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The AFRL Regional Network - Midwest is thrilled to welcome you to the latest edition of Around the Region, an exciting addition to your inbox that promises to keep you in the know regarding all Midwest Network happenings.
With a mission to share the latest news, trends, insights, events, and intriguing stories, the team has crafted this newsletter as your trusted companion on a journey of innovation.
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June 2024 EDITION
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Informational Q&A
July 10, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
This session is an opportunity to discuss what matters to you: funding calls, proposal content, AFRL collaborators, rubrics, network membership, micro-apprenticeships, etc.
In attendance will be the AFRL Regional Network - Midwest Lead Project Manager, Amanda Ridge, and Director, Stacy Manni. If you have any questions or issues connecting should be directed at afrlmwst@purdue.edu.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/s/94453916347
Meeting ID: 944 5391 6347 |
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IEEE-USA IWRC in South Dakota
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Thank you to the organizers of the IEEE-USA Innovation, Workforce, and Research Conference (IWRC) in Sioux Falls, SD, for hosting an engaging, insightful event! We appreciated connecting with current and potential partners throughout the Dakotas and look forward to future collaborations.
The event included an evening reception followed by a day-long workshop, bringing together stakeholders from academia, government, and industry to bridge the gap between research and commercially viable products. Experts from the region and across the country discussed research grants, technology transfer programs, start-up funding, intellectual property, and a host of other topics related to inspiring and empowering true innovation in the Dakotas and the Midwest.
A special thank you to Faye Kann, Melissa Carl, Russell Harrison, and Matt Francis for helping to make our outreach in North Dakota and South Dakota possible. Also, congratulations to Faye on receiving the IEEE-USA Robert S. Walleigh Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award!
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America's Seed Fund Road Tour:
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America's Seed Fund Road Tour introduces innovators and entrepreneurs to funding opportunities offered through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This July, the road tour is coming to the Midwest, and we will have a representative at each stop to meet with small businesses and entrepreneurs. The goal is to educate innovators in each city about how the AFRL Regional Network - Midwest can help them advance their research and technology efforts.
America's Seed Fund will stop at the following locations:
- July 15: East Lansing, MI; hosted by BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting, Michigan Catalyst Advantage Network
- July 16: Indianapolis, IN; hosted by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation
- July 17: Urbana-Champaign, IL; hosted by Research Park at the University of Illinois, EnterpriseWorks
- July 18: Madison, WI; hosted by the Center for Technology Commercialization
- July 19: Minneapolis, MN; hosted by MNSBIR, Inc.
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Awardee Success Story
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One of our funded projects, "High-speed Aircraft Leading Edge Thermal Protection," which is led by Azimuth Corporation with AFRL Sensors Directorate and Purdue University as partners, is in the process of transitioning technology that creates a thermal protection barrier for high-speed aircraft leading edges that is light, oxidation-resistant, and non-ablative.
To create this barrier, the team has developed a process to help manipulate a metal oxide that has been formerly difficult and expensive to work with. With this process, the metal oxide can be quickly and efficiently melted into a viscous liquid that can then be applied to a vehicle's leading edge and cured in air at relatively low temperatures.
An oxidation-resistant and non-ablating coating is crucial for high-speed aircraft as it will withstand multiple uses and, if necessary, can be quickly and economically reapplied. The coating also lends itself to space operations, as it is radiation hardened and can withstand the harsh environment of space.
Congratulations to the Azimuth team on this great accomplishment!
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Partner Spotlight
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Akicita Federal, an Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) owned by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, is dedicated to providing government agencies and other stakeholders with the specialized staffing, technical expertise, and strategic support needed to advance mission-critical research and development efforts efficiently and effectively. As an 8(a) certified company, Akicita Federal provides agencies with streamlined access to program management, industrial engineering, and veteran affairs-tailored staffing support through sole source awards.
Akicita Federal excels in strategic and tactical human resource solutions, ensuring the recruitment and management of top-tier talent, optimized to align with a company or agency’s goals. They also offer continuous project and program management support — from project conception to closure, focusing on risk management, resource allocation, and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, Akicita Federal specializes in IT and cybersecurity operations critical to advanced research initiatives. These services include systems and network engineering, help desk support, and robust cybersecurity measures such as penetration testing and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) engineering.
