The round of funding announced Thursday, June 1, was the third announced by BTI since its launch. Proposals will be due July 1. The complete RFP is listed here. Funding for each award will be up to $350,000, with a performance period of up to 24 months.
The University of Houston was chosen by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate in 2015 to lead the institute, a partnership that includes research and educational projects from ten universities and industry organizations.
_ “The work of BTI covers a wide range of research, developing innovative solutions, and providing educational materials to enhance the nation’s ability to secure our borders, facilitate legitimate trade and travel, and ensure the integrity of our immigration system,” said Ioannis A. Kakadiaris, director of the institute and Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen University Professor of computer science at UH._
Current projects focus on four goals: 1) Enhancing U.S. border management operations; 2) enhancing the ability to secure and facilitate transnational flows of people; 3) enhancing the ability to secure and facilitate transnational flows of goods; 4) enhancing the ability to promote the integrity of the immigration system within the U.S. border.