Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (next deadline)
Funding Amounts: Approximately $95,000 base stipend plus $5,000 travel allowance; supplements based on experience; typical fellowship duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Fellowship to develop novel centralized control algorithms for wirelessly connected munitions forming a robust computing grid to solve cooperative control problems optimally.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens at postdoctoral and senior researcher levels; research conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, FL; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports research to develop novel, highly parallelizable exact and heuristic algorithms addressing sensor fusion, path planning, and target assignment problems for multiple munitions. Historically, cooperative control research relied on centralized decision-making where all raw data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were collected and processed centrally. However, communication bandwidth limitations led to decentralized heuristics, which are suboptimal and difficult to evaluate.
The project aims to overcome these limitations by treating wirelessly connected munitions as a distributed computing grid capable of centralized, optimal cooperative control. This approach faces unique challenges such as noisy data links, dynamic network reconfiguration, and processors intermittently leaving the grid. The research will focus on developing and analyzing robust centralized algorithms that adapt to these changing wireless grid conditions to optimize munition system collaboration.
Key research areas include optimization, sensor fusion, path planning, target assignment, and wireless computer grid computing.
Due Dates
- Next application deadline: May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- Subsequent deadlines occur quarterly: August 1, November 1, February 1, etc.
- If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: Approximately $95,000 per year
- Travel allowance: $5,000 annually
- Experience-based supplements available for postdoctoral and senior researchers
- Typical fellowship duration: 2-3 years
- Additional benefits include relocation assistance and group health insurance for awardees and dependents
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Applicant level: Postdoctoral researchers (within 5 years of PhD) and senior researchers (5+ years post-PhD or established investigators)
- Must have earned a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent) before starting tenure
- Applicants with current or recent prior affiliation/employment at the sponsoring agency or contractor may be ineligible
- Letter writers must not be employed by the sponsoring agency unless they have served as mentors or collaborators during the applicant’s prior research
- Security clearance or National Agency Check may be required depending on agency policies
Application Process
- Identify research opportunities and contact the proposed Research Adviser prior to applying
- Prepare a research proposal (max 10 pages) including problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Upload transcripts (required for postdocs), previous research descriptions, publications, and letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs)
- Letters must be uploaded by letter writers via the online system by the deadline
- Submit application via the NRC RAP online portal: Apply Now
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels; scoring above 70/100 typically recommended for award
- Review feedback is provided approximately one week after panel decisions
Additional Information
- Research location: Munitions Directorate, RW/Advanced Guidance, Eglin Air Force Base, FL
- Relocation assistance available for awardees living more than 50 miles from the host lab
- Health insurance coverage available for awardees and qualifying dependents in the U.S.
- Awards are competitive and contingent on availability of funding and program priorities
- Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposals with the Research Adviser to improve chances of success
External Links
Contact Information
For questions about eligibility, application process, or program details, contact the NRC RAP Program Office via email or phone.