Updates

FEMA, AARP Release New Resources to Help Local Communities Protect Older Adults Before, During and After Natural Disasters

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have released new resources to help local officials and emergency managers protect older adults in their communities before, during and after natural disasters and support communities in mitigating the effects of extreme weather events.

DHS Prize Winners Announced in $195K Challenge to Counter Extreme Temperatures

In September 2021, DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, announced a new series of prize competitions focused on strengthening nationwide resilience to climate change. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the winners of the Cooling Solutions Challenge prize competition.

DHS, Army Partner to Provide New Chemical Security Laboratory Capability

The Department of Homeland Security Science (DHS) and Technology Directorate announced that its Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) opened a new experimental Chemical Security Laboratory in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. This new space will help CSAC’s team of DHS and Army experts validate scientific data and produce findings that are essential to national readiness.

USDA Announces New SARS-COV-2 Research Funding Opportunity Through the American Rescue Plan Act

he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced it will commit up to $24 million for research grants through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative and the National Science Foundation Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program. These grants will support research that directly aligns with APHIS’ American Rescue Plan strategic framework and will support APHIS and its One Health partners’ efforts to identify risks and plan effective interventions to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at the human-animal interface and to prevent impacts to the food supply.

FDA Authorizes Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Down to 6 Months of Age

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include use in children down to 6 months of age.

New Digital Indoor Mapping Capability Now Available for First Responders

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate funded the development of a cloud-based capability that enables first responders to review and analyze indoor floor plans in real-time when responding to incidents.

DHS S&T Publishes the Resilient PNT Reference Architecture and Update to Conformance Framework

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has published the Resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Reference Architecture. The document incorporates modern cybersecurity principles to provide concepts and examples for building Next Generation Resilient PNT systems against current and future threats.

Statement from HHS Secretary Becerra on the CDC Decision to Rescind the Order Requiring Pre-Departure COVID-19 Testing Prior to Flight to the U.S.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra issued a statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that – based on science and available data – pre-departure COVID-19 testing for U.S.-bound air travelers will no longer be required

IHS Allocates $700 Million From President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Improve Tribal Water and Sanitation Systems

The funding allocation will provide 71,000 American Indian and Alaska Native homes with critical services like water wells and onsite wastewater disposal systems and connections to community water supply and wastewater disposal systems.

DHS S&T Helps Keep Communities Safe from Chemical Hazards During Hurricane Season

Extreme weather from hurricanes and tropical storms can devastate communities along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, and the threat of subsequent hazard chemical releases can be just as deadly. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) actively anticipates and prepares for this possibility.