USD(R&E)
News & Events
News & Events
Updates from Across the R&E Enterprise
News
Radiation and Temperature Effects on Space-Based Microelectronics
September 20, 2020 - RT&L News
McClellan Park, California— Engineers at the Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) have invented a new system for testing semiconductors' reliability and other critical electronics components in the harsh environment encountered in space.
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Embracing Change: Shifting the DoD to an Approach for Modernization and Joint Warfighting Concept Development
September 24, 2020 - DoD CTO Public Affairs
The Department of Defense (DoD) is fundamentally changing the way it modernizes forces to fight and win tomorrow’s wars. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD (R&E)) has been tasked to lead this change. The Deputy Director for Engineering (DD, ENG), Dr. Sandra Magnus, is leading the Chief Engineers Council advising the Mission Engineering direction and guiding documents.
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DoD Invests $50 million in Minority-Serving Institutions to Conduct Boundary-Pushing Scientific Research
September 23, 2020 - DOD News
The Department of Defense (DoD), through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), is pleased to announce awards totaling $50 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCUs/MSIs) to conduct research in defense priority areas. The competitive awards cover two discrete funding opportunities under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 DoD HBCU/MSI Research and Education Program.
Events
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STEM and Biotechnology Virtual Symposium
September 24, 2020 - DoD News
The Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering hosted the first virtual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Biotechnology Virtual Symposium, September 24.
Keynote Speaker at DOD’s SBIR/STTR Virtual Symposium
September 21, 2020 - DoD News
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD (R&E)) announced the line-up of speakers for the inaugural Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Virtual Symposium. The symposium, taking place October 7th, will feature keynote speaker Mr. Michael J. Kratsios, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
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SBIR/STTR Virtual Symposium
Event: October 7, 2020, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
Small Business and Technology Partnerships is pleased to announce that registration for our 2020 DoD Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Virtual Symposium is now open! The event takes place on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, from 10:00 AM ET – 5:00 PM ET. Registration closes September 25, 2020.
Please be sure your device is compatible with the Cisco WebEx platform by visiting help.webex.com.
News & Events Archive
AI Aiding DOD in Early Detection of COVID-19
September 22, 2020 - By David Vergun, DOD News
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Defense Innovation Unit are applying commercial technology for early detection of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, which causes the COVID-19 coronavirus disease.
DoD Awards $4 million to Eight Universities for Hypersonics Research
September 14, 2020
The Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded $4 million in grants to eight distinguished universities to support work on uniquely-complex hypersonics challenges. The awards made Sept. 9 are the first step toward meeting the DOD and congressional goals of developing the nation’s hypersonics workforce and accelerating the transition of cutting-edge technology to operational hypersonic capabilities.
SDA announced two contract awards for the first generation of the Transport Layer.
August 31, 2020 - SDA News
SDA announced August 31 two contract awards for the first generation of the Transport Layer, called Tranche 0. These awards represent one of the first major and highly visible steps toward developing the National Defense Space Architecture’s inaugural tranche. This set of contract awards will initiate the design, development, and launch of constellations comprised of tens of satellites with optical intersatellite links capable of sending and receiving wideband data to and from other space vehicles and ground stations. The capability demonstrated in the Transport Layer Tranche 0 will provide our warfighters with periodic regional access to low-latency data connectivity via space-based extensions of existing tactical data links. Contract details can be found at the SDA contracts webpage.
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DoD Announces New DARPA Director Dr. Victoria Coleman
August 31, 2020 - DoD News
Today, the Department of Defense named Dr. Victoria Coleman as the director of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
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Defense Department Invests $42 Million to Awardees in Manufacturing Engineering Education Program
August 2020 - DoD News
Arlington, VA – The Department of Defense, through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, is pleased to announce the selection of nine awardees for the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program (MEEP).
Cybersecurity in Manuracturing Hiring Guide
Virtual Webinar: September 3, 2020
Manufacturing x Digital (MxD), a Department of Defense-sponsored manufacturing innovation institute, has released The Hiring Guide: Cybersecurity in Manufacturing, a ground-breaking guide to aid U.S. manufacturers in building the workforce needed to protect the industry from growing cyber threats.
DOD Developing Small, Unmanned Aerial System for Warfighters
August 20, 2020 - By David Vergun, DoD News
For the first time ever, the Department of Defense and the entire federal government will have access to secure, trusted, and American-made commercial drones on the General Service Administration (GSA) schedule, acting undersecretary for research and engineering Michael Kratsios announced at a virtual event hosted by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on Wednesday.
