Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to—

• Multifunctional (structure + function) material systems
• Intrinsically smart materials and structures (e.g., materials that sense and change without external control and actuation)
• Engineered materials and material systems with designed structure, topology and architecture at multiple length scales to achieve tailored mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic, electro-optic, and thermal properties
• Materials, structures, and devices for use in space environment
• Novel energetic materials and reactive structures
• Materials for ultra lightweight vehicle and personnel armor and protection from blast and non-lethal weapons
• Materials for thermal management of structures, devices, and personnel
• Novel approaches to property/life prediction, achieving state awareness of materials and related technologies
• Fundamental understanding of damage accumulation and environment-sensitive behavior mechanisms in materials
• New tools for probabilistic design, performance, and life prediction of materials
• Materials and enabling technologies for controlling quantum and non-equilibrium behavior (e.g., slowing, storing, and processing of light, quantum computation and communication, etc.)
• Biomaterials and biomimetic materials and devices (e.g., adaptive/malleable systems;
  self-healing, -sensing, and -adapting material systems; biomolecular electronics)
• Novel biotic-abiotic material systems that exhibit multifunctional behavior
• Novel biotic-abiotic material systems that are robust, durable, and survivable in operating environments relevant to military platforms
• New methods for direct manipulation and control of biomaterials (e.g., proteins) on length and temporal scales commensurate with biological processes
• Artificial recognition elements (e.g., antibody mimetics)
• Novel approaches for manufacturing, joining, and processing of materials and structures
• New approaches for dynamic self-assembly of materials that result in DoD relevant materials and devices
• Technologies for fabrication of particles and functional structures in the nano- and micro-to-millimeters size range, with arbitrary geometry
• Biological approaches to the growth of materials and devices

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to—

• Real-time methods to determine the structure of biomolecules and cell surfaces
• New tools for real-time measurement and characterization of biomolecules and other biological structures
• Methods for precise measurement of forces and fields that lend themselves to deployment on mobile platforms (e.g., atom interferometry)
• Methods of high fidelity measurements of optical signals (e.g., single photon detection, optical waveform characterization, coherent image processing)
• Methods and technologies to extract information from quantum systems
• New methods to achieve precise molecular recognition

Application and development of advanced mathematics for applications of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD), including—

• Novel mathematical advances that promote discovery and implementation in physics, chemistry, biology, materials, neuroscience, and medicine
• Significant mathematical advances in codifying and understanding stochasticity and uncertainty
• New mathematics to manipulate physics and materials at all scales
• Major conceptual advances that lead to novel computation at scale
• Novel applications of traditionally pure mathematics that enable new techniques in applied mathematics
• New approaches to signal and image processing and electromagnetic modeling and simulation

Technologies to render biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiation attacks against the U.S. military harmless, including—

• Unique approaches for pre-symptomatic diagnosis of disease and health
• Remote detection/characterization of naturally occurring or engineered biological substances
• Technologies that radically accelerate pre-clinical evaluation of the safety or efficacy of therapeutics and vaccines
• Accelerated, high-yield manufacture of biological therapeutics, including vaccines and immune modifiers

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited—

• Biological approaches for maintaining the warfighter's performance, capabilities, and medical survival in the face of harsh battlefield conditions
• Approaches for minimizing the after-effects of battle injuries, including neurotrauma from penetrating and non-penetrating injuries, as well as faster recuperation from battlefield injuries and wounds
• Approaches for, and technology devoted to, maintaining the general health of deployed troops
• Technologies for remote sensing of a soldier's health
• Neuromorphic information processing systems and architectures, electronic devices, and robotic systems
• Environments, systems, and concepts for the evaluation of machine intelligence
• Understanding the human effects of non-lethal weapons
• Micro/nano-scale technologies for non-invasive and/or remote assessment of health (e.g., vital signs, blood chemistry)
• Technologies to enable remote interrogation and control of biological systems at the system/organ/tissue/cellular/molecular scales
• Investigation of the interactions between physical forces, materials, and biology (e.g., interface of biology with magnetics)
• Novel mathematical and computational approaches to characterizing and simulating complex biological processes
• New technologies to drastically reduce the logistics burden of medical treatment in the field
• Advanced signal processing techniques for the decoding of neural signals in real time, specifically those associated with operationally relevant cognitive events, including target detection, errors, and other decision-making processes
• Novel techniques and experimental methods for understanding the impact of stress on the brain, including information processing, decision making, attention and memory, with a specific interest in translating work on animal models to human populations
• Systems biology approaches to emitter/receiver hard problems including human-to-human communications, chemical signaling (e.g., olfaction), and other information transductions common in biology
• Novel interface and sensor designs for interacting with the central (cortical and subcortical structures) and peripheral nervous systems, with a particular emphasis on non-invasive and/or non-contact approaches
• New approaches for understanding and predicting the behavior of individuals and groups, especially those that elucidate the neurobiological basis of behavior and decision making
• Technologies to engineer field medical therapies at the point of care, such as production of multiple drugs from a single pro-drug, or to adapt therapies for wide variations in body mass, metabolism, or physiologic stress

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to—

• New approaches for training individuals and teams, including embedded training and simulation
• New approaches for creating greater adaptability and flexibility for the solider
• Understanding and improving team performance
• New approaches for improving rapid decision-making in chaotic or data-poor environments

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to—

• Technologies that dramatically reduce the logistics and/or weight burden of energy production/utilization during military deployment
• Materials and enabling technologies for power generation and energy storage at all scales
• New approaches to engine designs to improve performance and efficiency
• New approaches to harvesting solar energy (e.g., solar energy, solar fuels, solar thermal)
• Novel ideas in the chemical extraction of energy
• Novel and new non-carbon-based fuel sources