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              Congressional
            SResearch Service






Homeland Security Research and

Development: Homeland Security Issues in

the 116th Congress



Updated January 22, 2019


Overview

In the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) has
primary responsibility for establishing, administering, and coordinating research and development (R&D)
activities. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is responsible for R&D relating to nuclear
and radiological threats. Several other DHS components, such as the Coast Guard, also fund R&D and
R&D-related activities associated with their missions. The Common Appropriations Structure that DHS
introduced in its FY2017 budget includes an account titled Research and Development in seven different
DHS  components. Issues for DHS R&D in the 116th Congress may include coordination, organization,
and impact.


Coordination of R&D

The Under Secretary for S&T, who leads the S&T Directorate, has statutory responsibility for
coordinating homeland security R&D both within DHS and across the federal government (6 U.S.C.
§ 182). The Director of DNDO also has an interagency coordination role with respect to nuclear detection
R&D  (6 U.S.C. §592). Both internal and external coordination are long-standing congressional interests.
Regarding internal coordination, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in a 2012
report that because so many components of the department are involved, it is difficult for DHS to oversee
R&D  department-wide. In January 2014, the joint explanatory statement for the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76) directed DHS to implement and report on new policies for R&D
prioritization. It also directed DHS to review and implement policies and guidance for defining and
overseeing R&D department-wide. In July 2014, GAO reported that DHS had updated its guidance to
include a definition of R&D and was conducting R&D portfolio reviews across the department, but that it
had not yet developed policy guidance for DHS-wide R&D oversight, coordination, and tracking. In
December 2015, the joint explanatory statement for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-
                                                             Congressional Research Service
                                                               https://crsreports.congress.gov
                                                                                  IN11021

CRS INSIGHT
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Committees of Congress

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