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DIU Announces sUAS Product Availability
August 20, 2020 -
(Washington, DC) -- The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a Department of Defense (DOD) organization that accelerates commercial technology for national defense, announced the availability of five U.S.-manufactured drone configurations to provide trusted, secure small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) options to the U.S. Government.
DOD Tech Chief Lays Out Vision for U.S. Technology Leadership
August 13, 2020 - DoD News
America's economic and military dominance lies in innovation, and the Defense Department's new technology chief is looking to strengthen and maintain the nation's position as the global leader in emerging technologies.
Remarks by Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Kratsios
August 13, 2020 - DoD Press Release
Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Kratsios speaks at Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
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DOD Names 2020 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Awardees
August 4, 2020 - DoD Press Release
The Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships for 2020 to 162 exceptionally-qualified awardees from 57 institutions nationwide.
DoD Releases New Instruction on Technology Protection
July 31, 2020 - DoD Press Release
The Department of Defense published a DoD Instruction (DoDI) July 20 that contributes to a key line of effort in the National Defense Strategy – increasing the lethality of our forces – through promotion and implementation of enhanced technology protection across the DoD enterprise.
State of the Space Industrial Base 2020
July 2020
A Time for Action to Sustain US Economic & Military Leadership in Space
Commerce Secretary Thanks DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institute for COVID-19 Response
July 28, 2020 - DoD Public Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross visited the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) America Makes July 1 to announce a $1.4 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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DOD Announces Recipients of the Newton Award for Transformative Ideas during the COVID-19 Pandemic
July 13, 2020 - DoD Press Release
The Department of Defense announced $650,000 in funding to 13 recipients of the Newton Award for Transformative Ideas during the COVID-19 Pandemic. View Recipients of the Newton Award.
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DOD Names Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
July 13, 2020 - DOD Press Release
Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper announced today that Michael J.K. Kratsios had been designated to serve as Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, effective July 10, 2020.
Pentagon Official Discusses Defense Modernization Priorities
June 30, 2020 - Courtesy Video from Defense.gov
Dr. Mark Lewis, the Defense Department’s acting deputy under secretary of defense for research and engineering and director of defense research and engineering for modernization, discusses the DOD’s priorities with Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute in Washington.
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Risk Aversion Impedes Hypersonics Development
June 30, 2020 - , DOD News
Speeding ahead with the development of hypersonic weapons, both offensive and defensive, will require the Defense Department to look back to the 1960s — a time when it was far less risk-averse than it is now, the department's director of defense research and engineering for modernization said.
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Hypersonics Testing Accelerates
June 18, 2020 - By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News
The March 19 test of a hypersonic glide body at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii is just the start for the Defense Department, the assistant director for hypersonics in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said, and after ample flight testing, the department will move toward developing weapons from the concepts it's been testing.
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DOD Has Pedal to the Metal on Hypersonics
June 18, 2020 - By Jim Garamone , DOD News
Mark J. Lewis, who spoke with Marcus Weisgerber at the Defense One Tech Summit yesterday, noted that Russia has announced fielding a hypersonic capability and that China is investing heavily in the technology.
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DoD Releases Defense Space Strategy
JUNE 17, 2020 - DoD Press Release
Today the Secretary for Defense released the Defense Space Strategy, which identifies how Department of Defense will advance spacepower to be able to compete, deter, and win in a complex security environment characterized by great power competition.
Op-ed | The Space Development Agency must be a constructive disruptor
June 15, 2020 - By Dr. Tournear, Dr. Griffin, and Dr. Porter for Space News
SDA must be allowed to operate outside of legacy acquisition systems until it has had time to innovate, flourish and deliver.
DOD Names Seven Installations as Sites for Second Round of 5G Technology Testing, Experimentation
June 3, 2020 - DoD News Release
The Department of Defense has named seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct fifth-generation (5G) communications technology experimentation and testing. They are Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Hood, Texas; Camp Pendleton, California; and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
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DOD, USAF Warfare Center to Build a 5G Network, Test Prototype Software at Nellis
May 28, 2020 - DoD News Release
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) and the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada have teamed to build a fifth-generation (5G) cellular network on Nellis as part of DOD's development of 5G for both defense and civilian uses.
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DOD Awards $24 Million for the 2020 Class of the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship
May 12, 2020 - DoD Release
The Department of Defense has selected eight distinguished faculty scientists and engineers and provided $24 million in fellowship funds as part of the 2020 Class of the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellows. Click here for a complete list of this year’s winners.
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Danger to GPS Due to FCC Licensing Ruling
May 8, 2020 - By David Vergun, DoD News
DOD Chief Information Officer Dana S. Deasy; Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael D. Griffin; Space Force Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond, chief of space operations and commander of U.S. Space Command; and retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen spoke at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on DOD spectrum policy and the impact of the FCC's Ligado Networks decision on national security.
