05/26/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/26/2023 09:07
The Department of Defense today announced $18 million in grants to 11 university-based faculty teams under its Minerva Research Initiative, which supports basic research in social and behavioral sciences on topics of particular relevance to U.S. national security.
"We live in a dynamic world, and many of the challenges we face are social or have social elements to them," said Dr. David Montgomery, director of social science in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (R&E). "Leveraging the strengths of the nation's academic research institutions helps DoD define sources of present and future conflicts, with an eye toward better understanding the social and political trajectories of key regions of the world."
Through its network of faculty investigators, the Minerva Research Initiative builds strong connections to the social science community to help the Department better understand and prepare for future challenges, guided by priorities established in the National Defense Strategy.
The 11 university awardees were selected from approximately 130 applicants in six categories, using a merit competition that evaluated proposals for their potential to make foundational contributions to basic social science and alignment with the National Defense Strategy. Research proposals were peer-reviewed and selected for scientific merit, relevance, and potential impact in conference between R&E and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
The selected projects include:
The Minerva Research Initiative is jointly administered by the Basic Research Office in R&E and the Strategy and Force Development Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in partnership with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Naval Research.
Click here for more information on the Minerva Research Initiative.
About USD(R&E)
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military's technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre.