Navy and Academia Enter Symbiotic Relationship

The University of Virginia’s Applied Research Institute has signed an agreement with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to support a variety of research efforts. Among the focus areas under the agreement will be research into cybersecurity and big data analytics. In addition, the institute will provide executive education to military and civilian leaders working with the division. The first project under the agreement provides $1 million to fund research in the university’s chemistry laboratory.

During the agreement’s five-year period, U.S. Defense Department agencies could add funding for services from researchers in a range of the university’s disciplines, including biometrics, logistics, transportation systems, economics and other technical and operational areas.

“It’s a long-term agreement set in place that is very enabling for our researchers and makes it easier to use U.Va.’s assets to support NAWCAD’s mission and the Department of Defense,” Joan Bienvenue, director, Applied Research Institute, relates.

Several projects underway at the university include undersea power units, cybersecurity, custom integrated circuits and bioinformatics.