The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology branch on Tuesday said that is standing up a new Center of Excellence for Maritime Research (CMR) to help address challenges in the maritime domain.
The new center will be led by the Univ. of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT). The S&T Directorate will provide each university partner with an initial $1 million cooperative agreement for operations through June 2015.
“SIT is already contributing to the security of the United States through its research on maritime security challenges, and we anticipate UAA will make similarly significant contributions in the Arctic maritime environment,” Matthew Clark, director of S&T’s Office of University Programs, said in a statement.
DHS said that new security challenges and risks are emerging as more of the maritime environment is used. For example, it said, in the Arctic where recreational and commercial activities are increasing as a result of ice melt, “so will DHS’s requirement to understand conditions above, below, and on the surface in this extreme cold environment.”
The CMR will conduct research to improve understanding of the maritime domain along coastal regions and inland waterways.
“DHS expects the CMR to develop new ideas to address these challenges, provide a scientific basis, and develop new approaches for U.S. Coast Guard and other DHS maritime missions,” S&T said.