|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman David Wu is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007 includes $26.2 million in federal funding for several Oregon projects and products. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives today.
"This funding will launch and continue many vital research efforts in Oregon that assist our men and women in uniform," stated Congressman Wu. "Such investments in nanotechnology, biomedical technology, smart apparel, and energy efficiency research will continue to drive our local and national economy forward."
$1 million for Lektro for alternative energy aircraft ground equipment (Air Force Research & Development)
Lektro, a private for-profit company located in Warrenton, Oregon, has been pioneering innovative battery driven vehicles for more the 50 years. In 1967, Lektro built the world's first towbarless ground support vehicle. It was based on the idea that there had to be a better way of moving aircraft than the heavy, awkward and inefficient conventional tug and towbar method.
Today, Lektro is changing the way ground crews all over the world handle planes. The Lektro line, has proved to be more efficient, safer, more reliable and infinitely more versatile than conventional tugs. More importantly, it has been shown to be more environmentally friendly.
Funding for this project would be used to conduct an assessment of alternatives to diesel and gasoline powered aviation tugs and ground positioning units, including but not limited to integration of hydrogen powered- Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology into existing aviation tugs and Aircraft Ground Equipment. This project fits in with the Air Force's pollution prevention (P2) program, which seeks innovative projects focused on Research, Demonstration, Testing and Evaluation of pollution prevention technologies to eliminate/reduce hazardous materials/waste and overall total ownership costs to the Air Force.
$3.55 million for HemCon's Chitosan Hemorrhage Control Dressing (Army Research and Development)
Researchers have developed a hemorrhage control dressing, which has revolutionized the treatment of wounds on the battlefield. In November 2002, the FDA approved this dressing for the external control of severe hemorrhage and the manufacturer, HemCon Inc. is currently producing dressings for US Armed Forces.
Like this external use dressing which is currently in use by the Armed Forces, there is great interest in development of an external chitosan dressing to treat severe thermal and chemical burns. Battlefield weapons can cause deep, extensive burns, and chemical weapons remain a threat to our troops. Chitosan has been shown to improve the re-growth of nerves and skin, and aid the return of normal skin color. Burn victims are particularly vulnerable to bacterial infections and sepsis; chitosan is highly biocompatible and can seal an injury site from infection.
Research to develop an external hemorrhage control dressing to reduce fluid and blood loss and infection, adhere skin grafts in place, and improve healing following a burn injury could benefit many severely burned soldiers.
$1 million for InSport T-Shirt with Polartec Power Dry for the Mountain/Cold Weather Clothing and Equipment Program (Marine Corps Procurement)
The Mountain Cold Weather Clothing & Equipment Program (MCWCEP) is the Marine Corps' approach to dressing the marine in an integrated "capability set" of clothing and equipment and to ensure his or her protection and comfort in combat operations. An added goal is to reduce the weight, bulk and volume that a Marine must carry. The environmental conditions and tactics being utilized by opposing combatants in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in increasing need to wear body armor. In addition, the emerging threat of improvised explosive devices has resulted in the need for no melt/ no drip performance characteristics in base layer garments, which InSport is in the process of developing.
The present Interceptor body armor consists of 37 layers of woven Kevlar® enhanced with ceramic plates designed to protect the chest and back. The weight of this armor is at least 19 pounds. The constant need to wear armor has resulted in significant soldier health issues, including heat stress, chafing, rashes, and infections. The lack of readily available water for bathing and clothes-washing compounds these issues. Base layer garments worn under body armor by Marines are currently cotton t-shirts that absorb moisture, stay wet, and contribute to chafing, rashes and skin infections.
$2.5 million for the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative (Defense-Wide Research & Development)
Oregon's manufacturing industry cluster, including Southwest Washington, has developed the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative. A key goal of the initiative is to increase the contributions of northwest companies to the nation’s industrial preparedness and security. A focus of this project is to assist small to medium sized manufacturers to become providers of products to defense customers.
Oregon’s Manufacturing Initiative has three priorities: create a Center for Manufacturing and Infrastructure Engineering in the Portland area with links to regional centers serving industry needs for technological innovation and skilled workers; make area companies leaders in high performance manufacturing; and strengthen connections between manufacturing industry’s demand for skilled workers and workforce and education delivery systems.
$2.5 million for the Brain, Biology and Machine at the University of Oregon (Army Research & Development)
The functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine at the University of Oregon's Center for Brain, Biology and Machine allows scientists to observe physiological changes in the human brain while a subject thinks, acts and feels. This research will lead to breakthroughs in the fundamental mechanisms of human thought and behavior, including motor control, memory, personality, learning and attention.
$2.5 million for Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute Nanometrology and Nanoelectronics Initiative (Navy Research & Development)
The Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) is a collaborative effort that combines Oregon's strongest university science and technology research with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's extensive capabilities to address significant national needs (e.g. battlefield energy supply and soldier protection, and advancement of nanotechnology development without harm to environmental or human health). At the same time, it lays a foundation for future economic development in Oregon's Silicon Forest cluster and other parts of the state.
The purpose of this funding is to initiate additional research in nanometrology, which is the science of imaging and measuring the properties of nanoscale materials and devices, and the testing of nanodevices and circuits to enable the implementation of nanoscale materials into useful electronic applications such as high density memories on silicon integrated circuits. This will lead to new applications in computing, information processing, and biosensing. The proposed program consists of defense-related research projects that are compatible with the nanoelectronics program in the Naval Research Laboratory Nanoscience Institute. This ONAMI program will include the strengthening of nanometrology, defect level screening, statistical process control, computer assisted design, and physical design capabilities, which will leverage the large nanotechnology-related investment of numerous companies in Oregon's "Technology Corridor" between Portland and Eugene. Moreover, it will ensure that a leading edge research and education capability will be established to further grow the industrial regional presence of the nanotechnology industries there.
$2.3 million for Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute Safer Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing (Air Force Research & Development)
The Safer Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Initiative is intended to develop nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing methods that simultaneously meet the military’s need for high performance materials, protect human health and minimize harm to the environment. Three general areas of activity included within the initiative include: rational design of inherently safer and greener materials, systematic assessment of the biological impacts of engineered nanomaterials and development of technology for high volume manufacturing of high-performance nanomaterials.
$1 million for Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute Miniature Tactical Energy Systems (Defense-wide Research & Development)
The Miniature Tactical Energy Systems Proposal, which will be research through ONAMI, is intended to develop miniaturized tactical energy systems for a wide range of military applications including portable power systems for use by military personnel in the field and power systems for remote autonomous sensors. Portable energy systems help minimize the logistics requirements of field operations. While Miniature Tactical Energy Systems Development is focused on military technology, the same technologies will have wide commercial applications and may well lead to new commercial firms and perhaps whole new industries.
$4.426 million for FLIR for UH-1N Huey Helicopter Navigation Thermal Imaging System (Marine Corps, Aircraft Procurement)
The U.S. Marine Corps has initiated an upgrade program to provide additional capability and significantly improve the performance of the AN/AAQ-22 Navigation Thermal Imaging Systems (NTIS) currently in use on their fleet of UH-1N “Huey” helicopters. This upgrade permits USMC aircrews to detect, recognize, identify and designate targets for precision-guided munitions.
### |
