Department of Defense Offers National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowships for Basic Research

As defined by the DoD, “basic research is systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind. It includes all scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding in those fields of the physical, engineering, environmental, and life sciences related to long-term national security needs. It is farsighted high payoff research that provides the basis for technological progress.” (www.defenselink.mil/comptroller/fmr/02b/02b_05.pdf). The DoD’s basic research program invests broadly in many scientific fields to ensure that it has early cognizance of new scientific knowledge. Areas of research that have produced significant improvement in military capabilities include electronics, materials science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, mechanics, biological and life sciences, atmospheric and space sciences, cognitive and neural sciences, terrestrial sciences, and ocean sciences.

DoD’s basic research investment in this program also will result in the development of the next generation of high performing scientists and engineers, who will be educated and trained as a part of the NSSEFF Fellows’ work. Ensuring that students are actively engaged in conducting research funded by the DoD is an important priority. The NSSEFF program helps to ensure that our Nation has an active, long-term and aggressive research and engineering portfolio that attracts the foremost creative, innovative and productive university faculty scientists, engineers and their students.

Objectives of the program are to:

• Recruit and retain highly innovative, results-oriented, university researchers that support defense needs
• Create a forum to recognize and reward outstanding researchers
• Demonstrate DoD commitment to high quality university researchers
• Familiarize select university researchers and their students with DoD missions, operations, and technology to enhance their understanding of DoD’s current and future challenges
• Foster long-term relationships between science and engineering faculty members and the DoD
• Increase the number of exceptionally talented and cleared technical experts that are contributing to DoD’s mission and upon whom DoD may draw to serve on advisory boards, panels, and groups.

The focus of the current competition is to provide faculty scientists and engineers from U.S. accredited, doctoral degree-granting academic institutions with career enhancing opportunities through their association with the DoD while conducting unclassified basic research in critical areas of interest. Outstanding researchers selected for award will participate in all NSSEFF activities that are designed to enhance their understanding of critical research needs and interact with DoD senior leaders.