Howard University will be the first historically black university to feature a governmental research center. It will be sponsored by the Air Force, the Department of Defense announced Monday.
The new center is important historically to the black community, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
It’s also the first research center to be sponsored by the Air Force. The center will focus on tactical autonomy.
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“Today, as we work to build enduring advantages for our brave men and women in uniform, we must seek the latest innovations in science and engineering,” Austin told students and faculty at the university.
“That means building more bridges to America’s outstanding STEM community,” Austin said. “You see, we need your ideas, we need your creativity, and we need to draw on the skills of all of our people.”
Tactical autonomy is an area of research that is important to the U.S. military and central to U.S. security, Austin said in a press release.
“Responsibly used autonomous systems make our military faster, smarter, and stronger,” Austin said.
“They can identify threats to our troops in real time, and they can help our technical crews conduct maintenance more safely. And they can equip our commanders with the best available information to make life and death decisions,” he added.
The research will be led by the university, but it will be aided by a consortium of nine universities, including Jackson State University in Mississippi, Tuskegee University in Alabama, Hampton University in Virginia, and Bowie State University in Maryland.
Howard will receive $12 million per year for five years to fund the research.
“America is at its best when we knock down barriers, when we search for great ideas wherever they reside, and when we draw on the full talents of the American people — all of the American people,” Austin said. “So to Howard and the other schools in the consortium, thank you for lifting up the next generation. Thank you for all that you do for our outstanding men and women in uniform. And thank you for making our democracy more secure.”
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Howard is the latest university-affiliated research center. The centers are nonprofit research organizations affiliated with a university and supported by the DOD.
Including Howard, there are 15 university-affiliated research centers.
