Program Profiles

Applying Recognized Economic Measures to DHS Infrastructure Sectors

NIHS has executed the contract for the Applying Recognized Economic Measures to DHS Infrastructure Sectors Project. This project will be led by Dr. Thomas Johnson with the University of Missouri.

Incident Management & Decision Support System (IMDSS) - Health

Dr. Jim Gantt with Murray State University is working on a health care extension to the Incident Management Decision Support System (IMDSS™) which is under development on a different contract. IMDSS-H™ will add the functionality required to collect, process, and visualize public health information and use this information to aid in planning an effective response to potential medical and public health emergencies. The system will include medical resource allocation models.  

 

Natural Antimicrobials to Mitigate Biological Threat Agents

Dr. Melissa Newman with the University of Kentucky is identifying effective GRAS antimicrobials that can be utilized as either a direct additive in the product formulation, as an edible bio-film/coating or as a component of the packaging process to control the growth and survival of bio-threat agents in foods. The results of this research should provide effective, safe, economical and practical solutions for food processors attempting to control the growth of several threat agents in high-risk foods.

North American Transportation Security Center

NIHS has executed the contract for the North American Transportation Security Center. This project will be led by Dr. Joe Crabtree with the University of Kentucky.

The Challenge

The task of assuring the security of our homeland involves protecting the citizens of the United States, the nation's critical infrastructure and key assets. This is necessary to sustain the nation's vitality against terrorism and other threats. This protection must originate at the community level. It requires discovering, developing and deploying new technology that will support first responders and key decision makers in local communities.

The Mission

NIHS' mission is to discover, develop and deploy solutions that protect and preserve the critical infrastructure of the nation's communities.

The Institute

NIHS aligns projects and research objectives with the needs and requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The strategy is to manage a distributed research enterprise that effectively transitions research and development into solutions. NIHS works with DHS to determine technology needs at the community level. Then, teams are quickly assembled from multiple universities to develop solutions to the needs.

The Strategy

Through management of the Kentucky Critical Infrastructure Protections Program (KCI), the National Institute for Hometown Security (NIHS) provides an ongoing, integrated program dedicated to developing new technologies and devices. NIHS works through qualified academic institutions to accomplish the technological objectives.