The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) is playing a pivotal role in advancing medical diagnostics technology. Professor Jason Heikenfeld from the University of Cincinnati’s Novel Device Lab is working to repurpose blood glucose monitors, originally designed for diabetes patients, to provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with diagnostics capabilities in the field previously only available in medical clinics. The project is made possible through the portfolio of AFOSR Program Officer Dr. Patrick Bradshaw, and a partnership with the USAF 711th Human Performance Wing.

In 2021, SpaceMap, a pioneering space technology company, emerged in South Korea under the leadership of Dr. Douglas Kim. The genesis of SpaceMap can be traced back to the foundational investments in basic research by the AFOSR/AOARD since 2016. Dr. Kim and SpaceMap have not only garnered significant attention but have also secured substantial investments, totaling over $9 million from various entities, including the South Korean Government.

The first joint Small Business Collider took place on December 15, 2023 with attendance virtually and in-person at both Chantilly, VA and St. Louis, MO locations.  This collider strengthened the ever-growing relationship between the Federal Government and Small Businesses interested in working with government. The event was co-hosted by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) Moonshot Labs and the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) CASTLE and represents a whole of government approach to provide broader reach and networking within geographically dispersed locations.

Digital signal filters are an integral part of any electronic device that can send or receive signals. We need filters to be able to properly understand signals being received – to filter out interference, to compensate for the effects of movement and distance on radio signals, or to combat signal jamming.

In the 1950s, semiconductors began to replace vacuum tube transistors in digital computers due to their increased reliability. However, thanks to investments from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), a team at Purdue University have developed a nanoscale silicon-based vacuum transistor for high-power high-frequency electronics and for use in harsh environments.

VT-ARC’s Commercial Space Marketplace for Innovation and Collaboration (COSMIC) has a mission to support the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command in optimizing collaboration between the government, industry, and academia. Though COSMIC officially opened on June 6 of this year, the COSMIC team has completed construction improvements to exploit the latest in virtual technologies and facilitate events regardless of the attendees’ distance and location. 

AFOSR’s investment in a data mining tool has transitioned from Basic Research to TRL6 in collaboration with Space Force Delta 2 just in two years! It’s relatively easy for people to identify clear outliers in clusters of data, but computers have difficulty with this. They have even more trouble with multiple clusters, such as satellites and debris in orbit. The problem of identifying outliers becomes more complicated when the data is already somewhat grouped, and when the items in the groups are slightly different. This project is aimed at identifying outliers under generalized conditions and developing an efficient data mining framework.

This summer, from July 24-28 VT-ARC hosted their first Robotics STEM camp at the Center for Advancing Science, Technology, Learning, and Engagement (CASTLE) in Chantilly, Virginia. Twenty-four seventh and eighth graders from the National Capital Region attended the camp to learn about coding and engineering and build their collaboration and communication skills; valuable abilities both inside and out of STEM fields.

Once again, AFOSR’s BRICC PIA will be offering a variety of STEM education camps to students in the National Capital Region. The BRICC STEM camps aim to introduce students to science and engineering disciplines, focusing on the importance of basic research. As in years past, this year’s BRICC STEM camps will feature talented STEM educators to help develop the camp curricula and bring their teaching and STEM expertise to mentor and guide students face to face.

For the past six years, the Air Force has held the SparkTank campaign to gather Airmen and Guardians’ most innovative ideas to create solutions and new capabilities for the Air Force of the future. The BRICC PIA is proud to have provided critical support to making SparkTank 2023 a success.

With the United States Air Force’s (USAF) SparkTank 2022’s finalists announced, and “Fan Favorite” voting underway, it’s time for the chosen Spark Tank innovators to hone their pitches before the SparkTank event on March 4, 2022.

This summer, the Air Force’s Leadership Experience Growing Apprenticeships Committed to Youth (LEGACY) program was hosted virtually for the first time in the DC Metro area. From June 21 to July 1, 2021, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) camp inspired young students and introduced them to the kinds of skills the current and future Air Force needs.

The goal of the innovative LEGACY program is to create a STEM “ecosystem” comprised of three phases intended to get kids excited about STEM, foster that excitement throughout their education, and provide mentorship and eventually prepare them for a STEM-based career in the Air Force.

With worldwide focus on the challenges of space increasing, the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Institutions (MI) have a critical role to play in expanding scientific knowledge and improving technology capabilities in space. On 24 June 2021, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Basic Research Innovation and Collaboration Center (BRICC) hosted the HBCU/MI Space Summit via Zoom Webinar and YouTube livestream. The purpose of the event was to provide HBCUs and MIs with important information regarding how they can take advantage of AFRL’s opportunities relating to space science research.

On March 31st, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s (AFOSR) Basic Research Innovation and Collaboration Center (BRICC) held a successful Women's Science and Technology (S&T) Senior Leadership Forum. The one-hour event attracted over 200 live participants and brought together a variety of speakers. The panelists shared engaging stories and advice especially geared towards women in or seeking leadership roles in S&T fields. Their insight included the military, government, and civilian world. This resulted in an honest dialogue on a broad array of challenges, opportunities, and experiences in navigating a S&T career.