Award Data

Group II introns are a novel class of catalytic RNA molecule that are capable of site specific insertion into DNA targets. This property can be reengineered to facilitate site specific DNA integration into a wide range of DNA targets. We intend to exploit this property of group II introns to effect plasmid curing by disrupting critical sequences or proteins responsible for plasmid replication/sp ...

Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) across the services need the capability to operate routinely in civil airspace like manned aircraft. Currently, the lack of Sense and Avoid (SAA) technology is the largest obstacle to realizing this capability. The SAA system should autonomously sense air traffic and direct the RPA to avoid the traffic in the same manner as a human pilot. The preceding program de ...

Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) across the services need the capability to operate routinely in civil airspace like manned aircraft.Currently, the lack of Sense and Avoid (SAA) technology is the largest obstacle to realizing this capability.The SAA system should autonomously sense air traffic and direct the RPA to avoid the traffic in the same manner as a human pilot.The preceding program demonstr ...

We propose to develop new acoustic metamaterials (AMMs) using locally resonant regimented structures, suitable for application in Hearing Protector Devices (HPDs), that will act as frequency selective acoustic filter for hearing protection. Our computational simulations conducted in phase I project have demonstrated that significant acoustic attenuation can be achieved in desired frequency ranges ...

The proposed innovation adopts a hybrid electro-optical approach, which combines the best of the electronic and photonic approaches to achieve high sensitivity, high inter-channel stability, and large-scale integration for an integrated mm-wave receiver. Silicon photonics provides the ideal platform for this as it enables the up-conversion of the mm-wave signals from each pixel to telecommunicatio ...

Future missile systems will need to be faster, more precise, impact a larger theater of operation, and exhibit improved safety for friendly combatants. There are many technology elements that contribute to the desired level of control. In solid propellants, nanoparticle additives theoretically offer attractive improvements to specific impulse, burn rate, and combustion efficiency which can transla ...

Streamline Automation, LLC., is proposing a development program designed to explore the feasibility of achieving hyperkinetic launch capability with a novel electro-thermal gun concept. The new launch system will be insensitive materials compliant, will employ a highly efficient trigger technology which will simplify system design and operation and enable energy conversion efficiencies two to thre ...

The demand for renewable energy is motivating R & D efforts toward the development of novel photovoltaic (PV) technology. Efficient and low cost solar cells will have an important role in defense applications particularly powering portable electronic de-vices. Current solar cells based on single crystal silicon are still not at a level to be cost effective when compared to other forms of electrica ...

CFDRC proposes to develop new acoustic metamaterials, more specifically Locally Resonant Sonic Materials (LRSM), to be used in passive Hearing Protection Devices (HPD). LRSM derive their unique properties from resonators contained within each unit cell. Sound attenuation of finite size of LRSM is determined by the interaction of an incident elastic pulse with the resonators within the unit cells. ...

Surface plasmons (SPs) have been studied by a wide spectrum of scientists, ranging from physicists, chemists and materials scientists to biologists. Plasmonics represents an opportunity to develop a new class of photonic devices by concentrating and channeling light using subwavelength structures. Such circuits would first convert light into SPs, which would then propagate and be processed by lo ...