Cross Discipline Research in Biometrics Science Technology | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cross Discipline Research in Biometrics Science and Technology grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DHS-11-ST-108-001) is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate solicitation aimed at pushing biometric research beyond its traditional information-technology roots. DHS is looking for research projects that improve how biometric systems perform in real operational settings or expand how biometrics can be applied across DHS missions. In this context, biometrics refers to automated methods for recognizing individuals using distinctive physical traits (such as face, fingerprint, iris, or voice characteristics) and/or behavioral traits (such as gait or other patterns of action). The central theme of the program is that meaningful advances are more likely when biometric work is approached as a cross-discipline problem rather than as a purely computing or algorithmic challenge.

A defining requirement of the solicitation is substantial collaboration across at least two scientific disciplines, with the expectation that teams bring genuinely different perspectives to the same biometric problem. DHS is explicitly encouraging proposals that combine fields like computer science, engineering, psychology and human factors, statistics, sociology, law and policy, forensic science, cognitive science, or other relevant disciplines where a partnership could remove real barriers to adoption or reliability. The research is expected to align with DHS S&T mission needs and to support operational improvements for DHS component agencies, which implies a focus on measurable performance, practical deployment constraints, and defensible outcomes.

The solicitation highlights several example research directions. One area is basic research on the role of human identity in security, which can involve studying what identity means in high-stakes settings, how identity is established and verified, and how identity management concepts influence security decisions and system design. Another priority is the acceptability and usability of biometrics in DHS applications, emphasizing that even highly accurate systems can fail if they are difficult to use, slow down operations, are perceived as unfair or intrusive, or create compliance and trust issues among the public or operators. A third area is the forensic proof of automated biometric systems, which points to strengthening the scientific and evidentiary basis for biometric conclusions, including how system outputs can be explained, validated, audited, and defended in investigative or legal contexts. A fourth area is the acquisition of useful biometric samples independent of the environment, meaning research that makes biometric capture more robust when conditions are not ideal, such as variable lighting, motion, weather, noise, sensor limitations, or other real-world factors that degrade sample quality.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered under either a cooperative agreement or a grant, classified under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with CFDA 97.108 (Homeland Security research, testing, evaluation, and demonstration of technologies). DHS anticipated making around four awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which reduces financial barriers for applicants and typically signals that DHS wants investigators to focus resources on the research program itself rather than on assembling matching funds.

Eligibility is limited to accredited institutions of higher education, domestic or foreign, that can demonstrate the capability to conduct and coordinate substantial cross-discipline biometrics research. Even if multiple institutions participate, the solicitation requires that one domestic accredited institution of higher education serve as the lead organization responsible for submitting the proposal and serving as the primary point of contact during review and award discussions. DHS Centers of Excellence are allowed to apply, but only for new research efforts; they cannot use this opportunity to seek funding for work that is already being funded.

The opportunity was posted on January 13, 2011, with a closing date of March 14, 2011, and an archive date of April 13, 2011. The awarding organization is DHS Office of Procurement Operations, Grants Division. For assistance obtaining or accessing the full announcement, the listed contact is Grants Officer Joan Keiser at 202-447-5603.

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