The U.S. Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory a contract for up to $853 million over the next 10 years to support critical defense work.
NAVSEA will provide an estimated $415 million over the next five years with an option to renew for an additional five years at $438 million. ARL has had continuous Navy funding since its establishment by the Navy in 1945.
"This award reaffirms the strong continuing relationship between Penn State and the Navy for the next 10 years," said Edward G. Liszka, director of Penn State's ARL. "It will enable the Applied Research Laboratory to carry out critical research in guidance and control of undersea vehicles, underwater navigation, advanced power and energy, hydrodynamics, undersea propulsors and other fluid machinery, advanced materials, and manufacturing technologies to achieve greater performance of our military systems while reducing their cost, communications and information systems, and acoustics. Many of ARL's programs include collaboration with faculty and researchers in Penn State's colleges and institutes, as well as with industry."
This contract enables ARL's role as one of five Navy University Affiliated Research Centers as designated by the director of the Research and Engineering Enterprise, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This role embodies both the privilege and obligation to maintain essential research and development capabilities for the Department of Defense.
The new contract provides ARL's support for students. During the past year, 350 students, including 155 undergraduates and 195 graduate students, received support through ARL to pursue research and advanced degrees. This support will also enable diversity outreach including Open D.O.O.R. (Diversity Outreach Opportunity Research) programs to recruit students from minority institutes to participate in ARL's graduate programs and research. It will also provide the graduate program in acoustics with space for research, classrooms, computers, faculty, staff and students.