2014_LRBAA_Announcement_-_Amendment_00014_-_021317.pdf

Science & Technology Directorate

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2014 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement 14-02

Amendment 00014

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Agency Name: Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20528

Research Opportunity Title: DHS S&T Long Range Broad Agency Announcement

Research Opportunity Number: BAA 14-02

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 97.065

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Title: Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency

Response Date: This is a five (5) year announcement and will remain open until December 31, 2018, 11:59PM, Eastern Standard

Time (EST). White Papers are due by this response date;

thus, if you are encouraged to submit a Full Proposal based on your White Paper submission, please be advised that the due date of the full proposal will be the date that is specified in the notification letter; and not the response date by December 31, 2018, 11:59PM, EST.

However, if an offeror’s proposal is not encouraged based on their White Paper submission, and the offeror still opts to submit a full proposal, they may do so within

60 days of the notification letter; and not the response date by December 31, 2018, 11:59PM, EST.

Points of Contact:

Division Division Email

BMD sandt.bordersmaritime@hq.dhs.gov

CDS standards@hq.dhs.gov

CSD sandt-cyber-liaison@hq.dhs.gov

EXD sandt.explosives@hq.dhs.gov

FRG sandtfrg@hq.dhs.gov

S&T BAA Website: https://baa2.st.dhs.gov

S&T BAA Website Tech Support: dhsbaa@reisystems.com or (703) 480-7676 mailto:sandt.bordersmaritime@hq.dhs.gov mailto:sandt-cyber-liaison@hq.dhs.gov mailto:sandt.explosives@hq.dhs.gov mailto:sandtfrg@hq.dhs.gov https://baa2.st.dhs.gov/ mailto:dhsbaa@reisystems.com

2. INTRODUCTION

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) reserves the right to reject submissions if the work proposed duplicates current S&T activities, falls outside the particular division’s current efforts, or does not comply with the submission instructions. Therefore all interested parties must read these instructions carefully.

This is a Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (LRBAA), as contemplated in Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016. It is not a request for information (RFI).

The LRBAA’s submission and evaluation processes are distinct from those of conventional procurements that use Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or Requests for Quotes (RFQs).

S&T’s mission is to “support basic and applied homeland security research to promote revolutionary changes in technologies; advance the development, testing and evaluation, and deployment of critical homeland security technologies; and accelerate the prototyping and deployment of technologies that would address homeland security vulnerabilities.” This

Announcement declares S&T’s general interest in competitively funding R&D projects across a spectrum of science and engineering disciplines. S&T will focus on areas where risk inhibits mission or operational investments, and where significantly improved or increased capability payoffs can be expected.

S&T seeks R&D projects for revolutionary, evolving, and maturing technologies that demonstrate the potential for significant improvement in homeland security missions and operations. The unique contribution of your proposed research or technical concept, and how it differs from similar efforts or solutions, must be clearly articulated in your White Paper. Offerors should read the descriptions of the research topic areas of interest and identify the specific topic for which their concept will have the maximum impact. Offerors are encouraged to select the one division that most directly corresponds to their proposed subject matter.

It cannot be emphasized too strongly that all submissions must indicate significant advancement in the evolution of a topic area identified in this Announcement. The Government reserves the right to reject submissions that do not clearly articulate such advances or innovations.

This announcement is restricted to work relating to basic and applied research and that portion of advanced technology development not related to a specific system or hardware procurement.

This announcement does not cover support services, such as technical services, engineering services, or other types of support services to include “contracting”-type services (e.g., quasi-directed subcontracting) or contracts to “evaluate” another contractor’s performance/program.

Such submissions are considered non-compliant with this LRBAA and will be rejected without evaluation.

Fully developed products are not normally considered under this LRBAA, unless the Offeror is proposing a totally different application for the product or a modification is needed, which requires substantial research. Purchase of capital equipment will only be allowed under a given proposal if S&T deems it reasonable and necessary to conduct the particular project. No LRBAA award shall be primarily for the purchase of capital equipment.

Offerors who seek, through this LRBAA, to extend work previously completed must clearly articulate where the old work ended, where the new work begins, and what new advances are expected from the work contemplated under this LRBAA. Please ensure it is clear that the work now being submitted is independent of previous work (i.e. the next logical step in the research, or investigating a subject that was discovered and not funded under the previous award).

Submitting existing Statements of Work and indicating which steps have been completed is not sufficient justification for an independent award under the LRBAA.

DHS S&T will not issue paper copies of this Broad Agency Announcement. Oral presentations are not permitted at any point during the LRBAA process.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All responsible Offerors are eligible to submit White Papers under the LRBAA, but DHS S&T particularly encourages submissions from small businesses. However, no set aside of any kind will be made.

Foreign or foreign-owned Offerors are advised that their participation is subject to foreign disclosure review procedures, applicable export control laws, and other applicable federal laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to U.S. Government business with foreign entities.

