AFOSR, Air Force Office of Scientific Research

AFRL and Ursa Major recently executed a flight of the Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD) powered by the Draper liquid rocket engine, achieving supersonic speeds.

This high-impact flight is an innovative step in the advancement of capabilities that strengthen deterrence and provide rapid global strike options for the U.S. Department of War.

“This project proves that we can transform and leverage our acquisition models to rapidly deliver critical technology advancements to deter and win in a future conflict.” - AFRL Commander & Air Force Tech Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Bartolomei.

Learn more about this Draper liquid rocket engine powered project through our link in the comments.

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What if aircraft could sense their own damage or battlefields could be monitored by microscopic swarms of autonomous sensors?

Researchers at University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan have created the world’s smallest fully programmable, autonomous robots, each smaller than a grain of salt. Today, they sense temperature. Tomorrow, new sensors could enable smart aircraft surfaces, advanced battlefield awareness, and more resilient systems for the warfighter.

“We’ve made autonomous robots 10,000 times smaller. That opens up an entirely new scale for programmable robots.” – Professor Marc Miskin, Penn Engineering

This is game-changing foundational research discovery with the potential to transform defense innovation and bring the future faster for warfighers.

👉 Read the full story and explore what’s next: https://www.seas.upenn.edu/stories/penn-and-umich-create-worlds-smallest-programmable-autonomous-robots/

Due to the government shutdown, this page is not being updated.

Researchers at The City University of New York and The University of Texas at Austin (supported, in part, by AFOSR) have uncovered a way to illuminate and control dark excitons at the nanoscale, as published in Nature Photonics. This discovery opens the door to faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient technologies.

Why this matters for the Department of the Air Force:
💻 More advanced communication and computing systems
⚡️ Greater energy efficiency for future platforms
🛰️ Next-generation sensing capabilities that enhance situational awareness

This is the kind of game-changing basic research that changes what is possible and accelerates the edge our warfighters rely on.

🌐 Learn how this fundamental discovery is powering the technologies of tomorrow: https://asrc.gc.cuny.edu/headlines/2025/11/scientists-make-dark-exciton-states-shine-unlocking-new-frontiers-for-nanotechnology/

Gated field emission arrays are essential to powering the United States Air Force and United States Space Force's most advanced microwave vacuum electron devices and future vacuum transistors.

With support from AFOSR, Professor Jim Browning and his team at Boise State University are pioneering new methods to dramatically improve device reliability. Their work strengthens the foundation for next-generation communication, sensing, and power technologies that our warfighters will rely on for years to come.

This research also demonstrates how global collaborations drive local innovation, expanding capabilities at home while supporting national defense priorities.

Learn how this breakthrough is shaping the future of vacuum and plasma technologies: https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2025/12/02/advancements-in-vacuum-and-plasma-technology-create-local-benefit-through-global-partnerships/

Can microwaves inactivate viruses? 🦠⚡

A new study supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory - AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing and AFOSR explores whether high-power microwave pulses can disrupt viral integrity.

The results: no evidence of clinically significant decreases in viral infectivity due to E-field exposure, shedding light on a decades-long scientific question.

AFRL authors include: Drs. Ibtissam Echchgadda, Joseph W. Butterworth, Jason A. Payne, Leland R. Johnson, Brad W. Hoff, Robert J. Thomas, Dr. William P. Roach, and Bennett L. Ibey.

📖 Read the full publication here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bem.70015

Congratulations to Dr. Alexander Hough from all of us at AFOSR! 👏

We are proud to highlight Dr. Hough's achievements as a recipient of the AFRL ProtoStar Award, an AFOSR program! His innovative work at AFRL’s Human Effectiveness Directorate showcases our commitment to advancing high-quality, impactful basic research for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.

We celebrate his contributions to the future of defense research.

🌟 Congratulations to AFRL ProtoStar Awardee, Dr. Alexander Hough! 🌟

We're thrilled to celebrate Dr. Hough, an outstanding early-career researcher selected in the FY26 Lab Task Competition!

Dr. Hough is advancing research at AFRL’s Human Effectiveness Directorate. His research focuses on understanding cognitive vulnerabilities to information and influence by combining innovative experiments with computational cognitive modeling. This helps predict, simulate, and mitigate influence-related effects in both contested and non-contested environments. Truly inspiring work that exemplifies our mission to accelerate the future together!

The ProtoStar Program honors the excellence of new principal investigators in basic research within AFRL. Selected lab task proposals under ProtoStar receive three years of prioritized funding, empowering researchers to conduct groundbreaking and transformational research for the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force.

Dr. Hough's pioneering work is crucial in delivering faster and more robust capabilities to our warfighters, showcasing our commitment to winning at speed.

Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of excellence and innovation together! 🚀💡

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How does Nobel Prize–winning physics transform into mission-ready tech?

AFOSR supported Professor Daniel Tsui’s research in 1985, years before he, along with Robert B. Laughlin and Horst L. Störmer, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1998. His groundbreaking work on quantum effects now underpins advanced sensing and secure communication technologies critical to Airmen and Guardians today.

That’s the power of game-changing basic research: sparking discoveries that fuel national defense and the future fight.

How do our lungs respond when the human body is pushed to its limits?

With support from AFRL/AFOSR, researchers at Texas A&M University are using 3D printing with living lung cells to find out.

By recreating the intense pressure and heat experienced by pilots, astronauts, and warfighters, this new high-impact basic research is laying the foundation for:

* Stronger respiratory safety protocols in extreme environments
* Smarter protective technologies for the Air & Space Forces
* Breakthroughs in drug discovery
* New insights into respiratory disease at the cellular level

This is how scientists are building the future of human performance.

Full article: https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2025/11/24/building-breath-layer-by-layer-3d-printing-with-living-lung-cells-in-extreme-environments/

What if we could steer chemical reactions without heat or light?

AFOSR-supported research led by Dr. Frank Huo at the University of Rochester is pioneering vibrational strong coupling, a revolutionary approach where the quantum environment itself influences reaction rates.

This discovery could transform future materials science, quantum chemistry, and defense applications for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.

Learn more about how AFOSR Program Officer Dr. Michael Berman and Principal Investigator Dr. Pengfei Huo at the University of Rochester Chemistry Department are helping solve the quantum "jigsaw puzzle."

👉 https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/quantum-chemistry-theory-vibrational-strong-coupling-662382/

AFRL/AFOSR's support of Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail, hailed as the father of femtochemistry, is a testament to its commitment to game-changing scientific advancements. First funded by AFOSR in 1986, Zewail's groundbreaking work earned him the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, profoundly changing our understanding of chemical reactions at the atomic level.

Ahmed Zewail began his academic journey at Alexandria University جامعة الإسكندرية - الصفحة الرسمية, where he earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in chemistry. He completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.

Today, AFOSR remains committed to promoting high-impact and transformative discoveries. We are privileged to support groundbreaking research that shapes the future.

Today and every day, we’re grateful for the brilliant minds driving innovation across the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force. From groundbreaking research to transformational technologies, we celebrate the dedicated Air Force Research Laboratory - AFRL workforce who inspire us everyday.

As we gather with friends and family, we reflect on the importance of curiosity, collaboration, and knowledge—all essential to bringing the future faster.

At AFOSR, we’re committed to accelerating the future by funding game-changing, high-impact foundational research that supports the mission of the Air Force and Space Force. Thank you to our partners, collaborators, and the entire research community for advancing science and technology. Here's to innovation, discovery, and the spirit of gratitude!

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