(Photo: The Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus, located at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.)
By Troy Turner
AUBURN – The Department of Defense has awarded Auburn University an $11.4 million contract for work and specialized infrastructure access connected to new research for the Missile Defense Agency, which works to protect the U.S. and its allies from ballistic missile threats.
“Under this new contract Auburn will procure equipment for an Auburn University-sponsored radiation test facility site in Huntsville, Alabama, and a priority access agreement for Department of Defense customers,” the DOD announced Thursday.
“The period of performance will cover the long-lead items for the radiation equipment and installation of the equipment into a building sponsored by Auburn University,” the DOD stated.
Work under the contract will take place from November 2024 through November 2027, while the DOD’s priority access agreement with Auburn will run through November 2032.
The Missile Defense Agency is headquartered in Huntsville, with its command center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It is “a research, development and acquisition agency within the Department of Defense. Our workforce includes government civilians, military service members, and contractor personnel in multiple locations around the world.”
Auburn University, meanwhile, continues to grow its footprint in research and partnership with the Department of Defense in promoting national security.
Auburn’s growing DOD portfolio
Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering announced earlier this week that it has set a record for new research awards and contracts for a fiscal year, closing FY24 with $117.7 million, a record for any college in Auburn University’s history.
The Department of Defense was one of the school’s major partners and financial contributors.
Among the awards the college reported:
$50 million ($22 million awarded in FY24)
U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center
“Lightweight, Advanced Manufacturing of Metallic, Polymer and Composite Structures for Aviation and Missile Weapon Systems” (This contract was announced in January 2024 as the largest research contract in Auburn University history.)
$10 million
Department of Energy
“Model Regional Operations Center to Enhance Cyber Security of US Electricity Sector”
Frank Cilluffo and James Goosby (McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security)
Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute
$6.6 million
Federal Transit Administration
“Low and No Emission-Component Assessment”
Christian Brodbeck (engineering administration) and Mark Hoffman (mechanical engineering)
$3.25 million
State of Kansas
“Additive Manufacturing Material and Process Rapid Qualification for Vehicle Applications”
Nima Shamsaei and Shuai Shao (mechanical engineering)
$3 million
U.S. Air Force
“Novel Timber Structures for Air Force Expeditionary Environments”
James Davidson, J. Brian Anderson, David Roueche and Kadir Sener (civil and environmental engineering)
$1.25 million
National Asphalt Pavement Association
“Synthesis of State of Practice and Research Needs for Airfield Asphalt Pavement Resilience”
Benjamin Bowers (civil and environmental engineering)
$1.1 million
Trideum Corp.
“Missions based multi-domain operations test environment”
Stephen Mills (Applied Research Institute) and Hunter Burch (electrical and computer engineering)
More faculty, more research
Earlier this year, Auburn and the U.S. Space Force announced a partnership to expand logistical operations of the Space Development Agency’s capabilities in Huntsville.
The agency contracted to move some of its offices and personnel into the Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus, located at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, and thus provide a closer working relationship both parties consider ideal for promoting research and development of space assets.
The Missile Defense Agency contract announced Thursday helps extend Auburn’s research arm and strengthen its ties between Auburn and space/defense hotbed Huntsville.
The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in 2017 began a strategic hiring initiative that resulted in an increase of nearly 50 faculty members, which helped increase the number of research proposals and the funding amounts for each request, an Auburn University article reported.
“Our faculty members are not only setting a standard in the classroom, they are also doing so as part of the university’s research enterprise,” said Allan David, the college’s associate dean of research. “Whether it’s related to transportation, health, advanced and additive manufacturing, cybersecurity or the environment, our faculty members are conducting cutting-edge research that is improving the quality of life, driving our economy and making us safer both here at home and across the globe.”
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant of AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here: Meet the editor
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