Offerors may include independent organizations, single entities, or teams from private sector organizations, Government laboratories, airport authorities, Federally Funded Research and

Development Centers (FFRDCs), and academic institutions. FFRDCs, including the Department of Energy National Laboratories and Centers, are eligible to respond to this LRBAA individually or as team members with eligible principal Offerors, as long as they are permitted to respond to such announcements under their applicable sponsoring agreements.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Institutions (MIs), small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran owned small businesses, and HUBZone small businesses are encouraged to submit proposals and to join other entities as team members in submitting proposals.

Offerors must be prepared to cooperate and exchange data and technical information as requested by DHS S&T. Data rights and intellectual property terms and conditions will be addressed after Full Proposal evaluation.

The cost of preparing White Papers and Full Proposals in response to this Announcement is not considered an allowable direct cost. Offerors should consult FAR 31.205-18 when considering whether these costs may be allocated as indirect costs. The Contracting Officer will determine allowability and allocability. The Offeror may be required to submit certified cost and pricing data if the value of a prospective award exceeds the Truth in Negotiations Act threshold.

4. AWARD INFORMATION

The S&T technical subject matter expert personnel shall coordinate with the Contracting Officer to identify White Papers that present “particular value” to S&T. The Division Contracting

Officer will encourage the Offerors of these White Papers to submit Full Proposals consisting of detailed technical and cost information. Please note that any such encouragement does not assure an award.

The primary basis for selecting proposals for acceptance shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and funding availability. Cost realism and reasonableness shall also be considered to the extent appropriate. Therefore, DHS S&T reserves the right to select for negotiation of a potential award to fund all, some, or none of the Full Proposals received in response to this

Announcement. The amount of resources made available under this BAA will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. A proposal may be selected, but only specific portions may be of interest. The award value and period of performance of each selected Full Proposal will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Proposal development costs will not be reimbursed. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. However, depending on the markings on the proposal, DHS S&T will adhere to FAR policy on handling source selection information and proprietary proposals. It is the policy of DHS S&T to treat all proposals as proprietary information and to disclose their contents only for the purposes of evaluation.

Multiple awards are anticipated through this LRBAA. Award decisions will be based on a competitive selection of proposals resulting from a scientific and cost review. Awards may take the form of Time-and-Materials/Labor Hour or Cost-Reimbursement type contracts. However the Government also reserves the right to award grants, cooperative agreements, Other

Transaction Agreements (OTA) (if authorized by law at time of award), or interagency agreements to appropriate parties should the situation warrant.

The applicable laws and regulations governing a particular award will depend on that award vehicle. S&T will also facilitate access to laboratory and operationally relevant test and evaluation facilities, where reasonably available. In the event that an Offeror or subcontractor is an FFRDC, Department of Energy National Laboratory, or other federal entity, DHS S&T will work with the appropriate sponsoring agency to issue an interagency agreement pursuant to the

Economy Act (31 USC 1531) or other appropriate authority.

In many cases, other elements of the U.S. Government are pursuing related technologies. In such cases, S&T will leverage those technology development efforts wherever it is practicable and efficient to do so.

5. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Communication During Evaluation: Once a White Paper or Full Proposal has been submitted, the evaluation becomes active until the Division Director issues an official notification letter to the Offeror. During the evaluation (White Paper or Full Proposal), no communication shall occur between S&T personnel and the Offeror regarding the submission or its general subject matter, except as noted below.

During the evaluation period, the LRBAA Division Director must be the focal point of any exchange with Offerors. After receipt of a Full Proposal, no discussion regarding the scope of work, resources required to execute the scope, etc., will be allowed during the Source Selection process. However, a Division Director may initiate communications if and when specific facts in the submission require further clarification from the Offeror (such as confirmation of a delivery date).

Conflict of Interest: Per HSAR 3025.209-72, Organizational Conflict of Interest issues will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis as outlined below:

(a) Disclosure. In a Full Proposal submission Offerors must represent to the best of their knowledge: (1) whether any of their current employees were previously employed by

DHS S&T, and whether any of their former employees are now DHS S&T employees;

(2) full disclosure of any actual, potential, or perceived organizational conflicts of interest. The Offeror shall include a mitigation plan for any actual or potential conflicts of interest, in accordance with paragraph (d) of this provision.

(b) Determination. The Division Director may determine that this effort may result in an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest.

(c) If an Offeror with an actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest believes it can be mitigated the Offeror may submit a mitigation plan to the Division Director. The

Division Director may approve a mitigation plan; reject a mitigation plan and ask for revisions; or reject a mitigation plan, determine that the conflict of interest cannot be resolved or avoided, and find the Offeror ineligible for award.

