Topics

The science for understanding the canine olfaction-cognition link is limited and needs to be better understood in order to advance the science of using dogs for explosives detection. Research topics in this area are likely to include: a) Evaluation of the effectiveness of surrogate continuation aids (also referred to as psuedos, simulants, calibrants, mimics) for training b) Determination of thresholds in operational settings

In order to make improvements in the deployment, training, and utilization of explosive detection canines, there is a need to obtain a clear understanding of the variables affecting their probability of detection. Research topics in this area are likely to include: a) Physical and physiological function of the dog in relation to performance b) Examination of fatigue (i) Are there maximum and optimal search times? c) Qualitative and quantitative assessment of canine detection of person-borne improvised explosive devices (PBIEDs) in various concealments and operational settings