U.S. Department of Homeland Security S&T PSVP Grant for Evaluation of CCC’s DEEP Initiative

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to using cutting-edge technologies and providing scientific expertise in its quest to make America safer. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) mission is to enable effective, efficient, and secure operations across all homeland security missions by applying scientific, engineering, analytic, and innovative approaches to deliver timely solutions and support Department acquisitions. To fulfill this mission, the Public Safety and Violence Prevention (PSVP) program within the Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS) aims to conduct evidence-based research to better understand an evolving threat landscape in an effort to enhance and/or build tools and techniques when it comes to enhancing public safety while preventing act of violence from impacting our communities. The goal of the Public Safety and Violence Prevention program is to develop high quality data and evidence to better inform policy and practice by improving the effectiveness of public safety and violence prevention efforts implemented by federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and non-governmental stakeholders. This research will enable policy makers and operational end-users to make informed decision to divert vulnerable individuals, prevent potential offenders, mitigate vulnerabilities, and enhance community resilience in the face of various social and behavioral threats.

Due to the growing number of threats our nation is combating, the PSVP utilizes the tools available to access a broad set of expertise drawn from the fields of psychology, economics, criminology, political science, sociology, biostatistics, and other social and evaluation disciplines to assist in the development of novel and unique solutions as products are delivered for emerging component capability needs. Knowledge and findings from this research will be transferred to federal, state, local, and private organizations to enable education and awareness to reinforce a whole-of-society prevention architecture. These prevention efforts will equip and empower local efforts – including peers, teachers, community leaders, clinicians, social service providers, and law enforcement—to minimize a threat as it evolves while enhancing emergency preparedness and response.