Mr. Chairman:
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony regarding the Department of Defense’ basic scientific research program and the Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research or “DEPSCoR.”
I am Royce Engstrom, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of South Dakota. I am also Chair of the Coalition of EPSCoR/IDeA States, which is a non-profit organization that promotes the importance of strong science and technology research infrastructure, and works to improve the research competitiveness of states that have historically received less federal research funding. Previously, I was Vice President for Research at USD. I mention my background because I have had the opportunity to observe from several career points that there is great truth in the concept that all states and regions have impressive science and technology resources that can benefit mission agencies like the Department of Defense.
I am submitting this statement on behalf of the Coalition of 24 EPSCoR States in support of increasing the FY 2007 Budgets of both the Department of Defense’s science and engineering research program for basic research, and an important component of that program, DoD’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR). These states have one-fifth of the Nation’s academic science and engineers and represent an important resource for developing the pool of S&T talent that can serve DoD.
First, I would like to thank the Chairman and the rest of the subcommittee for your leadership and long-term support of the Defense Departments science and technology programs. America’s uniformed men and women benefit greatly from the high tech products produced through DoD funding. Academic basic research is the first step in the process of bringing discovery in the research labs to applied research and ultimately to development and product creation and availability for the front line.
The Coalition of EPSCoR/IDeA States strongly support increasing the Department’s budget for basic research. The Coalition urges the Congress and the administration to provide a significant investment in the Science and Technology (S&T) programs of the Department of Defense. The EPSCoR/IDeA States are in full agreement with the recommendation contained in the National Academies (NAS) report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, and call for a ten-percent increase in basic defense research in FY07.
DoD-funded research is an essential component to meeting both the economic and security challenges facing our nation now and in the future In the past, national defense investments in science and engineering have helped to create a well-trained cadre of U.S. scientists and engineers and have provided important educational opportunities for several generations of soldiers, veterans, and citizens while strengthening our national and economic security.
DEPSCoR is a small, but significant, part of this larger, multi-faceted DoD research program. The Coalition recommends that Congress appropriate $20 million to the Department of Defense budget for the DEPSCoR Program in FY 2007. DEPSCoR was initially authorized by Section 257 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1995 (P.L. 103-337), and was created to help build national infrastructure for research and education by funding research activities in science and engineering fields that are important to national defense. DEPSCoR’s objectives are:
(1) To enhance the capabilities of institutions of higher education in DEPSCoR States to develop, plan, and execute science and engineering research that is competitive under the merit review systems used for awarding federal research assistance; and
(2) To increase the probability of long-term growth in the competitively awarded financial assistance that DEPSCoR universities in eligible states receive from the federal government for science and engineering research.
I would now like to highlight a few “DEPSCoR-funded” success stories of research projects that have and are, presently, contributing to our National defense interests. In my own state of South Dakota, three significant research projects at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology are under investigations through the DEPSCoR program. In one project, aluminum nanoparticles are being studied for their unique energy release characteristics, which can increase the metal acceleration from an explosive weapon. The particles also have potential use in primers, low-collateral warheads, and solid propellant additives. In another project, novel polycarbonate polymers are being developed for incorporation into transparent armor for face shields, goggles, and windshields. Finally, scientists are developing new “spintronic” devices that combine electronic, magnetic, and optical properties into a single chip, resulting in powerful devices that operate on a fraction of the energy of today’s devices and with much less weight.
Projects from other EPSCoR states include:
The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ researchers at the Institute of Artic Biology are examining the central human nervous system with potential applications for reducing the severity of combat casualties by extending the window of opportunity for transport to medical facilities.
The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s researchers are using DEPSCoR funding to improve tropical cyclone forecasts for the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which is DoD’s operational center for tropical cyclone forecasting in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
University of Kentucky researchers are working on a novel high-throughput Piezoelectric Technology, and have built and tested working prototypes and signal processing software. This will allow, for the first time, high-throughput genetic approaches that may answer fundamental questions about sleep and wake behavior. In turn, this knowledge is likely to suggest both new pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to deal with performance decrements from sleep disruptions that are so common during military operations.
University of Montana researchers are working to understand the cause of oxidative stress in war fighters. This will have a direct impact on every soldier working in extreme environments while carrying heavy equipment. Often these men and women suffer from short-term impairment of metabolic function and cognitive ability. Long-term effects of oxidative stress include neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Understanding this condition in military personal will allow for the design of treatment protocols to minimize this aberrant metabolic state and its subsequent short- and long-term health effects.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas researchers are working to further the number of applications for wireless sensor networks in military surveillance and civilian areas. For DoD, the use of unmanned surveillance and monitoring systems using wireless senor networks is of great practical importance, bringing energy efficiency, scalability, dependability, and security to military efforts. These characteristics obviously also can enhance civilian endeavors as well.
North Dakota State University is conducting research aimed at lengthening the life of ship structures. This research will lead to significant savings in military spending on marine fuel, maintenance and replacement of ships.
Again, these are only a few of the many DEPSCoR-funded research initiatives that add to our national body of knowledge on varying National security issues.
DEPSCoR awards are provided to mission-oriented individual academic investigators to conduct research that has practical military applications. However, the program as it is currently implemented has not taken into account the significant benefits that can be derived from pooling individual investigators efforts into “centers” of research that meet the ever-increasing challenges and needs of the Department of Defense and the Services.
The DEPSCoR states propose restructuring the program into two components. The first component would retain the current structure whereby the single investigators are invited to compete for research awards in areas identified by the Department and the Services. The second and new component would award funding to mission-oriented “centers.” These centers of defense excellence would be interdisciplinary areas and would build defense research capacity.
To achieve important defense research objectives of both the components of the program, the DEPSCoR states suggest that the program be funded at $20 million for FY 2007 with $10 million obligated to the individual investigator awards and $10 million for the mission-oriented centers initiative. This twin approach to funding will enhance the Department’s ability to tap into the best ideas that the DEPSCoR states have to offer in support of the Nation’s security needs.
In conclusion, it is important that DoD is able to utilize the resources of all states and regions universities and the science and technology talent that reside in these institutions. DEPSCoR works to enable these resources to be available to advance the DoD mission. DEPSCoR is a wise and worthwhile investment of scarce public resources, and will continue to contribute research that supports national defense needs. Thank you for your consideration of this request.