Air Force initiative at Purdue progresses as it enters second year

The proposals focus on five technical areas: energetic materials, hypersonics, secure microelectronics, in-space servicing assembly and manufacturing, and space domain awareness. All proposals are from industrial members, academics and government lab partners, said Stacy Manni, deputy director for the Midwest Hub Network. These projects are designed to advance technology while considering scientific, technical, funding and manufacturing needs. Hub leaders will announce the final projects this spring, Manni said.

The Regional Research Hub Network was announced in February 2022 and established two hubs. Purdue leads the Midwest Hub Network, which includes 17 universities and 60 academic, industrial and national laboratory partners throughout 22 Midwest states. Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, leads the hub for the mid-Atlantic region.

“This hub experiment is designed to identify significant ways to move technology solutions from the basic research bench into the application space,” Manni said. “This will bridge a challenging area of research and development.”

The Air Force Research Laboratory established the regional hub networks to bring innovative technologies to market faster through public and private partnerships with large and small businesses, government agencies and venture capitalists; all work is done under cooperative agreements.

Through the regional hub networks, the AFRL can share costs and risks. The hub network also can provide learning opportunities for scientists and engineers and connect AFRL scientists and engineers to the commercial space. If the pilot with Purdue and Cornell is successful, AFRL may stand up other regional hub networks.

Manni came to Purdue from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, where she was senior physical scientist and international program officer. Before that, she was an AFRL research chemist. Given her experience with AFRL, Manni said it is exciting to see this branch of research brought to new entities via the hub setup.

“I love the mission of AFRL, and this is an opportunity to make meaningful advances for the benefit of national security,” she said.

Next for the Midwest Hub Network: selection of the proposals that will go forward. An external review committee of AFRL employees will recommend which of the 17 projects to consider. Meanwhile, networking events are planned at partner universities – the first at University of Akron in Ohio April 6 –and the Midwest Hub Network itself will have an official ribbon-cutting on campus April 21.

For more information about the Midwest Hub Network, visit https://midwesthub.afresearchlab.com/.