Defense Awards $191 Million For R&D

The Department of Defense has issued 27 awards to academic institutions for basic research totaling $191 million over five years. The awards are through DOD’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) and can involve researchers from multiple universities and departments. “These projects constitute significant investments in multidisciplinary research with the potential for making rapid progress in cutting-edge science,” said Zachary J. Lemnios, assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, in a statement. Because the MURI awards are for up to five years, DOD stresses that they can provide greater sustained support than single-investigator awards for training and education of students pursuing advanced degrees and for associated infrastructure such as research instrumentation.