(d) Other Relevant Information. In addition to the mitigation plan, the Division Director may require additional relevant information from the Offeror. The Division Director will use all information submitted by the Offeror, and any other relevant information known to DHS, to determine whether an award may be made and whether the mitigation plan adequately mitigates the conflict.

(e) Corporation Change. The successful Offeror shall inform the Contracting Officer, within

30 calendar days of the effective date of any corporate mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures that may affect this provision.

(f) Flow-down. The contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, paragraphs (a) through (f), in each subcontract that exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold.

Offerors who have existing contract(s) with DHS S&T for scientific, engineering, technical or administrative support will receive particular scrutiny.

Note also that FAR-based awards will incorporate Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation

(HSAR) clause (deviation) 3052.209-70 Prohibition on Contracts with Corporate Expatriates.

6. PRE-SUBMISSION INQUIRIES

A pre-submission inquiry is optional. The LRBAA webpage has a submission portal specifically for pre-submission inquiries. Through this portal only, you may submit a brief statement of your idea and receive general feedback on if the idea meets the mission of DHS. Inquiries emailed directly to divisions will not be considered. S&T personnel can indicate whether an idea appears to be within the scope of the division’s interests and this LRBAA. S&T personnel cannot assist in the preparation of a White Paper, nor can they propose any ideas they would like Offerors to address. However, regardless of the feedback you receive, you may still submit a White Paper.

Go to https://baa2.st.dhs.gov and click on the following links: (1) Current Solicitations; (2)

LRBAA 14-02; (3) Pre-Submission Inquiry. This will take you to the online pre-submission inquiry portal. You will be asked to identify a topic area to ensure it is routed to the correct division and individual(s).

7. RESEARCH TOPICS

Below are brief treatments of the topic areas of interest. In your White Paper submission, you will be asked to identify the division and/or specific topic area that best fits your proposed research.

BORDER AND MARITIME SECURITY

The Borders and Maritime Security division is interested in the development and evaluation of security technologies and pilot testing new surveillance, tracking, and response capabilities that cover vast expanses of remote border territories. Our focus is on technologies that improve the security of our Nation’s borders and waterways without impeding the flow of commerce and travelers.

Land Border Security

Detection of, tracking of, classifying of, and responding to all threats along the terrestrial border between the Ports of Entry, specifically technologies that can perform one of the following functions:

BMD 1.1 - Noninvasive, minimally disruptive sensors and systems that can detect and locate clandestine, unknown subterranean threats (tunnels and other objects of interest to law enforcement) within varied geologies of the southwest border.

BMD 1.2 -Cost-effective small unmanned aircraft sensors for better land border security to assist in detecting, tracking, classifying, and identifying illicit border threats.

BMD 1.3 - Small, covert sensors for detection and classification of personnel day and night. Low false/nuisance alarm rates and long battery or renewable energy lifetimes of a minimum of 6 months. Capability to exfiltrate information.

BMD 1.4 - Sensors for detection and/or tracking of personnel in dense foliage day and night.

Estimated procurement costs versus area coverage is an important consideration. Capability to exfiltrate information and suitable for four season weather. Battery or renewable energy lifetimes of a minimum of 6 months.

BMD 1.5 - Border Illegal Flow Pattern Recognition: Technology which accesses multiple data sets and applies an algorithm to identify existing patterns of border illegal flows, along with the confidence index of the correlation. An example of stimuli and outcomes could be there is a 90% correlation of decreased violence along the land border with increased interdiction rates. This would enable DHS to understand the threat landscape and potential use it has a basis for predictive analytics.

BMD 1.6 – Border Illegal Flow Prediction: Technology which accesses multiple data sets and applies an algorithm to predict where border illegal flows will shift under different circumstances, along with the confidence index of the prediction. An example of stimuli and outcomes could be there is a 95% confidence level increased enforcement action at ports of entry resulting in illegal flows shifting to the land between ports of entry in the immediate vicinity. This would enable DHS to ensure that resources between ports of entry are increased in the vicinity whenever increased enforcement actions at ports of entry are occurring.

BMD 1.7 – Border Illegal Flow Risk Assessment: Technology which accesses multiple data sets and applies an algorithm or suite of algorithms to analyze the vulnerabilities for border illegal flows based on force structure, along with the confidence index of the prediction. An example is exploring the resource allocation of agent patrols vs. technology surveillance assets for patrolling various zones, based on their detect/identify/track capabilities along with the need to execute interdiction actions. This would enable DHS to analyze multiple force laydowns in response to various threat environments and determining optimal resource allocation that would drive current deployment along with strategic planning.

BMD 1.8 – Forensic Analysis Tools: Technologies and methods to efficiently collect, analyze, and identify forensic properties such as pollen, material types, fingerprint, DNA, and others.

