Policy Update: Department of Homeland Security Releases First Strategic Plan for R&D

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released the agency’s first DHS Innovation, Research, and Development (IRD) Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2030. The plan outlines the DHS’s intent to enhance technological capabilities across the homeland security enterprise and in support of the Department’s six distinct mission areas, streamlining investments and initiatives to address current and potential threats and hazards facing the nation. The plan outlines eight cross-cutting Strategic Priority Research Areas (SPRAs) for the Department to focus on, including advanced sensing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate change, communications, cybersecurity, data methods and tools, and digital identity and trust. The SPRAs will serve as a rubric for how DHS S&T intends to organize research endeavors across several components and programs, while also providing insight for industry, academia, and stakeholder communities in how best to support the Department’s diverse needs.

DHS anticipates holding several internal agency meetings centered on the SPRAs that will support working groups to discuss, coordinate, and collaborate on potential future research initiatives and areas of engagement within each SPRA topic. The working groups will be expected to create “IRD planning assessments, roadmaps, and/or agendas” that can be used to drive future DHS investment and programming.