Participating Lab: Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)

Understanding Human Resilience and Survival Dynamics Post-Blast: A Multiscale Modeling Framework

Research Opportunity Location:
Fort Belvoir, VA

Research Opportunity Description:
"Join Us in Safeguarding the Nation! A nuclear detonation is a cataclysmic event that unleashes blinding and burning light, ionizing radiation, and a pressure wave that can topple buildings. What happens to a person in this situation? How can they survive? Can they continue to fight? We develop models to calculate the effect of these insults on a human body. Join us to help build these models and better protect and prepare the US and its allies. Research Opportunities: 1.Eye Damage he light emitted from a nuclear detonation can temporarily blind a person and burn a person’s retinas. Choose one of flash blindness or retinal scarring and research the mechanism of this injury and the probability of it occurring. 2.Age and Sex Injury Dependence Probability of injury from a nuclear detonation are dependent on age and sex of the individual. Choose an injury and research that dependence. 3.Flash Burns in an Urban Setting Flash burns are a far-reaching injury from a nuclear detonation. How does being in a building or a vehicle effect a flash burn’s severity? Choose a vehicle or structure and research how this impacts the burn’s severity. 4.Orthogonal Polynomial Our models are getting increasing complex and end up taking too long to calculate. We are interested to see if the computational time could be decreased if we approximate the function as an orthogonal polynomial. Choose a couple of our models and test to see if a polynomial expansion such as polynomial chaos expansion can improve our methods. 5.Counter Measures Counter measures are used to help radiation victims overcome their injuries. Choose a popular counter measure and research its effects on biomolecules. 6.Psychology Effects on Performance Decrement We often look at how a person can continue to fight with an injury, but what effect does fear or stress have on a person’s performance. Study the current knowledge base to develop an idea of the psychological effects on performance. 7.Inhalation Damage from Fire Smoke from fires is a threat to survivors and first responders. Research how smoke can harm the lungs and cause injuries. By participating in this research, you'll gain hands-on experience while addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our nation today. Join us in our mission to enhance national security and make a difference in the world! "

Enhanced Security and Resilience of Industrial Control and Communication Systems

Research Opportunity Location:
Idaho Falls, ID

Research Opportunity Description:
"Are you passionate about protecting the U.S. and its allies from emerging threats in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear science? This is your chance to make a real impact in the evolving digital landscape with the integration of 5G technology improve communication, data transfer, and real-time monitoring across! Key Research Focus Areas: 1.5G Network Integration: Investigating the implementation of 5G technology to facilitate faster and more reliable communication networks. This includes studying the impact of 5G on operational efficiency, situational awareness, and mission-critical communications. 2.Resilience Engineering: Enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems by integrating 5G technology to support advanced monitoring systems and predictive analytics. This research aims to identify vulnerabilities and develop strategies for mitigating risks associated with extreme weather events and cyber threats. 3.Risk Assessment Models: Creating predictive models that assess the vulnerabilities of infrastructure to various threats, emphasizing the role of 5G in enhancing situational awareness and responsiveness during crises, including cyberattacks and physical threats. 4.Smart Defense Applications: Developing smart military initiatives that utilize 5G connectivity to enhance command and control systems. Research projects will explore the use of IoT devices and sensors to collect and analyze data for improved decision-making in logistics, deployment, and battlefield management. 5.Cyber-Informed Engineering: Enhance the security and resiliency of industrial control systems through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates cyber-informed engineering methods, threat forecasts, and consequence-based risk assessments to understand the interdependencies to improve situational awareness and visualization of risks."

Advanced Defense Research in High-Performing Materials and Emerging Technologies

Research Opportunity Location:
State College, PA

Research Opportunity Description:
Are you ready to dive into the world of advanced materials that could revolutionize national security? This project invites students to engage in groundbreaking research focused on high-performance materials and their exciting applications in defense technologies. Imagine working with materials that can withstand extreme conditions, protect against radiation, and enhance the capabilities of next-generation weapon systems and communication technologies! As part of this research, you will explore a variety of innovative areas, including: High-Performance Materials: Discover how these unique substances can be engineered for exceptional strength and durability, making them essential for everything from military vehicles to space exploration. Radiation Shielding and Sensing: Help develop materials that safeguard both personnel and equipment from harmful radiation while enhancing our ability to detect and respond to threats. Hypersonic and Directed Energy Systems: Be at the forefront of research that could change the landscape of modern warfare, focusing on materials that enable hypersonic travel and powerful directed energy weapons. AI and Machine Learning: Utilize cutting-edge technologies to accelerate the discovery and design of new materials, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in defense applications. This project is not only about materials; it’s about making a real impact on the world around us. By joining this research initiative, you will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and gain hands-on experience that will prepare you for a future in science, engineering, and technology.

National Security analysis of chemical and biological threats

Research Opportunity Location:
CoLaurel, MD

Research Opportunity Description:
National Security analysis of chemical and biological threats focused on national security analysis concerning chemical and biological threats. This internship offers a unique opportunity for students or recent graduates to gain hands-on experience in the field of security studies, public health, and threat mitigation.