FY2011 MURI - For Submission to Air Force Office of Scientific Research

The MURI program supports basic science and/or engineering research at U.S. institutions of higher education (hereafter referred to as "universities") that is of potential interest to DoD. The program is focused on multidisciplinary research efforts that intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline to address scientific issues of interest to the DoD. 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.” (http://comptroller.defense.gov/fmr/02b/02b_05.pdf). The DoD’s basic research program invests broadly in many specific fields to ensure that it has early cognizance of new scientific knowledge.