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DOD Invests $3.6 Million for the DEPSCoR Competition Winners
May 1, 2020 - DoD Press Release
The Department of Defense has selected six collaborative teams as winners of the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) competition. Each team will receive up to $600,000 over a three-year period of performance to pursue science and engineering research in areas relevant to DOD initiatives supporting the National Defense Strategy.
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DOD Awards Contracts for Development of a Mobile Microreactor
March 9, 2020 - DoD Release
The Department of Defense has awarded three teams, BWX Technologies, Inc., Lynchburg, Virginia; Westinghouse Government Services, Washington, D.C.; and X-energy, LLC, Greenbelt, Maryland; contracts to each begin design work on a mobile nuclear reactor prototype under a Strategic Capabilities Office initiative called Project Pele.
5G to Aid Warfighters, Thwart Adversaries
March 5, 2020 - By David Vergun, DoD News
Dr. Michael D. Griffin, undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, spoke at the 11th annual McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C.
Department of Defense Press Briefing on Hypersonics
March 2, 2020 -
Mark Lewis, director of defense research and engineering for modernization, and Mike White, the assistant director of defense research and engineering for modernization, will discuss hypersonics during a news conference at the Pentagon. Read Transcript (PDF)
More Young People Need to Pursue the 'Magic of Engineering'
February 20, 2020 - By C. Todd Lopez, DoD News
The Pentagon - The Defense Department's chief technology officer said more must be done to encourage young people to pursue engineering careers.
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Fiscal Year 2020 University Research Funding Awards
February 2020 - DoD News Release
Arlington, VA - The Department of Defense (DoD) announced $185 million in multidisciplinary university research initiative (MURI) awards to 26 research teams pursuing basic research spanning multiple scientific disciplines.
Rogue Squadron Transitions from DIU to DDS
February 12, 2020 - Defense Digital Service
Washington — Rogue Squadron, a Defense Innovation Unit team based in Mountain View, California, which develops hardware and software solutions for small unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS missions, will now report to the Defense Digital Service, a DoD organization dedicated to providing the best in modern technical knowledge to the government.
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MOSIS MPW Sponsorship Through Intel Custom Foundry
February 2020 - DoD Release
To encourage participation in the MOSIS Service offerings of Intel’s multi-project wafer fabrication runs, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Trusted and Assured Microelectronics Program aims to potentially sponsor MPW runs in government fiscal year 2020 and 2021. Projects aligning with the R&E Microelectronics Roadmap’s need for access to State-Of-The-Art technology will be considered for subsidized fabrication if those designs and/or design efforts are complementary to the T&AM objectives of enhancing the U.S. microelectronics development capability.
Request for Information on the American Research Environment
Response Date - December 23, 2019
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
A new Request for Information was issued on behalf of the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) to solicit input that the Trump Administration can take to “maximize the quality and effectiveness of the American research environment.” JCORE seeks this input from private industry, academic institutions, professional societies, non-profit and philanthropic organizations, and Federal agencies.
MOSIS MPW Sponsorship Through Intel Custom Foundry
December 2019 - DoD Release
To encourage participation in the MOSIS Service offerings of Intel’s multi-project wafer (MPW) fabrication runs, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) Program aims to potentially sponsor MPW runs in government fiscal year (GFY)-2020 and GFY-2021.
Space Development Agency Director Announced
October 28, 2019 - DoD Release
The Department of Defense (DoD) today announced the selection of Dr. Derek Tournear as the first permanent director of the Space Development Agency.
Draft Request for Proposals for 5G Technology
October 23, 2019 - DoD Release
Dr. Lisa Porter, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering addressed the audience during the MWC19 in Los Angeles.
Available Content
- Dr. Porter's speech transcript from MWC19 Los Angeles
- DoD Press Release
Fiscal Year 2019 Research Equipment Awards to Minority-Serving Institutions
October 23, 2019 - DoD Release
The Department of Defense has awarded $23.2 million to 59 minority-serving institutions as part of the fiscal year 2019 DoD Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions Research and Education Program. The awards range from $122,786 to $600,000 and support the acquisition of research equipment at 24 HBCUs, 34 MSIs and one Tribal College.
