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Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary for Science and Technology
Department/Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Position:
Under Secretary for Science and Technology
Executive Schedule: Executive Level III - Presidential Appointment with Senate Confirmation
Major Responsibilities:
Leads the primary research and development arm of DHS Coordinates internal research and projects involving other federal agencies, industry and academe to develop counterterrorism technologies Manages homeland security’s R&D budget Oversees the Borders and Maritime, Explosives, Chemical and Biological, and Infrastructure and Geophysical and other specialized divisions
Key Competencies and Preferred Qualifications:
Insight:
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has come under fire from critics in Congress who contend it has been mismanaged and lacks direction. A February 2008 Congressional Research Service report quoted the Senate Appropriations Committee as calling it “a rudderless ship without a clear way to get back on course.”
The under secretary for science and technology is charged with coordinating efforts to develop counterterrorism technologies. He or she commands a roughly $800 million budget that must be effectively distributed among government agencies, the private sector and academic institutions. Congressional oversight committees were unhappy with the performance of the first under secretary, Charles McQueary. McQueary’s successor, retired Navy rear admiral Jay M. Cohen, had effectively reshuffled the Office of Naval Research during an unprecedented 5 1/2-year term as its chief. He quickly established a similar organizational strategy at the DHS science and technology wing.
Cohen was heralded as a refreshing, innovative thinker by technology journalist Robert Buderi. “If you have ever doubted that the federal government has room for wild card, out-of-the-box thinking and colorful characters, [Cohen] might force you to rethink that view,” Buderi wrote on his technology and business blog, Xconomy.
Despite Cohen’s efforts, Congress continues to demand changes. The science and technology budget is still skewed toward product development, critics say. They argue for a better balance between short-term payoff and long-term investment. The under secretary should funnel more support to basic research with the goal of advancing scientific understanding, rather than trying to churn out technologies with immediate, practical applications.
Congress has also indicated its disappointment that border securing technologies like tunnel detection systems and cargo inspection tools have not been placed at the top of the agenda. Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) sponsored a bill to mandate more research and needs-assessments in these areas.
“The Science and Technology Directorate at DHS needs to establish long-term goals and objectives for border security and broaden science and technology community involvement,” Hall said at a hearing in November 2007.
To achieve these goals, the next under secretary must ensure collaboration among in-house researchers, businesses (large and small) and academe. He or she will also need to develop better reporting tools to track the allocation of money and resources for the benefit of a watchful Congress.
Key Relationships – Within the Department or Agency:
Secretary of Homeland Security
Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs
Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency
Border Patrol
Coast Guard
Federal Air Marshals
Key Relationships – Within the Government:
Department of Defense
Department of Energy National Laboratories
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office
Secretary of Agriculture
Attorney General
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Key Relationships – Outside the Government:
Private sector industries
Universities
State and local emergency responders
Nomination Referred to:
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Current Position Profile:
1. Dr. Tara O'Toole (Confirmed: November 4, 2009). Chief Executive Officer and Director, The Center for Biosecurity of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Former Assistant Secretary, Office of Environment, Safety and Health, Office of the Deputy Secretary, United States Department of Energy, William J. Clinton Administration; Former Senior Analyst, Office of Technology Assessment, United States Congress.
Recent Position Profiles:
2. Jay M. Cohen, M.S. (2006-2009). Former rear admiral and nuclear submarine commander. Former chief of Naval research and Navy chief technology officer. Master’s degree in marine engineering and naval architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 3. Charles McQueary, Ph.D. (2003-2006). Retired president of General Dynamics’ Advanced Technology Systems. Former AT&T and Lucent Technologies executive. Former director of AT&T’s Bell Laboratories. Former member of the board for the National Defense Industrial Association. Now DOD director of operational test and engineering. Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from the University of Texas.
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