UT Creating Connections Awards: Seed Funding DOD Opportunities

3D point cloud bridge and surrounding environment in engineering quad on UT campus
3D point cloud of bridge and surrounding environment on UT campus

Creating Connections for National Security Research identifies promising research for national security with potential to transition readiness levels, internally awarding seed funding for up to $75K for one year.  

Jointly funded by Research Development and Applied Research Laboratories (ARL:UT), units in the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors, the award aims to develop strategic relationships between researchers at the University who are emerging technologies in defense applications, including disciplines not traditionally associated with defense research.  For example, UT faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and College of Fine Arts have received funding awards.  

Creating Connections for National Security Research seeks innovative one-year research projects that can seed continuing partnerships between Principal Investigators from the UT Austin community and ARL:UT, enabling further long-term collaborative research funding and transition of critical technologies to the DOD. 


Dr. Chris Rausch and graduate student working on construction engineering project

2023-2024 Awardees 

Michael Baker – Department Chair, Arts and Entertainment Technologies 

Research Areas: real-time technology, mixed reality and immersive media 

Gregory Durrett – Associate Professor, Computer Science 

Research Areas: artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing 

Jean Anne Incorvia – Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering 

Research Areas: electronics, photoelectronics and quantum systems, integrated circuits & systems, electromagnetics & acoustics.  

Chris Rausch – Assistant Professor, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering 

Research Areas: modular construction, circular economy, computational design, digital fabrication 


2022-2023 Awardees 

Kiril Avramov – Assistant Professor, Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies

Research Areas: disinformation, information warfare, psychological operations, mass cognitive hacking

Greg Durrett – Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science

Research Areas: natural language processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning

David Fridovich- Keil – Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Research areas: optimal control theory, dynamic game theory, motion planning, multi-agent decision making, machine learning and control


How to submit 

Funding is open to UT researchers only.  There is an annual call on the University of Texas Internal Competition Portal which typically opens during each spring semester. Watch your Inbox and TEXAS Research LinkedIn for announcements. 

If you have questions or wish to be added to a list of interested participants, please email VPR.RDT@austin.utexas.edu.