(in alphabetical order)
PROJECT REQUESTS
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3965
Atlanta, GA 30302
Project: Center for Vaccine Scale-Up/Process Research
Funding Request: $1,700,000
Agency: Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Army (RDTE,A)
Account: 28 (0602787A) Medical Technology
Background: The Center for Vaccine Scale-up and Process Research of Georgia State University requests funding to develop technologies to rapidly develop vaccines/biologics of interest to the military.
Two areas have been identified as critical bottlenecks in accelerating the development process and for supplying sufficient quantities of effective recombinant vaccines in a timely manner: (1)Transition from the laboratory to manufacturing and (2)Rapid assessment and validation of the impact of changes during scale-up and implementation to the manufacturing processes. FY2011 funding would be used to develop a cGMP pilot vaccine facility, available to multiple discovery groups that will be used to develop Turn Key approaches to vaccine development through workforce training and research.
Morehouse College
830 Westview Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
Project: John H. Hopps Defense Research Scholars Program
Funding Request: $3,000,000
Agency: Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Defense-Wide (RDTE,DW)
Account: 8 (0602228D8Z) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Science
Background: This research scholars program is designed to advance core federal missions and Defense Department goals to increase the participation of minority students in emerging scientific and technology fields. The program identifies top tier high school students and places them in a rigorous program in the Division of Science and Mathematics that includes one-on-one mentoring, a summer educational and research program, and challenging internships at top research institutions, with the goal of placing them in doctoral programs on a track to work in the national laboratories.
Georgia Institute of Technology
250 14th St
Atlanta, GA 30332
Project: Maritime ISR Technology Center (MISRTC)
Funding Request: $6,000,000
Agency: Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Defense-Wide (RDTE,DW)
Account: 211 (0304210BB) Special Applications for Contingencies
Background: Intelligence indications show a myriad of maritime threats to our Nation's most vital interests. Maritime threats ranging from unmanned maritime systems to suicide divers/swimmers could be used in an asymmetric manner against maritime assets, defense critical maritime infrastructure (e.g., ports, pipelines, undersea cables), or otherwise be employed to disrupt maritime operations. As a result of these unconventional threats, Maritime ISR (MISR) has emerged as a critical form of naval warfare confronting the United States, and technology advances are needed to counter potential threats before they escalate and impede our Nation's maritime operations.
The ability to interoperate between maritime systems and land-based systems is becoming an ever more important aspect of MISR. In addition to conducting operations on land and sea, MISR has incorporated elements of air operations to rapidly deliver assets and/or forces. The capacity to operate seamlessly across naval warfare's three diverse mediums of sea-land-air is essential. This ability to operate across mediums will allow for a more dynamic and responsive force that is able to counter unconventional threats.
A Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Technology Center (MISRTC) is needed to investigate, develop, demonstrate, and rapidly deploy/counter advances in MISR. This includes investigating evolving maritime threat capabilities, demonstrating low-tech and high-tech modifications to defeat potential defensive measures, demonstrating effective response to threat indications and warnings, exploring countermeasure options, providing insights into the capabilities and shortfalls of systems of record, proposing gap fillers, rapidly instantiating emerging technologies, and fostering interagency information exchange and collaboration.
The purpose of this initiative is to establish the MISRTC. This unique facility and integrated test range will focus on technologies for multi-medium sea-land-air systems, ocean engineering and design tools, littoral water surveillance, and advances in unmanned maritime systems. MISRTC will address the development and demonstration of advanced sensors, innovative maritime defensive systems, and new techniques for maritime measurement, modeling, prediction, and data exploitation. MISRTC will investigate unique approaches to in situ and remote collection, processing, and presentation of information from and about the maritime operational environment.
Clark Atlanta University
223 James P. Brawley Dr., SW
Atlanta, GA 30314
Project: Nanoscience and Biotechnology Laboratories and Research Program
Funding Request: $2,000,000
Agency: Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Defense-Wide (RDTE,DW)
Account: 8 (0602228D8Z) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Science
Background: Funds are requested to support the enhancement of the nanoscience and biotechnology research effort at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) in mission critical areas for the Department of Defense and several other agencies; specifically, in the development of sensors (chemical and biological pathogen detection), advanced materials, and bio-nanotechnology solutions (drug delivery and therapeutics). Highly specialized laboratory equipment will be purchased and some minor laboratory upgrades will be performed in addition to developing and training the future science and technology (students) workforce for DoD.
