DOD Awards $50 Million in University Research Equipment Awards

 Dec. 1, 2020

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The Department of Defense (DOD) has announced awards to 150 university researchers totaling $50 million under the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP).  These grants will be provided to 85 institutions across 33 states in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. 

DOD has long championed the country’s scientific ecosystem.  Through DURIP, the department supports purchases of major research equipment to augment current and develop new capabilities.  This effort enables universities to perform state-of-the-art research that boosts the United States’ technological edge, while ensuring that our future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce remains second to none.  This year, the awards will support equipment and instrumentation to accelerate basic research, which is relevant across the department to include quantum sciences, materials design, development, and characterization, machine learning, hypersonics, and more.  

“DURIP awards help maintain the cutting-edge capabilities of our universities and provide research infrastructure to enable the most creative scientific minds in the country to extend the boundaries of science and technology,” said Dr. Bindu Nair, Director, Basic Research Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.  “The awards will facilitate scientific advances that will drive unparalleled military capabilities for our country and help train our future STEM workforce.”

The annual DURIP award process is highly competitive.  The program is administered through a merit competition jointly by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office, and Office of Naval Research.  The Department seeks specific proposals from university investigators conducting foundational science and engineering research relevant to national defense. 

For the FY 2021 competition, the Service research offices received 742 proposals requesting $297 million in total funding.  Selections made by the Service research offices are subject to successful completion of negotiations with the academic institutions. 

The list of winning proposals can be downloaded here.