Anser will run Homeland Security's R&D center

Analytic Services Inc. was chosen to operate the new Homeland Security Institute, the Homeland Security Department's first federally funded research and development center, or FFRDC.

According to the department's Science and Technology Directorate, the contract is worth up to $130 million over five years to Arlington, Va.-based Analytic Services, also known as Anser.

The Homeland Security Institute becomes the federal government's 37th FFRDC. It will independently assess, analyze and mitigate security threats, vulnerabilities and risks, focusing on issues where scientific, technical and analytical expertise is required.

The institute is the first new government FFRDC in nearly a decade, said Charles McQueary, undersecretary for science and technology.

Creating the new FFRDC is "a critical step that will ensure Homeland Security and other federal, state and local agencies working on issues related to our mission have access to an independent resource that uses a complex systems engineering approach," McQueary said.

Anser was selected after a full-and-open competition that drew seven bidders, according to the Science and Technology Directorate. Anser will conduct operational assessments, systems evaluations, technology assessments, and resources and support analyses that will help the department set priorities and guide investments, according to the directorate.