05_CRC BOA SOW_Phase XI_2026.pdf

RFI: 70RSAT26G00000023

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) Coastal Resilience Center (CRC)

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 University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill for Coastal Resilience Center (CRC). Mission: to enhance the nation’s ability to safeguard people, infrastructure, and economies from catastrophic coastal natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, and to consider future climate trends and

RFI: 70RSAT26G000023

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 their impacts on coastal resilience. With an emphasis on outputs-oriented research, education and workforce development, and early and continuous engagement with end users and homeland security practitioners.

A significant focus of CRC will be on transitioning research outputs for use by DHS operational components, other homeland security end users, policy makers, decision makers across all levels of industry and government, and community leaders.

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.

Research themes include:

• Coastal Infrastructure Resilience, which focuses on research related to enhancing the resilience of coastal infrastructure systems and ecosystems that take into account the impacts of climatic trends, demographic shifts, and aging and deteriorating infrastructure.

This includes:

o Developing tools to access and manage cascading consequences and interactions between critical and social infrastructure and hazards.

o Improving the ability to model and assess impacts of threats to coastal infrastructure, human populations and ecosystems essential to disaster planning, preparedness, response, and recovery such as addressing anticipated increases in the frequency and intensity of weather events.

o Conducting other projects related to understanding coastal infrastructure resilience.

• Building Resilient Communities, which focuses on research related to enhancing pre-disaster planning, preparedness, mitigation, and recovery capacity through evidence- based approaches or empirical studies to support improved community preparedness. This includes:

o Tracking the progress and quality of post-disaster recovery o Addressing risk assessments, policy decisions, land use, and hazard mitigation plans to reduce community stress o Developing decision-making models for coastal hazards o Evaluating factors that influence vulnerability o Building relationships with vulnerable communities and work directly with them to test and evaluate tools and technology o Conducting other projects related to understanding building resilient communities

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

• Disaster Dynamics, which focuses on research related to holistic coastal disaster risk assessment and management approaches and modeling tools and methods that enable more accurate assessment of the dynamics of coastal hazards (e.g., storm surge, flooding, wind) and their impacts on coastal populations, infrastructure and ecosystems. This includes:

o Developing new methods for creating wave, storm surge and coastal inundation models.

o Improving the efficiency of existing wave, storm surge and coastal inundation models.

o Evaluating existing wave, storm surge and coastal inundation models and identify desired characteristics or performance parameters.

o Conducting other projects related to understanding disaster dynamics.

• Education and Workforce Development, which focuses on developing curricula and certifications that promote holistic, creative, and resilient solutions to the challenges of natural hazards in the nation’s coastal zone. Examples include:

o Social science courses focusing on coastal natural hazards and climate science that focus on the nexus between the physical science underlying natural hazards phenomena and the policies, programs, and plans needed to help societies manage their effects and increase resilience.

o Coastal engineering tracks within civil engineering degree programs that enable students to apply coastal engineering expertise to natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis, and their effects and consequences.

o Emergency and public safety management courses, certificates for students and professionals.

o Application of engineering best practices and the most current research and modeling capabilities to improve the resiliency of coastal infrastructure.

o Disaster science and management courses for peer-to-peer or distance education.

o Developing other curricula that builds capacity to apply natural hazards science and engineering across disciplines for undergraduate and graduate education and student development and professional development.

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.

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

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 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 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, scientist, 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.

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

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:

Dr. Chelsea Thompson Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC Phone: 202-996-4873 Email: chelsea.thompson@hq.dhs.gov

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:eleanore.hajian@hq.dhs.gov mailto:jessica.wilson@hq.dhs.gov Newman, Susan If OPO objects to this phrasing, add in “Contact information to be provided by the program POC.”