BMD 1.9 – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Detection, Tracking, and Classification: Unmanned

Aircraft Systems can represent a threat to people, critical infrastructure, and border alike.

Technologies and methods to detect, track, and classify UAS’s in complex environments, including the determination of intent. Technologies to detect, track, and locate the pilot controller of a UAS vehicle. Proposals can be submitted to test existing systems or to develop an advanced capability.

BMD 1.10 - Unmanned Aircraft Systems Mitigation: Technologies and methods to detect, track, classify, and mitigate the threat of a UAS in a city environment. Proposals can be submitted to test existing systems or to develop an advanced capability.

Maritime Border Security

Promising maritime border security capabilities defined in the following categories will be required to demonstrate suitability of use including ease of connectivity and operational effectiveness. S&T is developing the Coastal Surveillance System (CSS) which employs open standards and selected technologies/capabilities/concepts must ensure connectivity to the CSS enterprise architecture and will undergo an interoperability assessment.

BMD 2.1 - Improved visualization and tools - enhancements to industry standard Ozone Widget

Framework (OWF), common operating picture and toolset to incorporate new capabilities and provide better cross-domain support.

BMD 2.2 - Improved situational awareness by automated or assisted behavior analysis and alerting

- tracking small boat activity, detecting anomalous and/or illegal behavior, and providing timely and actionable information in support of law enforcement and port security efforts.

BMD 2.3 - Improved quality of data, via sensor performance or near real-time processing to enable improved detection and tracking of small and large vessels by overcoming environmental clutter issues within the port/harbor as well as coastal environments.

BMD 2.4 - Concepts, methodologies, and/or technologies that utilize public as well as private databases, data sets, data collection devices, or sensors of opportunity to increase detection/tracking accuracy and/or the field of regard surrounding inland waterways, ports, harbors, and coastal regions.

BMD 2.5 - Improved communication devices or methods to enable simplified sharing of selected radar, video, and other information to tactical commanders.

BMD 2.6 – Concepts or methodologies to leverage publically available social media sources;

development or use of novel social media applications to provide privacy-respected situational awareness of commercial and private boating and recreational traffic in the maritime border environment. Maritime border environment includes sea-facing shorelines, inland waterways, lakes, rivers & streams, U.S. island land masses & cays, etc.

Port of Entry Security/People Screening

Technologies to enhance security while expediting the flow of legitimate travel. The program will work to reduce the risk of terrorists and transnational criminal organizations from exploiting lawful international travel for illegal purposes. The program will also take a cost effective approach to implementing technologies and capabilities to ensure the security and expediency of travelers entering and exiting the U.S.

BMD 3.1 – People Screening: Analyze current operations, and implement technologies and process enhancements to existing airport operations, to increase CBP’s capability to expedite screening of travelers. Develop recommended approaches and implement improvements in processes and/or technologies for cost- effective and integrated biometric, biographic, behavioral, or other capabilities to support transformation of the inspection process and facilitate increased travel and tourism. This will include, but is not limited to, traveler queuing optimization, enhanced/improved screening tactics/techniques/procedures, next-generation Federal Inspection

Service inspections, development of inspection metrics and analytics, integrated customs and agriculture baggage inspection, and evaluations of officer-systems performance.

CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT (CDS) – OFFICE OF

STANDARDS

CDS Office of Standards provides technical assistance and policy guidance to the DHS

Components on the development of voluntary consensus standards that meets their needs. Standards support the development of consensus-based measures- from basic specifications to performance criteria – that give DHS and its customer’s confidence that technology and systems will perform as required. CDS Office of Standards works across DHS and with external partners to build consensus and encourage the adoption of needed, voluntary standards.

CDS.01 – Conduct and accelerate the research, development, test, evaluation, validation and integration of consensus standards in the areas of, but not limited to, Digital Imaging and

Communication Security, Emergency Response Robots, First Responder, and Biometric standards.

This includes researching and identifying standards gaps and developing road-maps and integration plans. Develop technologies and infrastructures that promote and make it easier to apply standards to DHS programs.

CYBER SECURITY DIVISION

The Cyber Security Division focuses on research for advanced cyber security and information assurance solutions to secure the Nation’s current and future cyber and critical infrastructures against persistent threats and dynamic attacks. This research is guided by the President’s National

Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and Comprehensive National Cyber Security Initiative. These solutions include secure protocols, end system security, user identity and data privacy technologies, research infrastructure, law enforcement forensic capabilities, competitions, and education.

CSD.01 – Internet Infrastructure Security – Efforts to promote the deployment of security enhancements for the core protocols on which the Internet depends. Areas of interest include security for Internet naming (Domain Name System), Internet routing (Border

Gateway Protocol), and other core services such as Internet time (Network Time Protocol).

