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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth
For Immediate Release
Contact: Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HERSETH ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES RESEARCH PROJECTS

Key Research Will Help Department of Defense Meet National Defense Goals Now and in Future

June 21, 2006, Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth announced that the House of Representatives has approved funding for several South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) research projects. The funding, which was requested by Rep. Herseth, was included as part of the Department of Defense that passed the House late last night and will support new and ongoing SDSMT research projects on a range of national defense initiatives.

Rep. Herseth said, "The groundbreaking research at the South Dakota School of Mines is an example of the best of South Dakota. New technologies can help save lives, save money and better defend Americans now and in the future. The research projects undertaken by Mines researchers are invaluable contributions to our national defense and I am pleased to announce funding to support continued research and development."

The funding allocations for key Department of Defense research projects at the School of Mines include:

Future Affordable Multi-Utility Materials for the Army Future Combat Systems

Received: $2,000,000

This research will support development of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles within the Future Combat Systems (FCS) fleet, which will autonomously gather intelligence and carry out tactical missions on land and air. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a key element within the concept of information dominance. The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, partnering with the Army, is uniquely positioned to conduct this research.

Biomedical Materials Initiative

Received: $2,000,000

The Biomedical Materials Initiative (BMI) will provide the necessary infrastructure for researchers to develop applied solutions for tissue engineering, bio-devices and sensors, micro-circuitry for rewiring the body, and bio-compatible engineered materials for medical treatment. The capabilities housed in this laboratory will support a number of novel and important projects including the development of smart bandages, fabrication of retinal and corneal prostheses, construction of new adaptive optics tools for retinal imaging, as well as other medical sensing, actuation, and diagnostic tools.

Improvised Explosive Devise Simulation in Different Soils

Received: $500,000

The purpose of this proposed research is to develop a numerical modeling strategy that can serve as a starting point for the simulation of shallow buried explosive (SBE) blasts in loose, fully saturated, coarse-grained soils. This method of attack upon the US military is becoming more prevalent in areas of conflict around the world. For the design of military vehicles and other equipment that may be exposed to a SBE blast, it is important to be able to predict with reasonable accuracy the time history of the impulsive loads that will act on them as a consequence of the explosion. Work aimed at gaining a better understanding of the physics involved in a SBE blast can help in the design of military vehicles as well as equipment used in mine clearing operations.

Control System for Laser Powder Deposition

Received: $300,000

The U.S. Army has made a commitment to lighter and more rapidly deployable weapons systems without losing significant survivability or lethality. The Future Combat Systems (FCS) family of ground vehicles and autonomous sensor platforms will be the key to success of the Army's Objective Force. Significant advances in materials technologies and materials processing is required in order to meet aggressive goals. The project serviced through the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is focused in the development of a robust control process for a fabrication technology, Laser Powder Deposition (LPD), which is critical to the manufacture of these new defense-related materials.

Transparent Nanocomposite Armor

Received: $250,000

The purpose of the proposed work is to continue the development of new transparent armor for the Army's Future Combat Systems. This is a critical requirement for Army vehicles as evidenced by recent assaults on US troops in Iraq. Vehicular windows must be both ballistically strong and light. Polycarbonate (PC) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) materials offer great promise to improve performance over existing materials. Research will be continued in this area at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to reduce cost to the point where these materials will be affordable for vehicle applications.

Shielding Rocket Payloads

Received: $250,000

The purpose of this research is to reduce the sound pressure levels within space vehicles to avoid damage to delicate payloads during launch. Successful implementation of this project will lead to significantly improved protection for communication satellites and other important payloads launched into orbit for space observation. Methods developed in this work can be easily extended to low-frequency noise shielding within commercial aircraft, land-based military and civilian vehicles, as well as individual war-fighter headgear. The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology will partner with the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) in this work.

Additionally, earlier this month the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations approved funding for the International Outreach Program through the Foreign Operations USAID. This funding will support the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology partnerships with Sri Ramakrishna Engg. College India, Mongolia University of Science and Technology (MUST), and University of Belgrade (Beograd) in Serbia.

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