Posted by Courtney Howard
NEWARK, Del., 27 Jan. 2010. The University of Delaware and the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), creating a research partnership between UD's Category 1 research capabilities and Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Md.
The private entity and government agency will work together employing laboratories, personnel, facilities, equipment, and other resources to conduct specific research or development efforts that are consistent with the agency's mission.
In addition to the CRADA, the teams signed a Cooperative Statement of Work to be carried out under the new CRADA. The work will focus on antenna technology and composite materials and will involve two Army research centers -- CERDEC and ARL -- as well as UD-CCM, which in 1996 was named one of just three Army Research Laboratory Materials Centers of Excellence in the nation.
Maj. Gen. Nickolas Justice, commanding general of RDECOM and installation commander of APG, lauded the University for its excellence in engineering. "We're hiring engineers with all skill sets," he said, "and many of your strengths align closely with our needs. Your mindset -- the way you think as engineers -- is what we're looking for.
"The most powerful asset this nation has," he added, "is not its technology but the people who find new ways of moving our nation forward. We look forward to the opportunity to take your students and help them put their education to purpose -- to bring them the applications that will make their entire education come to life."
UD president Patrick Harker says the formalized partnership with APG will influence the transformation of the former Chrysler site, which is now owned by UD, into a major center of innovative science, technology and engineering, and a dynamic incubator of new entrepreneurial businesses.
Last year, U.S. Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.) announced that the Base Relocation and Closure (BRAC) program would create 8,000 jobs at APG, with many of those moving from Fort Monmouth, N.J. An additional 16,000 jobs could be created outside to serve the needs of the expanded APG, which will house the Army's Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR) complex.
"These jobs are highly scientific," Castle said at the ceremony, "and the University will prove to be very important in this partnership in terms of not only providing graduates to be employed by the Army but also serving employees who will take advantage of the opportunity to continue their education. This whole geographic area will benefit from the economic surge we're going to see at Aberdeen."
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