U.S. Army and UT System announce research collaboration

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory and The University of Texas System, in consultation with its 15 institutions, have established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to support research at all 15 UT campuses.

The CRADA serves as a unifying framework for multiple research projects between the Army Research Laboratory, other partners and the UT System. It is designed to significantly advance collaboration in high-impact basic and applied research in a broad array of scientific and technical areas to enhance the U.S. Army’s technological superiority.

Thomas Mulkern, who manages U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s technology transfer, describes the agreement as a significant milestone in evolving a new business model.

“ARL’s CRADA with the University of Texas will strengthen ties with the university’s talented scientists and engineers for collaborative research to benefit the military and academic scientific communities,” Mulkern said.

The establishment of a multi-year agreement compliments ARL’s recently introduced Open Campus Concept, an Army endeavor to bring about greater engagement between government, academia and industry in a way that provide faster insights into the military’s unique challenges.

UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., said the research agreement is reaffirmation of the positive relationship between the System’s researchers and staff with the Army and Department of Defense. 

“The creation of this agreement between the Army Research Lab and each of our 15 UT System institutions affirms our proactive commitment to research and collaboration with the Army and Department of Defense,” Cigarroa said. “As one of the nation’s largest academic systems, we are dedicated to the support of education, economic growth, national security and the well-being of our men and women in serving our nation.”   

Joint projects between the Army and UT System institutions will begin this month.

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States, with nine academic universities, six health institutions and a fall 2013 enrollment of more than 213,000. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public universities in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $14.6 billion (FY 2014) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 90,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

About Army Research Laboratory

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, a part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, has the mission of providing innovative science, technology and analyses to enable full-spectrum operations. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. AMC is the Army's premier provider of materiel readiness – technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection, and sustainment – to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, eats it or communicates with it, AMC provides it.