Health and Safety Guidelines for Emergency Workers: Post Structural Collapse Hazards

This project provided the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) with scientific and technical information and expert judgment for the purpose of publishing health and safety guidelines for emergency responders required to work near or on the remains of a recently collapsed or partially collapsed building or group of buildings.

Data Information and Recommendations Regarding Emergency Worker Safety and Health During Disaster Responses

This project provided the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with the scientific and technical information, as well as expert judgment on management processes and worker training to improve the health and safety of disaster rescue and recovery workers.

Crime Tech: Phase I

This project provided a quantitative underpinning to a discussion on possible federal-level actions that could help reduce crime. Surveyed literature on current forensic and criminal statistics facing local law enforcement; organized workshop to discuss challenges facing law enforcement and ways in which technology research, development, and deployment could help to reduce crime.

Publication:

• MR-1101-OSTP, Needs and Prospects for Crime-Fighting Technology: The Federal Role in Assisting State and Local Law Enforcement, 1999

A Survey of State Laws on Privacy and SPAM

This project had two main objectives: to survey the current state of privacy and SPAM-related statutes passed by the states, and to analyze the commonalities, gaps and conflict among the statutes.

Homeland Security Education Initiative

This project examined features and evaluation studies of the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and other major federal initiatives that have promoted STEM education. We directed these examinations and analyses toward identification of key features of any new federal initiative designed to produce citizens appropriately trained to enhance homeland security.

This project examined the central features of the NDEA and reviewed evaluation studies of its effectiveness in inducing students to enter STEM fields and in qualifying teachers in these subjects. We also examined the features and effectiveness of other major federal initiatives designed to increase college enrollment and graduation. If the federal government were to create an NDEA for the war on terrorism and to enhance homeland security, what would it look like? How would it differ from the original NDEA?

Assessing Research and Development for Hazard Loss Reduction

In support of the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction, this project assessed research and development contributions to natural hazard loss reduction. The study quantified current federal R&D budgets related to hazard loss reduction together with an estimate of state and private expenditures to mitigate and respond to natural hazard impacts.

Publication:

• MR-1734-OSTP, Assessing Federal Research and Development for Hazard Loss Reduction, 2003

Department of Justice Strategic Plan for Telecommunications

This project assessed the current state of DOJ telecommunication systems and provided a strategic plan for future DOJ telecommunications infrastructure and systems. This assessment included the following systems: voice and data, wired and wireless. It took into consideration the need for cost effectiveness, likely technological advances over the next decade and the need for interoperability among both DOJ Components and the DOJ’s customers.

Personal Protective Technology for Emergency Responders Critical Needs for Critical Missions

The purpose of this project was to provide the newly established National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) with information required to develop a national program of collaboration, research, service, and communications directed at providing personal protective technologies to firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, police, and specialized teams responsible for responding to and mitigating emergencies. The scope covered current and future capabilities to respond to a broad range of emergency situations, including routine functions, special hazards, natural disasters and acts of terrorism, especially those involving biological, chemical, and radiological agents. Results were summarized in two reports for a broad audience with interests in emergency response, worker safety, and related research and development.

Publication:

MR1636-NIOSH, Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 2: Community Views of Safety and Health Risks and Personal Protection Needs, 2003.

Antipersonnel Mines: Assessment of Potential of New Detection Technologies

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily mined lands. In the process of restoring civil society and protecting civilians from antipersonnel mines, there will be a pressing need to commence detection and clearance operations. This project assessed options for federal investment in the development of antipersonnel mine detection technologies. It identified R&D investments that are likely to yield the greatest improvements (in terms of reliability, speed, safety, and cost) in antipersonnel mine detection capabilities.

Publication:

• MR-1608-OSTP, Alternatives for Landmine Detection, 2003.

Inventory of Federal Missions to Respond to Post-Event

This project provided a gap analysis of federal agency roles, missions, programs, and capabilities for response, mitigation, recovery, continuity of operations/continuity of government restoration and reconstitution.

S&T and the War on Terrorism

This project examined the role of the nation’s S&T assets in prosecuting a war on terrorism. It provided an analysis of surveys sent to selected federal agencies to assess their science and technology capabilities to prosecute a war on terrorism, which included a “wall-chart” representing the gaps and status of S&T activities in individual reporting agencies and an aggregate table of the global distribution of responses across all reporting agencies.

Technology and Research Development Policy for National Security

This project provided research and analysis to OSTP in support of its science, technology, and interagency coordination responsibilities in the areas of critical infrastructure protection research and development, survey and analysis of federal government WMD research, and assessments of the overlapping areas of science and technology policy and national security. Work was conducted in the following issue areas:

• Implementation of PDD-63 and National Plan for Information Systems Protection (CIP) Research and Development plans and programs
• Policy issues raised by private sector CIP research and development activities
• Future priorities for critical infrastructure protection research and development
• Information assurance standards and measurement methodologies

Exploring Critical Infrastructure Protection R&D Priorities in the Context of the Y2K Experience

Assessing Federal R&D Activities for Preventing, Countering, and Responding to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorist Attacks

This project assisted OSTP in its efforts to coordinate the S&T related aspects of the war against terror. This project sought to ascertain current federal R&D activities mapping into the areas identified by the R&D subgroup of the National Security Council-chaired Weapons of Mass Destruction Preparedness (WMDP) group. This mapping is being integrated within other ongoing S&TPI efforts of support to OSTP.

Law Enforcement Technology Study

RAND conducted a study that included a national survey of some 200 law enforcement agencies, research visits to over 12 representative agencies, and a cost-benefit analysis of alternative federal options for funding local law enforcement.

Publication:

• MR-1349-OSTP/NIJ, Challenges and Choices for Crime-Fighting Technology: Federal Support of State and Local Law Enforcement, 2001.

Standards Development in the Digital Economy

This project looked at how the development of standards for the Internet and electronic commerce is likely to be affected by: technology, function, markets, law, and institutions.

Publication:

• MR-1215-OSTP, Scaffolding the New Web: Standards and Standards Policy for the Digital Economy, 2000.

Information Infrastructure Analysis Project

This project developed risk analysis procedures for U.S. electronic infrastructure.

Publication:

• MR-976-OSTP, The Cyber-Posture of the National Information Infrastructure, 1998.

An Exercise-Based Approach to Assessing the Implications of Emerging Cyberpayment Technologies

This project used the exercise approach to explore money-laundering potential of emerging cyberpayment technologies.

Publications:

• MR-965-OSTP/FinCEN, Cyberpayments and Money Laundering: Problems and Promise, 1998.
• MR-1005-OSTP/FinCEN, Exploring Money Laundering Vulnerabilities Through Emerging Cyberspace Technologies: A Caribbean-Based Exercise, 1998.

International Technology Transfer

This project analyzed the effectiveness of U.S. technology transfer policies in protecting U.S. interests in technologies developed through federal programs.

Publication:

• MR-979-OSTP, Monitoring and Controlling the International Transfer of Technology, 1998.