CSD.02 – National Research Infrastructure for Cyber Security Experimentation - Effective, strongly grounded experimental research forms a key element of CSD’s strategy to address the nation’s critical cyber security challenges. To catalyze and support such research, CSD seeks to develop advanced experimental research tools, technologies, methodologies and infrastructures as broadly available national resources. Key to the success of this program objective will be the realization of experimental research infrastructures, capabilities, and approaches that reach beyond today’s state of the art. These infrastructures, together with similar broad-based objectives that transform discovery, validation, and ongoing analysis in an increasingly complex and challenging domain must provide, as examples:

Support for multi-disciplinary, complex, and extreme scale experimentation;

Support for emerging research areas such as specialized cyber-physical systems and cybersecurity relevant human behavior;

The creation and capture of advances in scientific methodologies, experimental processes, and education; and

Strategies for dynamic and flexible experimentation across user communities and infrastructure facilities.

CSD.03 – Homeland Open Security Technology –Security enhancements to widely used

Open Source Tools and Technologies as well as Open Source Security Technology that enables implementation and deployment of open source security technologies in Federal, State, and Local environments.

CSD.04 – Forensics support to law enforcement – including the research and development of tools and technologies that will allow investigators to visualize, analyze, share and present data derived from cell phones, GPS devices, computer hard drives, networks, and other digital media.

CSD.05 – Identity Management - seeking architectures, technical approaches, studies, processes, technologies, tools and other efforts to improve the security and determine and mitigate the vulnerabilities of:

• Authentication of people and non-person entities - Authentication and identification technologies as applied to people and non-person entities

• Risk based confirmation of identity that leads to trust - Novel approaches to implement analytics and compensating controls to mitigate risk in identity resolution, validation and verification

• Data and application security at rest and in transit - Ensuring integrity and confidentiality of data as it traverses multiple environments such as mobile, cloud, internet and enterprise networks

• Access control at the point of need - Access control and authorization technologies to manage access to data and resources

• User experience that incorporates security and privacy.

CSD.06 – Data Privacy Technologies - seeking architectures, technical approaches, studies, processes, technologies, tools and other efforts to:

• Automate control of personal data to minimize cognitive overload and privacy risk

• Address privacy concerns with connected devices, mobile computing, and sensor platforms

• Address privacy concerns with big data and algorithms

• Manage personally identifiable information or information deemed sensitive while protecting individual privacy

• Implement privacy respecting anomaly detection and counter-fraud technologies with population scale applicability

CSD.07 – Software Assurance – The CSD objective in the area of Software Assurance is to develop and improve Software Analysis technologies, tools, and techniques to reduce the exposures and vulnerabilities in software. To address this objective, CSD is seeking research in areas such as: software analysis techniques for vetting untrustworthy software to address Software

Supply Chain Risk Management; secure coding techniques to assist developers with software development activities to improve coding practices; mobile app vetting capabilities; binary analysis capabilities; and formal methods used for specification, development, and verification of software systems.

CSD.08 – Cyber Security Education – objective is to develop, demonstrate and transition substantive and adaptive cyber security education models that impact organizations and infrastructures/sectors for the better. These models should address key dimensions of the challenge, such as multiple age levels, cyber security across multiple operational domains, and different kinds of threats. An overarching objective of this work is to support development of

“learning organization” capabilities across all kinds of organizations and infrastructures/sectors. The models and associated technologies need to support cyber security competitions, education and curriculum development, and workforce training and development needs. To address this objective, CSD anticipates cyber security research in areas such as:

the coupling of operations with education and training;

abstract learning versus learning with context;

Bayesian learning (prior knowledge) and where and how it might be applicable;

Incident response feedback systems, that drive subsequent training/learning directions;

Regional education and learning models coordinating efforts across different kinds of organizations.

CSD.09 – Cyber-Physical Systems Security and Security for the Internet of Things Security

–This is a critical time in the design and deployment of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Advances in networking, computing, sensing, and control systems have enabled a broad range of new devices. These systems are being designed and deployed now, but unfortunately security is often left as an additional feature that will be bolted on later. Industry is driven by functional requirements and fast moving markets. The design choices being made today will directly impact next several decades in transportation, emergency response, energy, medical devices, and so forth. To address these challenges, CSD is engaging in efforts to build security into the design of these critical systems.

CSD.10 – Internet Measurement and Attack Modeling Techniques—Security focused measurement and attack modeling for all aspects of cyberspace. This includes the Internet (e.g., ASNs, routers) as well as other devices (e.g. medical devices) or networks (e.g. ICS) that may connect to the Internet, via a static or dynamic (possibly intermittent) connection. Security focused measurement includes but is not limited to algorithms, tools, techniques, data and analysis for enabling security, from global scale to the individual user. Attack modeling includes not only models of various attacks, but models of how to secure a system from attacks, either internal or external, at scales that may include individuals, enterprises, or the entire Internet. There is also interest in models of attacks on systems that intermittently connect the Internet and how to secure such systems. The security focus of models is broadly interpreted, to include such topics as attack attribution, secure composition of systems, and other related topics.