USD(R&E) Letter to Universities
Letter Published October 10, 2019
Dr. Michael Griffin
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
For decades, scientists at universities and research centers, supported by the Department of Defense, have made ground-breaking scientific discoveries that underpinned dramatic commercial and national security advances, significantly improving the lives of citizens here and abroad…
Assume Networks Are Compromised, DOD Official Urges
September 24, 2019 - By C. Todd Lopez
Cybersecurity requires more than just building a barrier around the network. No matter how secure a computer network or the environment it's used in may seem to be, users should just assume it's compromised, said Dr. Lisa Porter, the deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. Now, she said, cyber professionals are thinking about "zero-trust architecture," which assumes that no one who uses the network can be trusted.
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5G and Microelectronics
Published September 9, 2019
Dr. Lisa Porter, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, writes to discuss 5G and Microelectronics.
White House Unveils FY 2021 Research and Development Budget Priorities
August 30, 2019 - Executive Office of the President
For FY2021, the five R&D budgetary priorities in this memorandum ensure that America remains at the forefront of scientific progress, national and economic security, and personal wellbeing, while continuing to serve as the standard-bearer for today's emerging technologies and Industries of the Future.
Announcement of the 2019-2020 Cohort of the Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellows
August 26, 2019 - DoD Release
The Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 cohort of the Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellows. This year, over 110 applicants from 70 U.S. universities applied for this prestigious award. The dissertations chosen for the Peace Scholar Fellowship show the greatest potential to advance peacebuilding and security fields, and the strongest likelihood to affect policy and practice.
Eye In the Sky: DOD Announces AI Challenge
August 15, 2019 - Defense Innovation Unit
The Defense Innovation Unit's xView2 Challenge seeks to automate post-disaster damage assessment. DIU is challenging machine learning experts to develop computer vision algorithms that will speed up analysis of satellite and aerial imagery by localizing and categorizing various types of building damage caused by natural disasters.
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DOD Announces Award for STEM Education and Outreach Efforts
April 16, 2019 - Press Operations
WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced the award of the Defense Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Consortium (DSEC) cooperative agreement. The cooperative agreement was awarded to Research Triangle Institute (RTI), who will receive up to $15 million a year over the course of five years.
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DoD Announces Fiscal Year 2019 Research Equipment Awards
March 25, 2019 - Press Operations
Arlington, VA - The Department of Defense announced awards to 185 university researchers totaling $56 million under the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). These grants will be provided to 95 institutions across 36 states in fiscal 2019.
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DOD Announces FY2018 Minerva Research Initiative Awards
March 18, 2019 - Press Operations
The Department of Defense continued its history of strong support for fundamental research by selecting 12 faculty investigators for awards through the FY2018 Minerva Research Initiative.
DOD Releases Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal
March 12, 2019 - Press Operations
On March 11, 2019, President Donald J. Trump sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget request of $750 billion for national security, $718.3 billion of which is for the Department of Defense (DoD).
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Synthetic Biology (SynBio) Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII)
Response Date - February 28, 2020
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY
The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to announce the U.S. Government’s intent to launch a competition for the ninth Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) led by the Department of Defense (DoD). The technical focus area for this Institute will be Synthetic Biology.
Path Forward for Artificial Intelligence
Feb. 12, 2019, By Press Operations
The Department of Defense on Feb. 12 released the summary of its strategy on artificial intelligence. The strategy, Harnessing AI to Advance Our Security and Prosperity, outlines how DOD will leverage AI into the future.
Strong Missile Shield Protects U.S., Allies
Jan. 17, 2019, By David Vergun
WASHINGTON --President Donald J. Trump, Vice President Michael R. Pence and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan announced the release of the 2019 Missile Defense Review today at the Pentagon.
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DoD Awards $10 Million in Funding
January 17, 2019 - Press Operations
The Department of Defense has awarded $10 million in funding to the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), with an option of $20 million more over the upcoming five years to lead the digital future of manufacturing Feb. 21.
Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship
DOD Announces 2019 Class of Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship
May 1, 2019 - Press Operations
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the selection of 10 distinguished faculty scientists and engineers for the 2019 Class of Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellows, today. The highly competitive fellowship is the department's flagship single investigator award for basic research, and is named in honor of Dr. Vannevar Bush, the director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development after World War II. This fellowship program aims to advance transformative, university-based fundamental research.
Dmitri N. Basov
2019 Vannevar Bush Fellow
Dr. Basov studies nano-optics, measuring the effects of radiation on thin layers of exotic materials. When formed into a thin film, these materials, from graphine to dicalcogenide, have some exceptional properties...
Dr. Jennifer Lewis
2016 Vannevar Bush Fellow
Dr. Jennifer Lewis, a 2016 Vannevar Bush Fellow, along with fellow Harvard researchers, has developed a technique for 3D-printing vascular channels into stem-cell-derived organ building blocks...
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