University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 6, No. 1/1996 Center for Composite Materials is partner in select Army Research Laboratory Program The University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials has been selected as one of three partners in the development of an Army Research Laboratory Materials Center of Excellence. The $2.7 million cooperative agreement with the University extends through December of 1998. "Under this new program, the UD's Center for Composite Materials and the Army Research Lab join forces to share resources-and those resources include people, equipment and knowledge-to create a cooperative environment in the best research tradition of the University," President David Roselle said when he announced the partnership. Of the two other programs, one will focus on advanced materials characterization at Johns Hopkins University, and the other will investigate dendrimer polymers at the Michigan Molecular Institute. "This cooperative agreement with the Army is a big victory for Delaware," said U.S. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., who led the efforts to bring the Army Research Laboratory and this program to Delaware. "Selection of the University of Delaware's Center for Composite Materials demonstrates that it is a world leader in designing better protection systems for our soldiers using advanced composite materials." Larry Johnson, director of the Army Research Laboratory Materials Directorate, said, "The University of Delaware brings to the table its international reputation as experts in composite materials research. Its vast research capability, coupled with the Army Research Laboratory's own significant capability, both in facilities and personnel, will enable the performance of outstanding research in support of the Army's mission. "One of our fundamental goals and concerns is the protection of our soldiers on the battlefield from bullets and other types of penetrants, as well as from the chemical agents that might be used on the battlefield. Materials research is a key to that protection-development of new materials, combinations of materials and cost-effective fabrication to protect our soldiers of the future," Johnson said. "That is why it is crucial to bring the best minds in materials research together to focus on the future." According to John W. Gillespie Jr., the center's technical director and principal investigator of the new program, the agreement is a "new paradigm for university/government collaboration that combines the best attributes of both to create an open-lab environment for University and Army researchers." The multidisciplinary program, which includes collaborative research, scientific exchange and facilities sharing, initially will involve 11 Army co-investigators, 11 UD co-investigators, five graduate fellows, five postdoctoral fellows and 14 summer interns, including nine undergraduate researchers. Students and postdoctoral fellows will be co-advised by University and Army personnel. "This program is very different from a typical government grant to an academic institution," Gary Hagnauer, Army senior research scientist, explained, "in that we expect substantial interaction." The initial focus of the program will be on multifunctional hybrid composites for integral armor. "We're aiming at optimizing hybrid materials and processes for the special requirements of armor-ballistic protection, damage tolerance, minimum weight, signature management, flexibility and optical clarity/scratch resistance, while maintaining structural integrity," Gillespie said. Educational opportunities will include annual workshops and symposia, seminars, research focus groups and joint external seminars. Army employees will have the opportunity to participate in the University's continuing education programs, including Engineering Outreach and the FOCUS distance learning program. Collaboration also is expected among the three universities participating.