Emily Saulsgiver
Asia Near East Portfolio Director - S&T Directorate
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Ms. Saulsgiver leads strategy development and oversight for Department of Homeland Security international research and development (R&D) engagements and programs, as well as technology and policy advisement for U.S. government agencies. She has been instrumental in the implementation of R&D strategies and initiatives at the local, state, federal, and international level around complex topics involving national security. These activities are inclusive of bilateral and multilateral international relations and strategy development, operational and technical stakeholder engagement, R&D requirements gathering and analysis, technical review, program management, and business process improvement.
Since 2021, Ms. Saulsgiver has served as the Portfolio Director for Asia Near East within the International Cooperative Programs Office (ICPO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). She oversees DHS S&T’s innovation, R&D engagements with international partners across the Middle East, Africa and Indo-Pacific regions. These engagements are inclusive of R&D collaborations, as well as personnel exchanges that further science advise for national security operations. In 2022, Ms. Saulsgiver also leveraged an existing student Homeland Security internship program to create the first ever International Science and Technology student exchange program which will be replicated for 2023 (and beyond) and has been recognized by Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as a deliverable of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Prior to this role, Ms. Saulsgiver spent 15 years as a senior National Security consultant to U.S. Government research and development agencies on basic and applied solutions for customers that include DHS S&T and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the fields of data analytics, environmental sensors, smart cities, and cybersecurity.
Ms. Saulsgiver holds dual Masters Degrees in International Relations and Public Policy and Governance from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
