Protecting Our Nation’s Most Vulnerable Spaces

Established at Northeastern University in 2021, the Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality (SENTRY) Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence addresses the many challenges of protecting soft targets and crowded places in our homeland.

SENTRY SUCCESSES

A Homeland Security Center of Excellence

The Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence bring together leading experts and researchers to conduct multidisciplinary research and workforce development for homeland security solutions. Authorized by Congress and chosen by the Department’s Science & Technology Directorate, each center is led by a university in collaboration with partners from other institutions, agencies, laboratories, and the private sector.

ABOUT DHS COES

mage taken inside a shopping mall. There are lots of people walking around going to stores, buying things and consuming food and beverages. There are two floors with shops and boutiques. The ceiling is glass. The architecture is very modern and new and the general feel of the images is bright, clean, safe and positive.

Vision & Mission

Take a closer look at our novel approach to better protecting soft targets and crowded places.

About

Nick Scaperdas, who studies bioengineering, solders electrical wires together on a keypad for a doorbell in the Sherman Center in Hayden Hall on Feb. 28, 2023.

Research

Explore our critical research areas and supporting projects currently in motion.

Research

Case Studies

We're embarking on several case studies focused on specific venues to deliver custom solutions.

Case Studies

Carey Rappaport is a College of Engineering Distinguished Professor, a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Deputy Director of ALERT, or Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats, which is a multi-university Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence (COE).

Workforce Development

We strive to create a multifaceted workforce to safeguard our nation through various channels.

Development Programs

Research Overview

SENTRY research aligns with DHS primary priorities: securing and managing air, land, and maritime borders, and expediting lawful trade and travel. It also supports secondary research priorities of threat characterization, detection, and mitigation, as well as emergency response and critical infrastructure for public safety. Learn more about SENTRY’s research structure, which ties the technical challenges of protecting soft targets and crowded places to four fundamental research areas.

View SENTRY's Research Overview

How to Engage

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Industry Partners

Our partners enjoy a symbiotic relationship, learning from our research to advance end products.

Become a Partner

Workshops & Conferences

We host events to work collaboratively on complex problems and create engagement opportunities for our stakeholders.

Get Involved

News & Events

Recent Event

DASSH (Designing Actionable Solutions for a Secure Homeland) Student Design Challenge

Student teams will compete against other universities in the 3-day DASSH (Designing Actionable Solutions for a Secure Homeland) student design challenge. This annual event is co-sponsored by SENTRY and the fellow Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, the Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE). Subject matter experts mentor student teams as they design, build, and implement innovative solutions. Unlike other hackathons that focus on coding, this challenge emphasizes finding real solutions, regardless of the medium those solutions happen to be in. To conclude the event, proposed solutions will be presented to Department of Homeland Security leadership, and cash prizes will be awarded to the top teams.

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