Centers for Homeland Security - Extension of Period of Performance | DHS 20 ST 061 COE EXT001

Opportunity Information: Apply for DHS 20 ST 061 COE EXT001

The "Centers for Homeland Security - Extension of Period of Performance" opportunity is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) funding action designed to extend the work of existing DHS Centers of Excellence (COEs). Rather than launching a new competition, DHS is requesting applications from currently awarded COEs to support a cost extension so they can continue critical, mission-focused research and development that has already been previously competed and established. The central purpose is continuity: keeping high-value research programs moving forward without disruption while they continue delivering tools, knowledge, and technical expertise that directly support DHS operational needs.

This opportunity is administered as a cooperative agreement under a discretionary funding category, reflecting DHS's intent to remain actively engaged with awardees as the work continues. The program sits under CFDA 97.061 and is managed by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division. The eligible applicant type is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, which aligns with the COE model where an accredited US college or university leads a broader consortium of partners.

The COE structure emphasized in the announcement highlights how these centers function as university-led consortia that work closely with DHS components and a wide range of mission-relevant partners. These partners can include other universities, private-sector industry, DHS components, Department of Energy national laboratories, other Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), other federal agencies with homeland security missions, and non-federal stakeholders such as state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, nonprofits, and first responder organizations. DHS frames the COEs as long-term trusted partners that can provide research depth, surge capacity, and specialized facilities and expertise, while also helping transition research outputs into practical use across the homeland security enterprise.

Beyond research and technology development, the opportunity underscores the COEs' workforce role: educating the next generation of homeland security technical experts and providing training and upskilling for the current workforce in modern scientific and technical applications. The notice also points out that DHS maintains both financial assistance and contract mechanisms to access COE capabilities, signaling that the COE network is meant to be flexible in how it supports DHS mission demands, whether through grant-based collaboration or procurement pathways.

The extension applies specifically to a defined set of existing DHS Centers of Excellence, meaning only these named centers are eligible to apply under this notice. The listed eligible centers are: the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC) led by the University of Alaska Anchorage; the Maritime Security COE (MSC) led by Stevens Institute of Technology; the Border Security, Trade and Immigration (BTI) Center led by the University of Houston; the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and the Coastal Resilience Center (CRC) led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Collectively, these centers cover strategically important mission areas including Arctic operations and awareness, maritime security, border and immigration systems, protection and resilience of critical infrastructure, and coastal hazards and resilience.

From a funding standpoint, DHS anticipated making five awards, consistent with one extension per eligible center. The award ceiling is listed as $14,700,000. The opportunity was created on May 22, 2020, with an original closing date of May 29, 2020, indicating a short turnaround typical of a targeted extension action meant for established awardees rather than new applicants. Additional contextual information on the broader COE network is referenced through DHS's Centers of Excellence webpage at https://www.dhs.gov/st-centers-excellence, which situates these extensions within the larger DHS approach to sustained, university-based homeland security research and development.

• The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Centers for Homeland Security - Extension of Period of Performance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.061.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 29, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $14,700,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for DHS 20 ST 061 COE EXT001

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