CSD.11 – Securing the mobile workforce—Technologies to support flexible client-side security, including secure protocols to protect data flow to, within and out of the cloud; data integrity; user privacy constraints; forensics analysis to preserve digital evidence; and measurement systems to identify unauthorized activity.

CSD.12 – Insider Threat - research in the areas of understanding and identifying threats and potential risks, development of trustworthy systems with specific policies to hinder insider misuse, and remediation when insider misuse is detected but not prevented.

CSD.13 – Experiments and Pilots – Technologies developed through federally funded research requiring test and evaluation in experimental operational environments to facilitate transition.

CSD.14 – Cyber Security Economics - methodologies, tools and technologies in the following areas:

(A) The economics of cybersecurity investment incentives: Current patterns of investment in cybersecurity; Business models for cybersecurity investment; the impact of market forces on cybersecurity investment and behavior at firms;

(B) Individual Incentives & Behavior: Information and asset stewards; the role of trust in cybersecurity behavior;

(C) Organizational Incentives & Behavior: Drivers of organizational cybersecurity behavior, including economic, policy, and regulatory interactions in the promulgation and implementation of cybersecurity measures;

(D) Attacker Incentives & Behavior: Cybercriminal behavior & incentives; and

(E) Cyber insurance and Cyber Liability

CSD.15 – Data Analytics – The exponential increase in the volume of data created and transmitted worldwide over interconnected and interdependent cyberinfrastructures creates new challenges for cyber security. S&T is interested in technologies and tools to support the analysis of datasets whose size and complexity are beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, manage, process, and interpret. These include but are not limited to:

Threat discovery

Automated or real-time analysis techniques

Machine and self-learning algorithms

Data visualization

Resilience of physical and societal infrastructures to cyber threats

CSD.16 – Predictive Analysis-- Predictive Analysis, as applied to cyber security, is the ability to identify potential cyber threat vectors and determine the probable course of action for each threat. These findings should be presented automatically, with human-in-the-loop if desired, but not required. Presentation should be in an easily understandable format, to allow resource management to address threats as they evolve. Predictive Analysis may be applied at any phase or stage, from fully protected to compromise and recovery. All types of cyber threats may be considered.

CSD.17 - Distributed Denial of Service Defense – Denial of service attacks are pervasive and have the potential to disrupt critical network infrastructure. Topics of interest include:

• Efforts that leverage existing policies and practices to mitigate DDoS attacks,

• Techniques that adopt existing technologies for near term DDoS protection, and

• Novel approaches for understanding and mitigating new forms of DDoS.

CSD.18 – Cloud Computing Security – Research and Development to build upon security in cloud based systems—including secure protocols to protect data flow to, within and out of the cloud; data integrity; user privacy constraints; forensics analysis to preserve digital evidence; and measurement systems to identify unauthorized activity.

CSD.19 – Next Generation Cyber Infrastructure – CSD’s Apex project is focused on capabilities for use in Finance Sector environments, but they can be applicable across multiple sectors. CSD requires capabilities in the following areas:

Advanced Sensing Technologies, to include technologies which verify the presence or absence of unauthorized modifications to endpoints and behavioral modeling

Situation Understanding, to include technologies to correlate sensor alerts and human inputs and present relevant observations for improved human understanding and characterize networks and network topologies

Response and Recover technologies, to include those that enable rapid, policy-based execution of situation-specific responses (e.g. reconfiguring a sensor grid to clarify a situation)

Advanced Network control planes, to include secure dynamic enclaves, secure routing, browsing and network essential services

CSD.20 – Anonymous Networks and Currencies—Tools and techniques to aid law enforcement in the investigation of cyber crimes committed using friend-to-friend networks, anonymous networks and/or cryptocurrencies.

CSD.21 – Cyber Situational Understanding—Research and development of operational technologies to provide situational understanding.

Situational understanding is more than reputation or situational awareness. Many individual tools are available that provide information or metrics that contribute to situational awareness. To achieve situational understanding, a broad view needs to be developed that incorporates many of these individual metrics, tools, or information items, and blends together data from many sources into very few, (possibly only one) tool or metric. When items of interest are identified, a drill-down capability will allow various actors in the cyber security field to gain the specific knowledge needed for actionable intelligence. In some ways this can be viewed as an integration task, to identify, correlate and blend data from various sources to make it understandable and usable not only to cyber security professionals, but to others(from management and decision makers to consumers) affected by cyber security incidents.

