NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate solicited for a fourth round of University Leadership Initiative proposals in April 2020. Selections were announced in January 2021.
Autonomous Aerial Cargo Operations at Scale
Principal Investigator: Ufuk Topcu (University of Texas, Austin)
Co-Investigators: John-Paul Clarke (UT Austin), Karen Willcox (UT Austin), Karen Marais (Purdue University), Dengfeng Sun (Purdue University), Hamsa Balakrishnan (MIT), Willie Rockward (Morgan State University), Allison Chang (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), Matthew Edwards (MIT Lincoln Laboratory), Mel Davis (Cavan Solutions)
Topic: Safe, Efficient Growth in Global Operations
Period of Performance: 4 years, dates TBD
Leading Advanced Turbine Research for Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems
Principal Investigator: Karen Thole (Pennsylvania State University)
Co-Investigators: Amrita Basak (Penn State), Reid Berdanier (Penn State), Brian German (Georgia Tech), Timothy Lieuwen (Georgia Tech), Michaela Amoo (Howard University), Ahmed Rubaai (Howard University), Sean Bradshaw (Pratt & Whitney), Irewole Orisamolu (Pratt & Whitney), Jeffrey Brogan (CVD MesoScribe).
Topic: Ultra-Efficient Subsonic Transports
Period of Performance: 4 years, dates TBD
Rapid Development of Urban Air Mobility Vehicle Concepts through Full-Configuration Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization
Principal Investigator: John Hwang (University of California, San Diego)
Co-Investigators: David Kamensky (University of California, San Diego), H Alicia Kim (University of California, San Diego), Y Shirley Meng (University of California San Diego), Seongkyu Lee (University of California Davis), Chris C Mi (San Diego State University), Andrew Ning (Brigham Young University), Jeffrey T Chambers (Aurora Flight Sciences), Adam Grasch (Aurora Flight Sciences), Tyler Winter (M4 Engineering)
Topic: Safe, Quiet, and Affordable Vertical Lift Air Vehicles
Period of Performance: 3 years, dates TBD
Emission & Absorption Spectroscopy Sensors for Hypersonic Flight Control
(This team was selected by NASA in a joint collaboration under the ULI umbrella with Air Force Research Laboratory’s Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR))
Principal Investigator: Timothee Pourpoint (Purdue University)
Co-Investigators: Terrence Meyer (Purdue University), Robert Lucht (Purdue University), Christopher Goldenstein (Purdue University), Chris Goyne (University of Virginia), Chloe Dedic (University of Virginia), Janett Walters-Williams (Hampton University), Qiang Le (Hampton University), David Garand (Sydor Technologies), Robert Bakos (Innoveering)
Topic: Novel In-Flight and Ground Measurement Techniques for Hypersonic Flight
Period of Performance: 3 years, dates TBD
FAST: Full Airframe Sensing Technology for Hypersonic Aerodynamics Measurements
This team was selected by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) in a joint collaboration under the ULI umbrella with NASA)
Principal Investigator: Noel Clemens (University of Texas, Austin)
Co-Investigators: Jayant Sirohi, Professor (UT Austin), Karen Willcox (UT Austin), Carlos Cesnik (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Chris Combs (UT San Antonio), Amanda Masino (Huston-Tillotson University), Engin Topkara (Huston-Tillotson University), Patrick Blonigan (Sandia National Labs)
Topic: Novel In-Flight and Ground Measurement Techniques for Hypersonic Flight
Period of Performance: 3 years, dates TBD
Innovative Manufacturing, Operation, and Certification of Advanced Structures for Civil Vertical Lift Vehicles
Principal Investigator: Marilyn Smith (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Co-Investigators: Brian German (Georgia Institute of Technology), Julian Rimoli (Georgia Institute of Technology), Elena Garcia (Georgia Institute of Technology), Alexia Payan (Georgia Institute of Technology), Abdel Bayoumi (University of South Carolina), Rhea Matthews (University of South Carolina), Paul Ziehl (University of South Carolina), Mannur Sundaresan (North Carolina A&T State University), Martin Kehayes (Middle Georgia State University), Rob Brackin (Triumph Aerospace Structures), Ian Derx (Triumph Aerospace Structures)
Topic: Advanced Materials Research
Period of Performance: 3 years, dates TBD
University Leadership Initiative