Georgia Institute of Technology
250 14th St
Atlanta, GA 30332
Project: Technology Development for Quiet Tactical UAV
Funding Request:
Agency: Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Defense-Wide (RDTE,DW)
Account: 211 (0304210BB) Special Applications for Contingencies
Background: This project would help the DOD develop a quieter UAV. From 2000 the number of UAVs used by the Department of Defense has grown from less than 50 to over 6000 as of May 2008 with the majority of the UAVs entering into service in the theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan. The real time imagery provided by these unmanned aerial systems has become an indispensible tool to the warfighter. Growth has been particularly strong in the tactical UAV area, where tactical UAVs are those which are operated by Special forces and other lower echelon units. Aircraft in this class have been used almost exclusively in an ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) role.
While often providing actionable intelligence to commanders on the ground, and being the most effective weapon against the Taliban as quoted by a Taliban commander, their utility is often limited by the fact that these UAVs are easily detected by their radiated noise. UAV's in this class have been optimized for endurance, cost, and payload with effectively no consideration of noise built into the design. The combined propeller and engine noise can be audible by an observer on the ground at a distance much further than the onboard sensors can detect humans on the ground. This problem is exacerbated for the Special Operations community who often operate at night where larger optical payloads are required (to capture longer wavelengths) and where the background noise is lower. This provides persons of interest on the ground some time to react before the UAV can provide imagery of the subjects which in turn reduces the utility of the UAV.
Program Level Request: Kidney Cancer
Funding Level Request: Increase President’s Budget by $15,000,000
Background: The National Cancer Institute has found that the rate of usage of VA facilities by veterans diagnosed with kidney cancer increased by over 26%, double the amount of the general population.
Program Level Request: Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP)
Funding Level Request: Increase President’s Budget by $15,000,000
Background: Preliminary evidence suggests that combat veterans could have an increased risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
A study in the Annals of Neurology identified 5,345 cases of MS among US veterans that were deemed service-connected. The number of service-connected cases was a significant increase from previous studies.
An epidemiologic study found an unexpected, two-fold increase in MS between 1993 and
2000 in Kuwait, which suggests an environmental trigger.
Staff at the VA's MS Center of Excellence in Baltimore, MD, has noted the need to further study the increased incidence of MS among combat veterans.
A 2004 report entitled Scientific Progress in Understanding Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses: Report and Recommendations, from a study group commissioned by the VA, suggests more research must be done on the potential link between MS and combat service. Approximately 200,000 veterans who are being treated at the VA have a diagnosis of MS; 5,345 of these veterans' illnesses have been deemed service-connected, as noted above. The VA is currently funding two MS Centers of Excellence to provide clinical care and education for these veterans. Current warfighters may face similar neurotoxin exposure.
Program Level Request: Peer-Reviewed Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson's Research Program
Funding Level Request: Increase the President’s budget by $55,000,000
Background: At a time when additional pressure is placed on the warfighter, NETPR-funded research is working to discover the causes, diagnosis, and treatments for Parkinson's disease.
Understanding how neurotoxin exposures occur, the incidence of disease afterwards, and how these conditions may be effectively prevented, treated, or cured will allow the Department of Defense (DoD) to better protect military personnel and minimize the risk of future exposures. The scientific findings from biomedical research conducted through NETPR provides DoD with innovations in materiel design, avoidance protocols for unnecessary harmful exposures, and neuroprotective drugs to prevent damage in the first place, which will considerably improve military readiness. Furthermore, the early detection of nerve cell loss caused by such toxic exposures may provide DoD with better methods of evaluating warfighter performance and faster ways of detecting potential impairments.
Program Level Request: Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program
Funding Level Request: Increase President’s budget by $15,000,000
Background: Created in 2001, the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program (TSCRP) was established within DOD to “encourage innovative research aimed at understanding the pathogenesis of TSC and improving its diagnosis and treatment.” TSC is a genetic condition that afflicts an estimated 50,000 Americans, causing tumors in the the kidneys, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, and brain, which can lead to seizures, autism and mental retardation. From fiscal years 2002 to 2010, Congress appropriated an aggregate of $29.5 million to the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program (TSCRP) at DOD. The TSCRP is a national program designed to fulfill a national objective -- finding a cure for TSC.
Funds appropriated to this program are awarded to researchers around the country through a competitive, peer-reviewed process. Research on TSC is having a significant impact on our understanding of epilepsy, autism, cancer and diabetes, and the TSC program at DOD is critical to ongoing progress.