DOD AWARDS $19 MILLION PER YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS UNDER THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE PROGRAM (MURI)

The Department of Defense today announced plans to award $9.3 million in FY96 and up to $19 million per year over three years to 22 academic institutions to conduct multidisciplinary research in 18 topic areas of basic science and engineering. These grants may be extended an additional two years as progress warrants. The awards are to be made under the FY96 DoD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Program (MURI), a program designed to address large multidisciplinary topic areas which represent exceptional opportunities for future DoD applications, as well as forecast DoD needs.

Subject to the successful completion of negotiations between DoD and the academic institutions, the 22 awards will provide long-term support for research, graduate students, and purchase of equipment that support specific science and engineering research themes important to national defense.

The average funding per award will be $3 million, spent over a three-year period, (funded incrementally or as options) with two additional years possible as options to bring the total award to a possible five years, subject to the availability of appropriations. The yearly expenditures will be approximately $1 million per year.

Today's announcement is the result of a seven-month competition under the DoD MURI program. The competition for the awards drew 457 white papers, from which 102 full proposals were encouraged. One hundred and twelve full proposals were submitted for the final competition phase, and 22 of those were found to be suitable for funding.

Attached is a list of awards.

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