individual engagements with foreign nations, the Recipient will submit Form 11055 at least 30 days prior to the activity in which the foreign nationals participate.

Please indicate your Center of Excellence affiliation and position title in the email.

IV. Points of Contact

DHS S&T Technical Representative:

Eleanore Hajian Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC Phone: 202-567-1525 Email: eleanore.hajian@hq.dhs.gov mailto:Laura.Parker@HQ.DHS.GOV Newman, Susan If OPO objects to this phrasing, add in “Contact information to be provided by the program POC.”

Distribution is authorized to U.S. government agencies only. Contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act. Before this SOW is released to the public, approval is required by the Department of

DHS S&T Contracting Officer:

Danette Williams Department of Homeland Security Attn: Office of the Chief Procurement Officer Office of Procurement Operations Washington, DC 20528 Phone: 202-843-8878 Email: danette.williams@hq.dhs.gov

DHS S&T may change the individuals designated as POCs upon notice to the awardee.

mailto:jessica.wilson@hq.dhs.gov