The 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Institute of Applied Engineering and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) have entered into a new contract that paves the way for researchers and students to collaborate with SOCOM to help solve significant challenges facing the nation.
The five-year contract is worth a maximum value of $85 million. The contract calls for the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息Institute of Applied Engineering鈥檚 expertise in applied research and advanced technology development to be utilized to support SOCOM鈥檚 needs in a range of scientific and engineering disciplines.
鈥淚 firmly believe it鈥檚 the role of a public research university to catalyze regional economic development, and that can only be achieved through high-impact partnerships with government and private industry,鈥� said 新澳门六合彩内幕信息President Steven C. Currall. 鈥淏y forming this type of partnership, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息is helping to elevate the Tampa Bay region as we seek to shape a more knowledge-based economy.鈥�
Over the course of the contract, the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息institute will complete individual task orders for projects within its core competency areas. SOCOM may look to the institute to address issues in fields such as autonomous systems, human performance, transportation, cybersecurity, data analytics, and sensor technologies. Students and faculty may also have opportunities to gain real-world experience through internships at MacDill Air Force Base.
The 新澳门六合彩内幕信息Institute of Applied Engineering is a direct support organization of 新澳门六合彩内幕信息that was formed in 2018. Robert H. Bishop, founder, president and CEO of the institute, and professor and dean of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息College of Engineering, says competing for contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense is one of the primary reasons for creating the institute.
鈥淥ur goal is to leverage the intellectual and creative firepower of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息Institute of Applied Engineering and academia to address the many significant challenges facing our country. This contract supports groundbreaking research, hardware and software development, test and evaluation, demonstrations and prototyping, while providing SOCOM access to world-class education and training resources in support of their global mission,鈥� said Bishop.
Later this spring, the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息Institute of Applied Engineering will move into a renovated 4,000-square-foot space inside University Mall as part of the Uptown District transformation. In June 2019, Hillsborough County Commissioners awarded a $5.2 million grant to support the institute as it increases capacity in the new location and aims to attract additional industry and government partners.
鈥淭he institute is expected to engage 新澳门六合彩内幕信息scientists, scholars and students across the university in creating interdisciplinary teams capable of delivering rapid, novel solutions to complex problems,鈥� said Ralph Wilcox, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息provost and executive vice president. 鈥淢any of these discoveries and technologies will have important applications that reach beyond the defense sector.鈥�
The contract with SOCOM was signed this month and takes effect immediately.