The U.S. Department of Homeland Security financed this week five new university-run research centers. The projects, which involve 11 universities, join a list of existing centers chosen by the agency through merit-based competitions. The institutions and their research topics are:

The University of Arizona and the University of Texas at El Paso — border security and immigration.

Northeastern University and the University of Rhode Island — explosives detection, mitigation, and response.

The University of Hawaii-Manoa and Stevens Institute of Technology — maritime, island, and port security.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jackson State University — natural disasters, coastal infrastructure, and emergency management.

Texas Southern University, Tougaloo College, and the University of Connecticut — transportation security. —Jeffrey Brainard