7th Annual DHS FFRDC Summit 2024

Homeland Security is National Security

“As your partners, we want to make sure we’re working on the hardest, most complex challenges you have. We’re here to listen, to synthesize, and to figure out the most pressing needs we should be tackling to assist in securing the homeland.” 

• Yosry Barsoum, Vice President/Director, HSSEDI FFRDC and NCF FFRDC, The MITRE Corporation 
• Jack Riley, Vice President/Director, Homeland Security Research Division & HSOAC FFRDC, The RAND Corporation 
• Nicholas H. Bergman, Ph.D, President, NBACC FFRDC, Battelle National Biodefense Institute, LLC (BNBI)

This in-person, invitation-only event brings our Nation’s leading experts together from DHS and the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE). Participants will engage and collaborate in a private setting to discuss the most complex challenges facing the homeland—and identify potential solutions. The FFRDCs apply these insights into meaningful advancements to HSE priorities. 

The Agenda 

We built the agenda around this year’s theme: “Homeland Security is National Security.”  Throughout the day, we’ll explore how national security—protecting our sovereignty and interests from threats posed by military, intelligence, diplomatic, and economic sources—and homeland security are intertwined. Strengthening one bolsters the other and supports U.S.

We invited leading experts on homeland security and national security to share their insights on:   

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Evolving DHS Mission: Hear viewpoints on how the democratization of AI technologies is bringing huge leaps of efficiency in the execution of DHS’ mission; along with the potential ethical and existential risks of these same technologies—especially in the backdrop of the renewed great power competition.
• Health Security and the U.S. Opioid Overdose Epidemic: Harm to human health can range from acute public health crises (natural or man-made), biological threats such as Covid 19 or opioid-involved overdoses, or terrorist acts. These events have taken millions of lives and negatively impacted countless others. This places health security at the core of national and homeland security. We’ll discuss our options to protect human health and the ethical and existential risks we face from biological threats.
• Protecting our Nation’s Economic Engine: Securing America’s Ports and Transportation Systems: DHS’ mission ensures that our citizens remain free from direct threats so they can safely exchange ideas and goods with other countries that is fair, efficient, and enriches the Nation. We’ll examine lessons learned from recent events that have disrupted supply chains – such as the Pandemic, Cyber Attacks on our Ports and Pipelines, and the war in Ukraine – and how to continue advancing DHS’ mission in the midst of the rapidly changing global landscape to keep our economic engine running and ready to respond to threats.
• Defending our Nation Against Malicious Cyber Actors: Adversaries and malicious cyber actors from around the world are exploiting AI to weaken our cyber defenses while super charging traditional cyberattacks such as malware and ransomware. Our expert panel will discuss where threat actors are heading with AI and steps the federal government is taking to protect our cyber connected systems, critical infrastructure, and the national financial system. We’ll also examine industry’s role with AI and how the government is collaborating with tech leaders to responsibly build this capability.
• And a View From the Hill: Gain insights from congressional leadership on future appropriations and legislation impacting homeland security.

Agenda

Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Our panels consist of +over a dozen distinguished panelists representing DHS and partners and their unique perspectives. They are joined by our featured speakers and knowledgable moderators.

CONFIRMED Featured Speakers 

Moderators

FFRDC Resources

The Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute—or HSSEDI™—is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through its Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). DHS established the HSSEDI FFRDC to serve as its primary systems engineering resource and to meet DHS-wide demand for rapid access to deep technical expertise.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faces complex challenges in preventing terrorism, managing U.S. borders, enforcing and administering immigration laws, safeguarding cyberspace, and strengthening national preparedness and resilience. To help address these challenges, RAND operates the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) for DHS. HSOAC is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) that conducts studies and analysis for federal sponsors.
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Since the inception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) has developed the science critical to defend the United States against bioterrorism. Managed by Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI) as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), NBACC is the first laboratory built for DHS – a national resource to understand the scientific basis of the risk posed by biological threats and to attribute their use in bioterror and biocrime events.
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At MITRE, we solve problems for a safer world. Through our federally funded R&D centers and public-private partnerships, we work across government to tackle challenges to the safety, stability, and well-being of our nation.
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RAND is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.
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Battelle applies science and technology to create a safer, healthier, more secure world.
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