If you’re interested in partnering with Akicita Federal, reach out to Andrew Young, Chief Operations Officer, at andrew@akicitacyber.com. |
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Employment Opportunities
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Space Products and Innovation (SPiN), an AFRL Regional Network – Midwest affiliate partner, is hiring for several positions: software developer, junior space system engineer, senior space system engineer, and senior software engineer.
SPiN, located in Albuquerque, NM, is a leading provider of modularity solutions for the space sector, offering satellite integration solutions to transform satellites to modular systems, empowering satellite manufacturers to spend high-value time and money where it counts: pursuing new ventures. In addition to MA61C, an intelligent plug and play data node to integrate satellite components off the shelf without user intervention, SPiN provides a service to design satellites in a flexible concept using model based system engineering methodology.
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Upcoming Events
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- July 15-18, 2024: IEEE NAECON. Dayton, OH.
- July 15, 2024: America's Seed Fund Road Tour. East Lansing, MI.
- July 16, 2024: America's Seed Fund Road Tour. Indianapolis, IN.
- July 17, 2024: America's Seed Fund Road Tour. Urbana-Champaign, IL.
- July 18, 2024: America's Seed Fund Road Tour. Madison, WI.
- July 19, 2024: America's Seed Fund Road Tour. Minneapolis, MN.
- Sept. 16-18, 2024: Air, Space, Cyber Symposium. National Harbor, MD.
- Oct. 13, 2024: ACS Midwest Regional Meeting. Omaha, NE.
- Oct. 21-22, 2024: Iowa State University CoMFRE Annual Meeting. Ames, IA.
- Dec. 8-9, 2024: North American Space Summit. Cape Canaveral, FL.
If you will be attending any of these events and would like an opportunity to meet, please email us at afrlmwst@purdue.edu. We'd be happy to schedule dedicated time to meet with you!
Click here for more upcoming event information. |
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We have several opportunities for members to make an impact on the AFRL Regional Network - Midwest.
Translational Council:
- Objectively evaluate and inform on technology translation efforts
- Commitment: Once per year in the Fall
Workforce Development Council:
- Objectively evaluate and inform on workforce efforts
- Commitment: Once per year in the Spring
Micro-Apprenticeship:
- Host an AFRL S&E at your organization for an opportunity to learn about you, your institution, and its systems and practices
- Commitment: 2-3 days to 2 weeks
Community Portal Moderator:
- Serve as a moderator for a topical area in the new online portal
- Commitment: Six months
Review Panel:
- Perform topical evaluations of our proposals, enabling an essential function of the Network's mission.
- Commitment: 0.5-1.5 hours per review
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AFRL Regional Network YouTube Channel!
Have you checked out the AFRL Regional Network - Midwest YouTube Channel? On this platform, partners have access to a variety of video content that includes:
- Funded project video reports
- Network promo videos
- Informative and instructional videos
Stay tuned to all of our social media channels as new content will be added frequently! |
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Tech Connect
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Tech Connect is an exciting new AFRL tool that allows industry and academia to connect with and collaborate with AFRL scientists and engineers. The service provides access to open opportunities, identifies meet-up events, lists other DAF S&T enterprise connectors, and provides a way for anyone to share an idea.
By filling out a simple form, you will be connected with AFRL S&Es that best match your research and capabilities. Be sure to include “Midwest Network” in your subject line. |
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Partner with Us
The AFRL Regional Network - Midwest is a unique opportunity to partner with the Air Force Research Lab. If you are interested in becoming a partner, please visit our Join Page for more information! |
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At the AFRL Regional Network – Midwest, we are dedicated to developing next-generation research and technology to support the Air Force mission by providing analysis, development, and testing capabilities that span multiple science and engineering disciplines. From propulsion to communications, materials to sensors, our research focuses on advancing mission capability and accelerating technology transitions throughout the life cycle of programs.
At the Midwest Network, we understand the importance of collaboration in advancing technology and mission capability. We facilitate partnerships between industry and academia to develop new means to address the current and future needs of our customers. |
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