Lockheed Martin University Research

Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Note the internal expression of interest deadline of February 16 below.

Program Summary

New this year, Lockheed Martin is initiating a call for research topics with the goal of establishing research activities which: 1) develop technologies enabling strategic growth; 2) provide principal support for a faculty lead investigator and research team; and 3) target results in about two years useful for further technology and product development.

Lockheed Martin welcomes abstracts for any research area with clear applicability to national security and there is strong preference for abstracts to address the specific, priority topics and technology interest areas below.

Advanced Computing & Software Microelectronics

  • High density interposers enabling ubump pitches (35um or less) at significantly reduced costs and improved signal loss over the current silicon based interposer state of the art. The end goal would be to demonstrate the ability to build interposers at lower cost and with superior performance for high density chiplets over current solutions.
  • Hardware and software co-design tools for chiplet based heterogeneous processing architectures. The objective would be to create a methodology for determining an optimal chiplet based design derived from high level functional requirements.
  • 3D mixed signal chiplet based design for analog and digital integration. The end goal would be a modular 3D design approach leverage interface, thermal, and packaging standardization to enable the affordable development of mixed signal solutions.

Artificial Intelligence

  • Operation Gamification: Methods to automatically decompose complex real-word multi-domain military operations into known solvable mini-games.
  • Accelerating Real2Real Rapid-Prototyping: How to quickly translate real-world problems into representative simulations to train agents in, and then adapting AI agents trained in sim to real-world deployments
  • Neural HMI for Optimal Human-Machine Teaming: Methods to optimize the teaming between humans and AI using off-the-shelf neural sensors/implants; aka machine predicts human intention before human communicates.

Biotechnology

  • Bio-engineered and bio-derived materials that enable new capabilities and/or improved performance for Defense applications. Examples include operation in extreme environments, self-healing behavior, bio-based composite materials, and improved solutions for sustainability and enhanced survivability.
  • Bio-engineered and bio-derived materials aimed at anti-corrosion solutions, biomaterial-based coatings for anti-fouling, novel optical materials, or radiation shielding. The end goal is to better understand what natural phenomena may be applied to address these challenges across domains and environments.
  • AI/ML/computational modeling techniques applied to bio-engineering; including novel material exploration and biomanufacturing techniques. The end goal is to augment traditional materials development with analytics to better predict candidate bio-engineered solutions.

Directed Energy

  • AI/ML/computational modeling techniques aimed at predicting the atmospheric distortions of a laser beam, including thermal blooming. The end goal is to augment measurements with analytics to better predict the distortions and correct for them in essentially real time via an adaptive optics system or other technique.
  • Development of materials, optical coatings, components and/or techniques to enable higher output powers with excellent beam quality for lasers in the Near IR (current HELs), Shortwave IR (SWIR), and Midwave IR (MWIR).

Human-Machine Interfaces Trusted AI and Autonomy

  • Machine Interfaces for Human Intent: Solutions to ensure an autonomous or semi-autonomous machine performs according to the human operator鈥檚 intent. The goal is an approach spanning backend algorithms integrated with human-machine interfaces (HMI), to enable both seamless communication of and execution consistent with intent.
  • Scalable Autonomous Swarms: Technical approaches to collaborative autonomy capable of modifying swarm tactics in response to a dynamically varying number of agents, such as through attrition, merging of swarms, or re-tasking of a subset of assets, while accomplishing the same goal.
  • Activity-Based Intelligence for Optimal Surveillance: Use of Activity-Based Intelligence (ABI) techniques to recognize an enemy鈥檚 tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP), predict their potential actions, and proactively manage surveillance assets such as UAVs to optimize placement ahead of enemy action.

Hypersonics

  • Jet interactions for divert and attitude control: AI/ML/computational modeling techniques performed to better simulate and understand the effects of shock waves and other phenomena that interact with jet flow, along with how this affects the divert and attitude control within a system. The end goal is to learn how to leverage the effects that happen in jet flow to better control the flight path of a vehicle.
  • Material effects on near-field phenomenology: AI/ML/computational modeling techniques applied to understand the effects of particle, laser, and any other phenomena that could disrupt a flow field or any other near-field phenomenology of a vehicle. The end goal is to better understand what natural phenomena could disrupt the natural environment created around a vehicle, and how this could perturbate the flight path of a vehicle.
  • Temporal evolution of degraded surfaces (coupled fluid-structure interaction): AI/ML/computational modeling techniques devoted to simulating and understanding the effects of particle interaction with the surface of a high speed vehicle, and the time evolution of these effects of the degraded surfaces. This includes the effects particles have on the fluids surrounding a moving vehicle, and how these fluids degrade the surface. The end goal is to better understand the time dependent degradation of surfaces from material interactions with a surface, and how this could be applied to degrade vehicle surfaces.

