Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Projects

These projects advance national security by developing and applying the social, behavioral, and physical sciences to improve identification and analysis of threats, to enhance societal resilience, and to integrate human capabilities into the development of technology.

Actionable Indicators and Countermeasures Project

Project Manager: Allison Smith, Ph.D.

Project Overview: The Science & Technology Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Actionable Indicators and Countermeasures project conducts social and behavioral science research to identify indicators that actors are moving toward extremist violence and to analyze the impacts of measures developed to counter violent extremism. Project activities include developing an integrated database on U.S. violent extremism; designing surveys to measure public attitudes toward terrorism and counterterrorism activities; and conducting focus groups and fieldwork to assess initiatives developed to support communities and counter violent extremism. The project draws on multiple academic disciplines and methods to arrive at findings that are both evidence-based and practical in application. Its goal is to aid the analysis and policy communities in assessing threats and developing policies to counter them.

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Biometric Detector Project

Project Manager: Arun Vemury

Project Overview: The Science & Technology Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Biometric Detector project will provide efficient, high-quality, contact less acquisition of fingerprint biometric signatures for identity management. This will result in significantly improved throughput and signal quality, thereby improving recognition and reducing the rate of false positives. The goal is to develop a fingerprint acquisition device that can be transitioned for implementation across Department components.

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Community Perceptions of Technology Panel Project

Project Manager: Ji Sun Lee

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Community Perceptions of Technology Panel (CPT) project brings together representatives of industry, public-interest, and community-oriented organizations to better understand and integrate community perspectives and concerns in the development, deployment, and public acceptance of technology. This will yield feedback to aid ongoing technology and process development and strategies to accurately inform the public of new approaches to securing the homeland. This is designed to better ensure acceptance of the technology within affected communities.

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Community Resilience Project

Project Manager: Ji Sun Lee

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Community Resilience project conducts research into methodologies for effective hazard and risk communications to enhance the ability of local officials to convey understandable and credible warnings of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) activity to the public. This project will help local government and civic officials understand how to properly frame risk warnings and post-event instructions to the public in a manner that maximizes the public’s understanding of the instructions provided and maintains public trust and confidence.

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Enhancing Public Response and Community Resilience Project

Project Manager: Ji Sun Lee

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/ Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Enhancing Public Response and Community Resilience project examines public needs (shelter, food, disaster relief, and more) that arose during the evacuation from southern Texas during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The goal is to capture and communicate lessons learned to enhance federal, state, local and private-sector responses to future catastrophic events, and, in doing so, to improve response. This will be accomplished by developing a computer-based data management system to enable automatic compilation of 2-1-1 Call Center data and deliver a report identifying resilience goals, baseline conditions, performance metrics, and methodologies to guide implementation of resilience initiatives at the community level. The project also plans to deliver a feasibility study and develop a strategy for a social network analysis system that could be employed in disaster preparedness and planning. Finally, the project plans to deliver a report identifying potential causal and relational links of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder between multiple variables among first responders.

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Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) Project

Project Manager: Robert Middleton

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) project is an initiative to develop a prototype screening facility containing a suite of real-time, non-invasive sensor technologies to detect cues indicative of mal-intent (the intent or desire to cause harm) rapidly, reliably, and remotely. The system will measure both physiological and behavioral signals to make probabilistic assessments of mal-intent based on sensor outputs and advanced fusion algorithms and measure indicators using culturally neutral and non-invasive sensors. FAST uses an established independent peer-review process to ensure objectivity and thoroughness in addressing all aspects of the program.

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Hostile Intent Detection - Automated Prototype Project

Project Manager: Larry Willis

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Hostile Intent Detection - Automated Prototype Project aims to demonstrate real-time, non-invasive, and culturally independent, video extraction algorithms to identify unknown or potential security threats. The operational benefit is the increased ability to detect potential threats during secondary checkpoint screening. This project supports the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review missions of preventing terrorism and enhancing security, and securing and managing our borders.

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Hostile Intent Detection - Validation of Observable Indicators of Suspicious Behavior Project

Project Manager: Larry Willis

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Hostile Intent Detection – Validation project aims to empirically validate behavioral indicators employed by Department of Homeland Security’s operational components to screen passengers at transit portals. The operational benefit is the increased ability to detect potential threats during primary checkpoint screening. This project supports Quadrennial Homeland Security Review missions of preventing terrorism and enhancing security, and securing and managing our borders.

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Human Systems Engineering Project

Project Managers: Darren P. Wilson and Janae Lockett-Reynolds, Ph.D.

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Human-Systems Engineering project develops and defines human performance requirements for systems and technology; it develops methods and measures to influence and evaluate how the design of new and existing technology and systems impact human-performance. This project is developing a human-systems integration roadmap that will aid the S&T Directorate's divisions and DHS components to identify, develop, and apply a standard process to enhance technology and system design, system safety, and operational efficiency. The project will also develop an outline for a DHS human systems integration standard and being initial development of an ambulance design standard. Factors that impact human performance in the context of system design are further investigated in the Human-Systems Research project.

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Human Systems Research Project

Project Manager: Darren P. Wilson and Janae Lockett-Reynolds, Ph.D.

