Fundamental Research for Combating WMD
Abstract
This project provides for the discovery and development of fundamental knowledge and understanding by research performers drawn primarily from academia and world-class research institutions in government and industry. This leverages the Department of Defense’s (DoD) $2 billion annual investment in basic research by ensuring a motivation within the scientific community to conduct research benefiting Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)-related defense missions and by improving Agency knowledge of other research efforts of potential benefit to Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) nonproliferation, counter proliferation and consequence management efforts. These efforts are closely coordinated with the Chem-Bio Technology Portfolio, which executes a basic research program under the joint Chem-Bio Defense Program. Agency research interests are coordinated with those of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Service basic research programs through the Defense Basic Research Advisory Group. DTRA reviews research interests annually to focus on technology areas not clearly addressed by other basic research efforts. The DTRA’s Basic Research Initiative program element Project RU (Fundamental Research for Combating WMD) supports several National and Department initiatives directly related to countering WMD including: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Nuclear Defense Research and Development Roadmap, FY2013-2017; Defense Budget Priorities and Choices for FY14 (2013); Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Science and Technology Priority Steering Council Roadmap (2012); National Military Strategy (2011); and the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. In general, these documents direct capability enhancements, projects, and Science &Technology (S&T) that support countering WMD and reducing global nuclear dangers. Specifically they include: accelerating the development of standoff radiological/nuclear detection capabilities; researching countermeasures and defenses to non-traditional agents; enhancing nuclear forensics; securing vulnerable materials; developing new verification technologies; developing an in-depth understanding of the capabilities, values, intent, and decision making of potential adversaries, whether they are individuals, networks, or states; defeating WMD agents; researching biologically-based and inspired materials for DoD applications; and leveraging science, technology, and innovation through domestic and international partnerships and agreements. Specific activities for Project RU can be described as follows: Sensing and Recognition – Generation of information that provides knowledge of the presence, identity, and/or quantity of material or energy in the environment that may be significant; Network Sciences – Enhance fundamental knowledge of theory, representations, and mapping to improve the WMD-related robustness, resiliency, recovery of, and informational and operational utility associated with and derived from, complex disparate but interdependent networks; Protection Sciences – Advance knowledge for protection of personnel, resources, sensitive systems and infrastructure from WMD; Sciences to Defeat WMD – Phenomena that improves success of defeat actions (use of weapons) including explosives, accessing and defeating target WMDs such as bio agents and weapons modeling; Sciences to Secure WMD – Improve understanding of phenomena for verification and compliance with treaties, including test detection. Discover revolutionary control methods to monitor and secure components, materials, and weapons, as well as disrupt proliferation pathways; and Cooperative Research with Global Partners – Research to reduce the global threat of WMD in collaboration with a broad range of international partners. Finally, this project supports and administers the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program for academic engagements, which has the core goals to secure dangerous pathogens, promote open and active disease reporting and response, advance transparent research to understand pathogens, and develop potential countermeasures. The increase from FY 2013 to FY 2014 is due to the relative net impact of Congressional reductions in FY 2013 and increased investment in Fundamental Research in FY 2014 to maintain zero real growth in funding per the Defense Planning Guidance for activities related to the discovery and development of fundamental knowledge for the benefit of Counter WMD-related defense missions. The decrease from FY 2014 to FY 2015 reflects a reduced effort in combating WMD basic research resulting in reductions to the number of active basic research awards.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- RU_0601000BR_1_0400_PB_2015
Entities
Organizations
- Toronto Metropolitan University
Related Documents
- Root: DTRA Basic Research Initiative
- Child Accomplishment: Project RU: Fundamental Research for Combating WMD