CSD.22 – Research & Development Marketplace – CSD seeks to develop, enhance, and coordinate advanced data, analytics and information sharing tools, technologies, models, methodologies and infrastructure to support global cyber risk research. These data sharing components are intended to be broadly available as national and international resources to support the three-way partnership among cybersecurity researchers, technology developers and policymakers in academia, industry and the government. A primary goal is to bridge the gap between producers and consumers of cyber-risk-relevant data, tools and analytics to inform policy and analysis of cyber-risk and trust by:

• Creating deeper and broader networks of information sharing;

• Fostering the development and adoption of automated mechanisms for information sharing;

• Accelerating the understanding of cyber-risk issues and the design, production, and evaluation of solutions; and

• Driving advances in responsible and trusted R&D and innovation

CSD.23 - Protections for Mobile Application Malware and Threats – Tools and techniques to protect mobile apps, mobile app markets, and enterprise IT infrastructures that become exposed through the addition of mobile technology. Specifically, capabilities to protect, detect, and remediation against mobile malware should enable a common operating picture for enterprise organizations. Methods and capabilities to integrate security throughout the lifecycle management of mobile apps should support continuous monitoring of mobile hardware and software asset management and promote the development of secure mobile applications for mission use.

EXPLOSIVES COUNTERMEASURES DIVISION

The Explosives Division (EXD) promotes the development of effective techniques to protect our citizens and our country’s infrastructure against the devastating effects of explosives by seeking innovative approaches in detection and countermeasures. EXD provides the concepts, science, technologies and systems that increase protection from explosives and promotes the development of field equipment, technologies, and procedures to interdict person-borne, and vehicle-borne threats. The Division seeks to improve detection, response, and defeat capability for the explosives threats including: improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle borne IEDs (VBIEDs), person borne IEDs (PBIEDs), and homemade explosives (HME).

EXD.01 – Standoff Detection of Explosives: Technologies for the standoff detection of explosives and explosive devices related to PBIEDs and VBIEDs. The ideal system would detect diverse explosive signatures, including commercially available explosives, military explosives, and HMEs.

Standoff Detection implies that both the detection equipment and operator are located at some distance (>1 m up to tens of meters) away from the subject or object under interrogation. Subtopics include integration of both multimodal and multispectral technologies for improved detection and/or imaging and automated detection and/or identification capabilities associated with both imaging and spectroscopy.

EXD.02 – Trace Detection of Explosives: This includes detecting the broadest possible range of trace particle and vapor signatures in aviation security, facility protection, and mass transit security operations. Specific interests include handheld and benchtop explosives trace detection (ETD) systems, optical methods for quickly and quantitatively measuring trace contamination on a range of surfaces, advanced ETD system concepts, and technologies that improve sampling from passengers (e.g., hand swipes), clothing, baggage, and personal items such as electronic devices.

EXD.03 – Air Cargo Security. This portfolio covers next generation products for the cost effective screening of Air Cargo. This includes, but is not limited to technologies which enable CT or CT-like systems, enhanced AT systems, Advanced hand held Trace Detection Systems such as high sensitivity portable ETDs, Intelligent “Operator Assist” software tools and DICOS-2 compatible

GUI interfaces. Since Air Cargo screening equipment is purchased by private screeners cost is an important consideration in all proposed technical solutions.

The current focus areas are:

Reduced cost, less than $500,000.00 (US) in production quantities, CT-like 3D X-Ray imaging of skids (48”x 48”x 65”)

Automated operator screening assist tools

High penetration screening capability for dense (consolidated) air cargo skids

Enhanced ETD screening technologies such as hand held ETD’s and

Conduct studies of the environmental persistence of residues of selected conventional explosives and Home Made Explosives (HMEs) in air cargo environments

Other technologies such as Neutron/X-Ray combinations and Ultrasonic systems are also of interest. In addition innovative augmentation of current screening system capabilities

(improved detection, decreased false-alarms, lower lifecycle costs, increased throughput) will also be considered.

EXD.04 – Data Fusion and Automated Detection for aviation cargo, checked baggage, carry-on baggage, personal check points and all surface intermodal concerns. Algorithms and techniques are particularly desired for detection fusion and automated alerting that combines a variety of detection modalities, including but not limited to X-ray, trace chemical detection, computed tomography

(CT), and Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) for the screening of passengers. Automated Target

Recognition algorithms suited for analyzing real-time inputs from video-rate data (video, AIT, or other sources) are of particular interest.

EXD.05 – Advanced Detection Technologies: Development of robust, enhanced explosives detection methods to improve selectivity and sensitivity capabilities. Detection methods should be easily deployed, low cost, and require minimum training to operate. Technologies that provide orthogonal, secondary screening to resolve alarms in checked baggage or checkpoint scenarios are of special interest.

