Award Data

We propose a deobfuscation tool that uses machine-code analysis to expose self-protecting malware for further analysis (e.g., by an automated malware detector, or a human analyst) using dynamic disassembly techniques. The proposed deobfuscator will also be capable of checking that the (self-protecting) program output from a tamper-proofing tool is indeed protected, and has the same behavior as the ...

While the tools to combat malicious rootkits have evolved over the years, their effectiveness has paled before the increasing stealth of malware designed specifically for hiding from such tools. A next-generation reverse-engineering tool is needed to counter the growing threat of modern rootkits. This new forensics tool will utilize a powerful set of techniques to identify a broad class of malici ...

Busek Co. Inc. and Stanford University propose to jointly develop and test a high power plasma propulsion concept called the Coaxial High EnerGy (CHENG) thruster. This high efficiency (> 85%) pulsed system will be capable of average thrust levels commensurate to chemical propulsion (10^4 N/m^2), but with an Isp comparable to electrostatic propulsion (4000-50,000 s). Both thrust and Isp will be va ...

High current density carbon nanotube-based field emission arrays with uniform emission will be developed under this program. Working in conjunction with MIT, microfabrication techniques will be used to produce high density arrays of CNT emitters on substrates which incorporate feedback to ensure uniformity of emission between emitters. The feedback techniques employed will minimize thermal effec ...

The Air Force desires development of a commercial production source for nonlinear optical (NLO) gallium arsenide semiconductor crystals with orientation patterning, i.e., OP-GaAs. The need for these materials is driven primarily by applications for NLO laser frequency converters in Infrared Counter Measures (IRCM). The proposed Phase I project will demonstrate feasibility for a fabrication metho ...

Modern military operations increasingly require decision-makers to reason predicatively about adversary actions and the battlespace environment – a task made more challenging due to meta-information (i.e., qualities of information such as uncertainty or staleness). Understanding the role of meta-information in reasoning about intelligence and developing methods for effectively portraying it ha ...

Electronic text chat has become a primary medium of communication throughout the military over the past fifteen years. In organizations such as the Air and Space Operations Center’s Dynamic Targeting Cell (DTC), it is used extensively among team members as they collaboratively process information about time sensitive targets for prosecution. To assure the highest degree of performance, operators ...

It is proposed to develop a large area quantum dot light emitting devices to address the problem of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) signature management. Using photo detectors to modulate the color and intensity of incident light on opposing surfaces, flexible light emitting arrays can be actively tuned to make UAVs nearly invisible.

We propose to develop new polymer-ceramic nanoparticle composites for high power capacitors. The new approach combines the leading-edge nanomaterials development and manufacturing at Agiltron will transfer the high dielectric constant fillers to our new nanodielctrics with extremely improved breakdown strength and extensively lowered dielectric loss. We expect to fully overcome the problems of cu ...

Black River Systems Co., Inc. and Syracuse Research Corporation propose to develop a portable self-contained sensor, of size consistent with carriage and operation by a single airman, mounting on a pickup truck or a C-130 aircraft, capable of standoff sense-through-the-wall detection and location of humans and mapping their surroundings in real time. The key discriminators of the proposed baselin ...