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Science Division (HFD) Human-Systems Research project develops ways to maximize human performance, in the context of the human-systems interface, across DHS end-user tasks and activities; it investigates the cognitive, perceptual, and physiological processes that underlie task performance. The project will develop a human performance model addressing end-user tasks and associated performance drivers across all DHS domain areas. The project will also investigate the effects of advanced imaging, team performance, and decision-making and will conduct additional studies on the use of perceptual strategies in the training protocols. In addition, the project will develop an empirically-based Motion X-Ray prototype and a human performance research roadmap for the Transportation Security Administration. It also will identify exceptionally performing screener cues, techniques, and strategies for the purpose of developing a training program and screener selection criteria.

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Insider Threat Detection Project

Project Manager: Larry Willis

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Insider-Threat Detection project aims to apply empirical research techniques to derive and validate observable indicators of potential insider threats before the insider commits a hostile act. This project supports the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review mission of preventing terrorism and enhancing security.

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Mobile Biometrics System Project

Project Manager: Patty Wolfhope

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavior Sciences Division (HFD) Mobile Biometrics project develops prototype technologies for mobile biometrics screening at remote sites along U.S. borders, during disasters and terrorist incidents, at sea, and in other places where communications access is limited. The goal is to demonstrate mobile biometrics screening capabilities and technologies that meet the future needs of Department operational users, but currently are not available with conventional biometrics systems.

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Multi-modal Biometrics Project

Project Manager: Arun Vemury

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavior Sciences Division (HFD) Multi-modal Biometrics project develops biometric technologies that accurately and rapidly identify individuals. The operational goal is to provide the capability to non-intrusively collect two or more biometrics (fingerprint, face image, and iris recognition) in less than ten seconds at a ninety-five percent acquisition rate without impeding the movement of individuals. The multi-modal technology will allow the Department to compare and match biometric samples from different sources, collected with different sensor technologies, under varying environmental conditions -- a capability that eludes existing technology.

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Passive Methods for Precision Behavioral Screening Project

Project Manager: Robert Middleton

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Passive Methods for Precision Behavioral Screening project will increase the performance of primary screening procedures developed through the Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) project and increase our ability to differentiate malintent (the intent to cause harm to our country or its citizens) through the inclusion of passive stimuli. This project will develop technologies that will enable increased automation and throughput, using non-intrusive, undetectable technologies that screen for behavioral and psychological cues of a person’s intent to commit a harmful act, conducting the screening at safe standoff ranges. Passive detection will enable the interpretation of physiological and behavioral cues or signatures that the body naturally produces and does not require operator-induced stress (for example, agents asking questions).

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Predictive Screening Project

Project Manager: Larry Willis

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Predictive Screening project aims to derive observable behaviors that precede a suicide bombing attack and develop extraction algorithms to identify and alert personnel to indicators of suicide bombing behavior. The potential operational benefit is the increased ability to interdict Improvised Explosives Device (IED) threats further from the checkpoint with fewer resources. This project supports the Quadrennial Homeland Security missions of preventing terrorism and enhancing security, and securing and managing our borders.

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Quantitative Psychosocial Impacts Index Project

Project Manager: Allison Smith, Ph.D.

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Quantitative Psychosocial Impacts Index project will develop an index of the public health, social, and political impacts of disasters. It will identify public health, civil society, and public trust measures for inclusion in the index; analyze their reliability, sensitivity, and validity; derive a concise summary index; and test the index’s utility in the context of multiple past disasters. This project will provide a framework for incorporating psychosocial impacts into risk assessments and other analyses in order to inform programs developed to mitigate the psychosocial impacts of disasters and promote resilience.

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Rapid DNA Project

Project Manager: Christopher Miles 

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Rapid DNA project will provide rapid and low-cost DNA-based family relationships (kinship) verification to improve immigration efficiency for legal kinship applicants, reduce kinship fraud, provide for family reunifications, and conduct DNA watch lists checks (where appropriate). Currently, kinship determinations in immigration cases are primarily based on field officer interviews and document review. DNA analysis can verify kinship, but it is expensive and requires forensic laboratory processing. The Rapid DNA project will integrate a whole laboratory into a fieldable device operated by non-expert users by allowing DNA cheek (buccal) swab sample to be inserted in a disposable microfuidic biochip and processed in an automated and integrated desktop unit. Processing time will be less than one hour at a cost of less than $100 per sample and less than $275,000 per system.

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Risk Prediction Project

Project Manager: Larry Willis 

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Risk Prediction project is to develop high-speed software to identify threats prior to their entry into the United States. The potential operational benefit is the ability to interdict more threats, using fewer resources, and increased throughput for non-threat passengers and entities. This project supports the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review missions of preventing terrorism and enhancing security, and securing and managing our borders.

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Violent-Intent Modeling and Simulation Project

Project Manager: Richard Legault, Ph.D.

Project Overview: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Violent-Intent Modeling and Simulation (VIMS) project develops tools to assist analysts in determining whether radical groups are likely to engage in political violence. This project builds models and data-retrieval systems that will allow analysts to understand how behavioral, social, and organizational factors may contribute to and predict the emergence of violence. It increases usability, better integrates social-science theory and data, and evaluates additional capacities that improve analysis. The project plans to complete a summary of alternative methods for validating complex analytical tools for socio-behavioral modeling to include initial hypothesis/approaches for the VIMS project.

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