• EXD.05.1 – Checked Baggage Program: EXD invites white papers on Advanced Algorithms which expand upon the ability to develop new detection and classification methodologies and verify performance capabilities using real life collected data sets. Of particular use is the use lessons learned from information theoretic analysis of signature and clutter data to apply fundamental limit discoveries and refine strategies for measurement that will lead to the develop software algorithm tool kits and automated decision aid algorithms to assist technology transition.

• EXD.05.2 – Checked Baggage Program: EXD invites white papers on System

Demonstrators which use novel technologies to improve upon the current screening limitations. Of particular interest are EDS systems that are TRL 4-5.

EXD.06 – Risk-Based Screening: Proof-of-concept demonstrations of hardware and/or software-based methods that can intelligently adjust parameters such as alarm thresholds in response to a change in threat level. Of particular interest are methods that could integrate screening data from multiple systems to reach an integrated threat decision.

EXD.07 – Improved X-Ray System Components: This subtopic includes but is not limited to superior X-Ray sources, collimation methods, other optical components, detectors, and any software or algorithms required to operate and interpret the data produced. Techniques that extract additional information (data regarding multiple energies, diffraction, phase, etc.) during X-Ray screening are of special interest.

EXD.07.1 – Checked Baggage Program: EXD invites white papers on Advanced X-ray System

Components. Of particular interest are low-cost high resolution detectors which are more efficient than the currently available models without the requirement of a high energy source. Smaller focal spots and higher energy resolution would be beneficial as well.

EXD.08 – Canine Explosive Detection Technologies: Development of non-hazardous canine training aids for both HME and conventional explosives with a specific focus on pure odor materials, not pseudo scents or tagged odors. Operational efficacy, safety and cost are major metrics of success. Technologies and methodologies that advance the capture of canine performance in controlled and operational environments representative of the expanse of the

Homeland Security Enterprise at the federal, state and local level and facilitate scientifically significant data capture through independent operational test and evaluation. Specific focus on protocols that facilitate the reduction in the number of trained odors required for comprehensive canine explosive detection proficiency. Canine R&D structure and function that includes a more basic understanding of canine behavioral, genetic, olfaction and cognition of the detector to improve operational efficiencies and training methods.

EXD.09: New and Emerging Technological Capabilities: Develop technological capabilities pertaining to explosives that may be of interest to DHS S&T, but were not otherwise specifically requested, and are not commercially available. Subject areas may include but are not limited to:

Secondary screening enhancements, such as, pat-down tools; enhanced physical security for infrastructure protection against explosive threats, novel delivery techniques, or other personnel screening; personal protective equipment; decision support tools; methods for attribution; training technologies; human performance improvement solutions to enhance functioning for operations, law enforcement, or first responders; mobile learning and performance support capabilities, to include augmented reality; training delivery architectures; training aids, devices, and simulations;

verification and validation testing technologies; wearable technology for use in the training and exercise environment; analysis, research, and/or evaluation of training technology. Medical applications will not be considered. This Topic is for proposing unique innovations pertaining to explosives that have not yet been identified by DHS S&T. If DHS S&T evaluators determine an unspecified requirement submission is sufficiently promising to merit pursuing, funds may be identified at that point. Because proposed technologies from the unspecified requirements will be competing against proposed technologies for identified and prioritized requirements, DHS S&T may not make any awards against the unspecified requirements. Proposed technologies, models, architectures, software, hardware, tools, and other applications not directed toward a need pertaining to explosives are not desired and will be rejected without consideration or comment.

EXD.10 Apex Screening at Speed

This portfolio covers the screening of passengers, their personal items, their carryon bags and associated secondary screening for an airport security checkpoint of the future. The checkpoint of the future, planned to be deployable in five years, seeks to improve passenger experience while enhancing detection capabilities. Specifically:

EXD.10.1 – Checkpoint Passenger Screening: EXD invites white papers on technologies that allow for screening three hundred or more passengers per hour with minimal need for divestiture of headwear, footwear or personal items while providing detection up to the Transportation Security

Administration’s (TSA) Tier IV security detection standards. The systems should be capable of being able to adapt, or upgrade, quickly to respond to emerging threats.

EXD.10.2 – Checkpoint Baggage Screening: EXD invites white papers on technologies that allow the processing of up to 600 bags per hour, without the need to divest laptops, liquids, aerosols, or gels from the bag being screened. Systems will have to meet TSA’s Tier IV detection standards.

EXD.10.3 – Special Purpose Screening: EXD also invites white papers on screening technologies that address niche detection requirements or secondary screening of passengers or their articles. Such technologies might include nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), non-contact or automated trace detection, and technologies that support the screening of items and people that alarm during the primary screening process.

EXD.10.4 – Algorithms & Software: EXD invites submissions pertaining to algorithms and software that will allow integration of sensors such as application programming interfaces (API’s), vendor independent detection algorithms, and test beds that can be used to evaluate compliance with Digital

Imaging and Communications in Security (DICOS V02) and similar standards.

The…