The University of South Florida is continuing to expand its relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The institution announced it has signed a contract with the U.S. Army for up to $85 million to conduct research in cybersecurity, biotechnology, energy sciences and more.
This is a five-year deal with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory — also known as DEVCOM ARL. According to a release, this builds upon the university's existing relationship with the agency. USF signed an educational partnership agreement with the agency last spring to help conduct defense research and provide student internships.
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This partnership is facilitated by the USF Institute of Applied Engineering. Faculty in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing will be leading many of the initiatives. This includes those with experience in large language models and human performance. Those across the university will also be involved, according to a release.
The contract focuses on 16 core topics:
- Biological and Biotechnology Sciences
- Electromagnetic Spectrum Sciences
- Energy Sciences
- Humans in Complex Systems
- Mechanical Sciences
- Military Information Sciences
- Network, Cyber, and Computational Sciences
- Photonics, Electronics, and Quantum Sciences
- Sciences of Extreme Materials
- Terminal Effects
- Weapons Sciences
- Internet of Things / Internet of Military Things
- Smart Cities
- Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance (UTS)
- Digital Twins
- Realistic urban radio frequency (RF) environments, such as 5G and future capabilities
An example of research being done is investigating how sound waves travel through tissue. This could help identify any potential health risks of varying decibels on members of the military.
USF President Rhea Law said this collaboration not only will have a lasting impact on those who serve this country but also on everyday life.
"Their discoveries and innovations will help protect our soldiers, strengthen our infrastructure, secure our digital future and enhance the safety and security of all Americans," Law said.
This deal comes after USF renewed its contract with the U.S. Special Operations Command. That's based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. According to the university, more than 80 research projects have been paid for so far. This includes looking into brain injuries for members of the military. Internships have also been funded for over 950 students who've since secured jobs.
In general, USF has had a long-standing working relationship with the Army. According to a release, it has done more than 100 Army-funded research projects worth $150 million over the last 20 years. This new contract is another stage of growth.
