Award Data

Historical methods of reliability assessment are less and less effective as device sizes shrink. Larger sample sizes and longer duration tests are increasingly needed. At the same time, efforts to continue scaling semiconductors to ever smaller geometries is leading to an explosion of new device structures, materials and processes. The cost of testing these innovations is becoming a major barrier ...

Intelligent Automation proposes to develop voice-based automated Tele-PTSD Monitor (TPM), which can remotely screen, monitor, and provide assistance to clinicians in diagnosing a PTSD patient"s mental healthiness and readiness. A soldier (or other service man/women who may suffer from PTSD) can access the TPM system via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or the Internet. The voice data is ...

We propose a high performance library of signal processing tools that incorporate a newly developed technique known as fluctuation enhanced sensing (FES) to enhance the novel microsensor developed at NIST. Our goal is to improve the performance of the NIST sensor from two angles. One is to apply our existing proven algorithms to the NIST data. The other one is to incorporate advanced FES concept t ...

Single chirality of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is critical for their superb mechanical, thermal, optical and electronic properties. All known methods for producing nanotubes give mixtures of tubes with different chiralities. Physical separation of SWCNT by chirality is thus an enabling step for many potential applications and fundamental studies. The existing anion exchange resins are ...

G2 proposes to develop an intuitive, interactive SCAP content creation and editing utility that will provide a user-friendly operating environment. The promise of security automation offers the opportunity for great advances in software assurance, security governance/reporting, and ongoing monitoring activities. Hindering that promise is the fact that current data exchange protocols are cumbersome ...

Invention House LLC proposes to lower the initial cost of solar energy by minimizing the material used in the reflector of a concentrating trough. Placing the support structure on the front (sun) side and using a thin reflecting membrane will reduce material usage and cost by approximately 66%. The system is capable of producing boiling hot water for use in grain drying, food processing, and steri ...

Our project envisions developing a bacteriophage-based product, designated SalmoShield, for eliminating or significantly reducing contamination of poultry products (and eventually other foods) with Salmonella. Salmonellae continue to be one of the leading causes of foodborne disease worldwide, causing 1.3-1.4 million cases of salmonellosis annually in the USA, with associated costs estimated to be ...

High tunnel agriculture has evolved from simplified growing systems that employ no electricity or heating mechanisms to semi-automated environments with electricity and auxiliary heat. Currently, however, no technology exists that fully monitors, automates, and manages a multiple high tunnel operation. In order to fully realize the potential of high tunnel production a relatively low cost, high-te ...

In this Phase I SBIR application, we propose the trivalent influenza virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine that is not dependent on egg production and allows protection of poultry against multiple AI viruses. Our hypothesis is that expression of H5, H7, and H9 HA proteins will result in a trivalent vaccine that will contain HA proteins derived from three distinct AI viruses. We hypothesize that trival ...

Bovine lameness has emerged as the second most problematic health and welfare issue for the dairy industry. Prevalence of lameness has steadily risen from 11 to 14 percent over the past 10 years. Culling due to lameness has risen from 13 to 20 percent during the same period. Estimated annual costs of lameness are $511 million because of reproduction inefficiencies, diminished milk yield, and the i ...