NASA forms R&D institutes at US universities

The universities were selected by NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology in Washington, DC, and the Research & Engineering Office of the US Department of Defence. The award of each cooperative agreement is expected in August 2002. Each will have a maximum duration of 10 years, and be funded by NASA at the rate of approximately $3 million dollars per year.

The URETI facilities will be located all over the USA. The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, will work in the field of aero-propulsion and power. The University of Florida in Gainesville, and the University of Maryland in College Park, will research third-generation reuseable launch vehicles. The University of California, Los Angeles, will work on bio-nano-information technology fusion. Princeton University in New Jersey, and Texas A&M University at College Station, will collaborate on bio-nanotechnology materials and structures for aerospace vehicles. Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, will be responsible for nanoelectronics and computing.