This program provides the opportunity to work together and generate new ideas that will have profound impact on the Air Force and the world. "The basic research initiative meeting demonstrates AFOSR's engagement and commitment to seeking talented researchers in Mexico and within the science community in Latin America," said Dr. James Fillerup, director of SOARD.
The meeting was coordinated with Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología was also involved and was essential in providing authorization and funding for the collaboration. "This basic research initiative brings international recognition to both AFOSR and Mexico," said Dr. James Fillerup. This relationship is SOARD's first collaborative basic research partnership in Latin America.
During the meeting, research teams presented proposals to a Mexican-U.S. panel led by SOARD, CONACyT and CIMAV. Program managers from AFOSR and the Office of Naval Research provided valuable evaluations of each proposal.
The proposals selected will benefit the Air Force in the areas of organic materials chemistry, reconfigurable materials for cellular electronic and photonic systems, and surface and interfacial science. The grants provide $500,000 a year for three years to each team to perform research.
SOARD will continue to foster this relationship by inviting the researchers to attend future AFOSR program reviews and to present poster sessions. "This will enhance one-on-one interactions, develop new contacts for future collaborations and provide suggestions for research efforts," noted Fillerup.
AFOSR hosted its grand opening of the SOARD office in Santiago, Chile on October 13.
ABOUT AFOSR: The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), located in Arlington, Virginia, continues to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge through its leadership and management of the Air Force's basic research program. As a vital component of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), AFOSR's mission is to discover, shape and champion basic science that profoundly impacts the future Air Force.
ABOUT SOARD: The Southern Office of Aerospace Research and Development (SOARD), located in Santiago, Chile, oversees the U.S. Air Force's Research and Development interests in the Latin America region by establishing collaboration between Air Force scientists and engineers with their counterparts in Mexico and Central and South America.