Department of Defense

Read updates on the agency’s web site at http://www.defenselink.mil/recovery/.

Solicitations:

• RECOVERY Air Force Fiscal Year 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Research Program Developing Nanoscale Additives for Novel Fuels

FOA: AFOSR-BAA-2009-3

Deadline: May 18, 2009

Contact: Dr. Michael R. Berman, (703) 696-7781 or michael.berman@afosr.af.mil

This program seeks to bring together recently developed experimental and theoretical methods and approaches so that the optimum nanostructured catalysts can be developed for use in propulsion systems. The ability to dissolve or suspend additives or catalysts in fuels has created the opportunity to develop new sets of desirable properties for fuels for aircraft, rockets, and satellites.  Areas of interest include understanding fundamentals of catalytic processes involved including interactions between catalyst and substrate, charge donation and charge transfer; understanding fundamental properties of nanostructures and their roles as catalysts; the role and effect of water and impurities on fuel additives; addition of additives to ionic liquids; the aging and long time behavior of catalysts; the performance of fuels developed with these new additives. A multidisciplinary effort is required to address this developing opportunity including fundamental research in chemistry, physics, surface and materials science, and computational simulation and modeling.

AFOSR plans to make approximately one(1) award for FY 2009. The anticipated efforts are subject to availability of Recovery Act funding.The anticipated type of award will be in the form of a grant. The estimated value of the award is approximately $1.5M per year for two years.

Overview:

The Department of Defense (DoD) released its EXPENDITURE PLAN for the projects to be funded with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 were released 3/20/09 and updated on 4/28/09.

• Department of Defense Expenditure Plans – March 20, 2009 Report | (PDF)

• Department of Defense Expenditure Plans – April 28, 2009 Report | (PDF)

The Recovery Act provides $7.4 billion to the Department largely for projects that are located at Defense installations spread across all fifty states, District of Columbia and two U.S. territories. The report includes $2.3 billion in construction projects, including two major hospital construction projects: Camp Pendleton, California; Fort Hood, Texas; and a hospital alteration project at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. The plan also contains $3.4 billion for nearly 3,000 facility repair and improvement projects that will immediately generate additional employment in communities around Defense installations. Furthermore, the plan details how $300 million for near-term energy technology research will be allocated. The allocation of the remaining $800 million for Defense facility infrastructure investment will be announced at a later date.

• Department of Defense Expenditure Plans | (PDF)

Section III of the Department of Defense Expenditure Plan (starting on pg. 162) that was released on March 20 states the following:

"Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Plan "This section includes a plan for RDT&E funded near-term energy efficiency, alternative energy supply, and tactical energy/power system demonstrations and research to be funded under Division A, Title III of the Recovery Act. "The Components submitted multiple energy-related RDT&E candidate projects, studies and proposals for review in five broad areas listed below. Candidate projects were submitted to the Energy Security Task Force, which is comprised of representatives from the Military Services, Defense Agencies, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense staff, and chaired by the Director, Defense Research and Engineering, for review and to de-conflict funding being spent on the same kinds of research.

Another goal of the Energy Security Task Force review was to place a priority on RDT&E projects for near-term demonstration. "The list is organized by the following categories for Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense-Wide activities:Fuel Optimization for Mobility Platforms Facility Energy Initiatives Operational Efficiencies/Commercial Practices Domestic Energy Supply/Distribution Tactical power Systems /Generators"

A series of tables outline planned expenditures. For instance, under "Army Project Plan," "Renewable Development and Testing," "Domestic Energy Supply/Distribution," the document explains that $15.0 million will be provided for "Lightweight, Flexible, Cost Effective Solar Energy Photovoltaics," described as follows: "Develop flexible photovoltaic devices and cells for sensor, Soldier, and autonomous systems. Investigate novel approaches, highly integrated advanced materials, electronic devices and structures to enhance weight, space reduction and self powering for emerging flexible and specialized electronics. Program will leverage and accelerate development and demonstration of integrated flexible solar cells, and high-efficiency solar cell film technology for renewable energy sources for the Army which will also have commercial applicability."