Scientific Review of Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Basic Research Program

Photo By Betty Burke-Fox | U.S. Air Force Maj. Seth Swift, a Ph.D. student at the Air Force Institute of Technology (center), briefs DTRA staff (right) on his research focusing on detecting radioactive sources in complex environments ("Longwave Infrared, Polarimetric-Hyperspectral Imaging and Analysis of 4H- and 6H-Silicon Carbide") during a DTRA Basic Research Technical Review poster session, when students or post-docs give short presentations on their projects. (Photo: DTRA A/V)  

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

07.23.2013

Courtesy Story

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

WASHINGTON - The 765 scientists, researchers, program managers and analysts from around the world attended the annual Basic Research Technical Review (BRTR) held July 22-Aug. 2 in the Washington area. Hosted by DTRA/SCC-WMD’s departments of Basic and Applied Sciences and Chemical and Biological Technologies, the BRTR is a gathering of some of the best and brightest minds in science working on projects that could one day help protect U.S. troops, citizens and allies from weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The 264 principal investigators whose projects are supported by DTRA gave detailed, in-depth presentations about their DTRA-sponsored research and fielded questions, garnered feedback, and shared ideas within the scientific community to build relationships among leading and emerging Counter-WMD scientists. In attendance were a total of 17 agencies outside of DTRA, such as AFOSR, ARO, ONR, DARPA, DHS, and DOE. The BRTR covered five key ‘thrust areas’ during the two-week period:
• Science of WMD Sensing and Recognition – the ability to discover, identify and/or quantify WMD or related materials
• Science of Networks – the convergence of computer, information, mathematical, natural and social sciences, including social networks and prediction of an enemy’s intent to use WMD
• Science for Protection – research focusing on containing WMD threats, decontamination, and shielding of systems to protect lives and life-sustaining systems
• Science to Defeat WMD – improving the modeling, targeting and destruction of WMD
• Science to Secure WMD – environmentally responsible processes to secure, neutralize and control WMD and disrupt proliferation pathways

By bringing the scientific community together for this review, DTRA/SCC-WMD is able to assess the progress its basic researcher teams are making in often uncharted areas of science, identify unexpected outcomes and findings of the research, as well as issues that could slow down or stop progress in a particular field, and capture the data needed to assess or validate how quickly a particular technology can make the leap from the research lab to the battlefield – or if additional funding and research is needed.

Researcher presenters came from a variety of universities in the U.S. (e.g.: H. Eugene Stanley of Boston University: “Robustness of Interdependent Networks Subject to Cascading Failures Under WMD Attack” and University of Pittsburgh’s Peng Chen: “Ultrafast Fiber Laser Sampling and Plasma-Enhanced Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to Combat WMD”), overseas (e.g.: London Centre for Mathematical Sciences’ Thomas Fink: “Designing Networks That are Capable of Self-Healing and Adapting”), scientific consulting groups (e.g.: Weston Geophysical Corp.’s Anastasia Stroujkova: “The Potential for Decoupling Explosions in Fractured Hard Rock: Examples from Kazakhstan Historical Data and a New Field Study”), federal labs (e.g.: Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Costas Tsouris: “Post-Detonation Behavior of Radiological Debris”) and private, non-profit labs (e.g.: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory’s Theresa Evans-Nguyen: “A Holistic Approach to Post-Detonation Radiological Debris Analysis”).

• Date Taken: 07.23.2013
• Date Posted: 08.20.2013 12:53
• Story ID: 112279
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US