National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

Date:  March 18, 2010 - March 21, 2010

Location:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Join your colleagues in the City of Brotherly Love for NSTA's 58th National Conference on Science Education. Conference registration and exhibits will be at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Most sessions and events have been scheduled at the Convention Center and the Doubletree Philadelphia Hotel, Loew’s Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, and Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel.

The conference will begin with concurrent sessions on Thursday, March 18, at 8:00 AM, and end on Sunday, March 21, at 12 Noon. (some special events/meetings may be scheduled on Wednesday). Exhibits will close on Saturday, March 20, at 5:00 PM.

The Challenge

The task of assuring the security of our homeland involves protecting the citizens of the United States, the nation's critical infrastructure and key assets. This is necessary to sustain the nation's vitality against terrorism and other threats. This protection must originate at the community level. It requires discovering, developing and deploying new technology that will support first responders and key decision makers in local communities.

The Mission

NIHS' mission is to discover, develop and deploy solutions that protect and preserve the critical infrastructure of the nation's communities.

The Institute

NIHS aligns projects and research objectives with the needs and requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The strategy is to manage a distributed research enterprise that effectively transitions research and development into solutions. NIHS works with DHS to determine technology needs at the community level. Then, teams are quickly assembled from multiple universities to develop solutions to the needs.

The Strategy

Through management of the Kentucky Critical Infrastructure Protections Program (KCI), the National Institute for Hometown Security (NIHS) provides an ongoing, integrated program dedicated to developing new technologies and devices. NIHS works through qualified academic institutions to accomplish the technological objectives.