Award Data

Vulnerabilities in telecommunications channels are being exploited at alarming rates by malicious attackers to commit fraud, perpetrate scams, and organize data breaches. In addition to financial losses incurred by corporations and taxpayers, attacks against government agencies such as the DHS can severely compromise national security. A common element of these attacks is the attacker's ability to ...

NIST developed risk management framework and guidelines that assist agencies to implement integrated, organization‐wide programs to manage information security risk, and further developed Cloud Security Architecture Tool (CSAT) to facilitate in this matter. However, NIST’s CSAT needs further improvement and implementation of new functions such that it can be commercialized as an Enterprise‐g ...

This project will develop a new scientific instrument optimized for the advanced characterization of near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles that can exist as left- or right-handed structures (enantiomers). Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are the leading current example of such nanomaterials. Applied NanoFluorescence, LLC (ANF) proposes a novel multi-mode chiroptical spectrometer that can ...

The goal of this project is to design and develop Semantic Analysis Technologies for the Identification of Dual Use Research of Concern (STIR). STIR processes scientific documents using semantic technologies and inference algorithms to identify potential for Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC). The focus is on 15 high consequence pathogens and toxins and 7 experimental categories identified as DUR ...

During the Phase I effort, Proportional Technologies, Inc. developed non-saturating components for a military battlefield dosimeter based on ionization chamber technology. Chambers were thimble-shaped, made out of carbon, and incorporated different materials for the conversion of fast neutrons, thermal neutrons, and gamma radiation. Extensive testing showed that the proposed solution is feasible. ...

During the Phase I effort, Semandex Networks and its team developed a prototype capability to detect trends in research publications by automatically identifying emerging concepts within the data. The implemented capability provides insights into past and

In Phase II of PLATO, we will develop a prototype plan and goal identification system that employs a rich model of domain actions and events, extracted automatically from a massive amount of real-world domain-relevant information, to model agent-specific action costs and to process sequences of agent actions and events, extracted from text, as an agent plan in progress. The system will be able to ...

Although protocols for securing email have been available for over twenty years, these protocols, by nature of their use of asymmetric cryptography, require users to have the public key or certificate of the correspondents. Grier Forensics will develop technology to use the Domain Name System (DNS) to distribute certificates and keys, making email secure, authenticated, and confidential, curbing t ...

Lynntech, Inc. proposes the use of a novel oxidant as a powdered concentrate, that when dissolved in water, yields a potent sporicidal solution capable of reducing spores by greater than 6-logs on a variety of surfaces. The sporicidal formulation will be tested on concrete, wood, galvanized metal, glass, plastic and painted wallboard to determine if the formulation will reduce spores but not harm ...

Footprints trails left on unimproved roads during illegal border crossings are often useful starting places for Border Patrol Agents to begin their pursuits. Currently searching for footprints involves CBP agents driving over long stretches of road and visually searching for signs of human activities. In this technology and product development effort, Lynntech proposes to develop a COTS mobile-dev ...