The Regents of University of Colorado, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Selected to Receive $6.4 Million through USSF/AFRL University Consortium Research Opportunity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In collaboration with the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the United States Space Force (USSF) announced today that the Regents of University of Colorado (University of Colorado Boulder) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University along with their consortium partners will be awarded a combined total of $6.4 million through the University Consortium Research Opportunity (UCRO) to help solve leading science and technology (S&T) challenges in Beyond Geostationary Orbit (xGEO) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA).

Administered by USRA, UCRO connects institutions of higher education with AFRL and USSF through the advancement of meaningful scientific research that addresses risks and other areas of scientific interest to secure long-term partnerships and provision authentic research opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows. Institutions of special interest include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other designated Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Approximately 50 percent of proposals received during this cycle of UCRO represented MSIs.

According to Bernie Seery, USRA Vice President for Science and Technology, "UCRO fills a critical need to address pertinent S&T research on behalf of both AFRL and USSF while engaging institutions of higher education. The research yielded will align with the broader joint force missions while contributing to global space operations. USRA is delighted with the opportunity to support such a tremendous effort that will have profound implications on xGEO operations and space domain awareness research."

UCRO 2.0
The second cycle of UCRO is focused on technologies needed to ensure continued and enhanced capability across all space areas (including moons and planets) for the U.S. military and civil operations through a network of partners. Universities with expertise in xGEO and SDA were encouraged to collaborate with each other and industry to address space research, development, and demonstration needs.

"UCRO 2.0 will leverage the expertise of each awarded institution to spearhead AFRL and USSF research. Beneficially, UCRO 2.0 will also provide experiential research opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows to increase exposure to workforce development opportunities of the future," said Dr. Amanda Smith-Hackler, USRA Director of Education and Principal Investigator (PI) for UCRO.

Selected Institutions

The initial award is for two years (24 months) with one to three additional optional years for a total of 60 months, contingent upon performance and the availability of funds.

About the University Research Consortium Opportunity
The U.S. Space Force (USSF) and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) established the University Consortium Research Opportunity (UCRO) to engage students and postdoctoral fellows in space-based research and development to increase the number and diversity of future space professionals. This is a new approach to leverage university research and advancement to solve critical USSF and AFRL technical problems. It allows the opportunity to build capacity for space research and innovation at institutes of higher education, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other designated Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The USSF and the UCRO seek to fund university teams committed to developing new and novel solutions to research problems.

About USRA
Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs. It engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at https://www.usra.edu.

PR Contact:
Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D. 
Universities Space Research Association
[email protected] 443-812-6945 (Cell)

SOURCE Universities Space Research Association