Integrated Sensing & Cyber

  • Oblivious Transport Based Post Quantum Crypto (PQC): Research novel Oblivious Transport Post-Quantum Cryptography techniques as a foundational protocol to ensure data privacy on a network with many sender/receiver pairs. The end goal is to better understand the privacy and encryption enhancements of this approach when subjected to pattern-of-life and other cyber analysis methodologies.
  • Defeat of Cyber threats strategy and technology in embedded systems: Research novel predictive Cyber defeat techniques to better simulate and understand the effects of proactive Cyber defense approaches in embedded systems. The end goal is to identify promising technologies to apply to the defense of edge and distributed embedded systems in high-risk environments.
  • Unique identity for use in strong authentication of Non-Person Entities in Zero Trust Architectures: Research novel techniques to provide unique identification of non-person entities (IoT devices, applications, etc鈥�) in Zero Trust Architectures. The end goal is to identify promising technologies to apply to the authentication of non-human 鈥渦sers鈥� in complex systems and in high-risk environments.
  • Wideband high-efficiency radio frequency power amplifiers focused on providing a power-added efficiency (PAE) above 30% at W-band with >10GHz tunable bandwidth. The end goal is to demonstrate generation-after-next converged apertures.
  • Advanced algorithms for Open loop distributed sensing that utilizes existing sensors to enable operations in congested environments. The objective is to minimize the need for exquisite Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions.
  • RF Machine Learning provides leap ahead capabilities to electronic support, electronic protection, and electronic attack mission sets by enabling real-time adaptation to emitters. This work applies AI/ML techniques to raw RF data and related data products to elicit new capabilities.
  • Development of Advanced 2.5D and 3D Heterogeneous Packaging to enable high density (> 25 ICs/in2) RF MMIC to support integration into wideband, wide scan, tile-based ESA subarrays. Vertical stacking of two or more bare die and/or packaged MMICs is highly desired, as well as the development of innovative thermal transport solutions to remove heat from the package.

Joint All Domain Operations

  • Counter Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Targeting: The focus is largely on counter reconnaissance and counter targeting such that the adversary鈥檚 ability to conduct reconnaissance and targeting is confounded. What are techniques and defeat mechanisms that can be employed either as stand-alone systems or as additions to existing, mature products?
  • Target Custody: As adversary targets traverse vast distances (especially maritime), sensor coverage can be incomplete. What are techniques for predicting target paths, predictions for next sensor to take custody of the target, and what data/metadata needs to be conveyed from the entity with target custody to the next entity that will assume target custody? What considerations are made for data conveyance in a challenged communications environment?
  • Contested Logistics in command & control: Command and control (C2) systems and logistics systems typically are not integrated such that logistics considerations (e.g., asset availability, depletion & resupply rates) are not part of the asset utilization considerations (e.g., which weapon should be paired with which target). What are the logistics considerations, including algorithms for optimizing resources, that should be integrated into the C2 considerations?

Quantum Sciences

  • Advanced algorithms and noise mitigation for quantum computing: Novel quantum computing algorithms and techniques for Aerospace & Defense applications, such as optimization, modeling and simulation, or machine learning, at a scale relevant for practical implementation on near-term devices, despite noise and scale limitations. Both algorithmic solutions and more direct approaches to mitigating noise are of interest.
  • Atomic quantum clocks for aerospace & defense applications: Research and develop next-generation quantum atomic clocks as well as advanced Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies leveraging such clocks. The goal is to understand technical approaches and methods leading to beyond-state-of-the-art clocks meeting precision as well as Size, Weight and Power (SWAP) demands of future aerospace and defense technologies.

Renewable Energy Generation & Storage

  • Novel propulsion for air and space technologies to enable high Mach, upper atmospheric (mesosphere) or lower orbiting satellite flight. The goal is to better understand propulsion solutions for new flight domains related to these missions.
  • Techniques for charging at a distance, e.g. via power beaming, to increase operational times for platforms. The goal is to demonstrate rapid power charging at a distant to enhance operations for terrestrial and lunar missions.
  • Technologies contributing to longer duration, more power/fuel efficient aircraft with higher power payload capabilities, e.g. enabling electrification. The goal is to improve power and propulsion efficiency to yield cheaper, safer and more sustainable platforms across mission domains.

Deadlines

  • CU Expression of Interest Deadline: 11:59pm MST February 16, 2023
  • CU Internal Application Deadline: 11:59pm MST February 27, 2023
  • Lockheed Martin Abstract Deadline: March 10, 2023

Internal Expression of Interest Requirements

  • Please email ltdsubs@colorado.edu the names of the lead PI, any Co-PIs and the specific topic and technology interest area by February 16 at 11:59pm.

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Topic Area (select one):
    • Advanced Computing & Software Microelectronics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Biotechnology
    • Directed Energy
    • Human-Machine Interfaces Trusted AI and Autonomy
    • Hypersonics
    • Integrated Sensing & Cyber
    • Joint All Domain Operations
    • Quantum Sciences
    • Renewable Energy Generation & Storage
  • Abstract (1000 words maximum): Please use this template and do not include any links or confidential/proprietary information. The abstract must state that it contains NO Proprietary information.
  • National Security Statement: In a few sentences, explain your national security experience with the topic technology interest area being pursued.
  • PI Curriculum Vitae
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

There are no special eligibility requirements.

Limited Submission Guidelines

彩民宝典 may only submit 10 abstracts.

Award Information

$150K per year for up to two years to begin Fall 2023.