When materials scientists seek research funding, NATO does not immediately come to mind. Yet NATO has an annual budget of €12.5 million for civil science through its Science for Peace and Security Program. Through this program, it has funded several materials-focused projects that fall under the auspices of its strategic goals and key priorities.
“We fund by application rather than by technology,” said Michael Switkes, the science advisor for the program. “If there are materials science issues that have terrorism, energy security, or environmental security applications, and are defense and security related, then they can get funded. We want people to see that NATO is not only a military organization, we also provide support for technology development.”
NATO’s science program dates back to 1958, coinciding with the Soviet Unions’ launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. The original goal of the program was to bring together European and US research communities to strengthen the trans-Atlantic link. The science program’s focus shifted with the end of the Cold War. The program’s main purpose today is to foster innovation and to provide a platform for forging partnerships between countries.
The program funds international research projects, Advanced Study Institutes (summer schools) for young scientists, and advanced research workshops. Research projects are typically funded for two to three years with a budget of €250,000–400,000. NATO currently has 28 members and 41 partner countries with which the organization has formal agreements.
To be considered for funding, research projects need to be international collaborations, with at least one researcher from a NATO member country and at least one from a partner country. “Science and technology is a much easier way to engage with partner countries with whom it may be more difficult to have frank conversations about delicate subjects like defense,” Switkes said. “It’s a really good way to build relationships with these countries until they’re ready to have a closer partnership with NATO.”
Materials are a prominent theme in many NATO-funded science projects. A majority of the counterterrorism projects have focused on advanced sensor technologies to detect hazardous chemicals such as explosives and radioactive materials. Of the 74 new activities to receive funding in 2014, one project by researchers from France, Portugal, Tunisia, and Egypt aims to use photocatalytic nanotechnology for light, durable and easy-to-use self-decontaminating textiles, which decompose harmful chemicals used as warfare agents in order to protect the wearer. Another—with scientists from Germany, France, Ukraine, and Israel—seeks to develop new nanocarbon-polymer composite materials for protective shields that absorb microwave radiation. The technology could protect vital equipment from electromagnetic interference when applied as a coating or paint.
Other projects include novel fuel-cell materials for portable, durable power; metal nanocrystals for highly sensitive detection of biochemical agents; ionic compounds to prevent marine vessel corrosion and biofouling; nanomaterials for security applications; nanostructured metal-semiconductor thin films for solar-energy harvesting; and novel terahertz radiation sources for explosives detection.
The program also supports fundamental early-stage research “if there’s a plausible link to defense and security,” Switkes said. For example, one currently funded project involves spintronics materials, which hold promise for encryption and computing.
Scientists at the National Science Center in Kharkiv, Ukraine, are building a cost-effective x-ray generator that produces high-energy x-rays needed for high-resolution image detection systems in the field of medicine, illicit trafficking, explosion detection, forensic detection, and environmental security. Ukraine is the top beneficiary of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Program.
A critical issue of focus for NATO at present is detection technologies, he says. That includes detecting concealed explosives and weapons from a distance in real time without disrupting the flow of traffic, such as in mass transit. This will require novel materials detection methods as well as damage-reducing materials such as blast-mitigating walls and foams.
Grant proposals are first peer-reviewed by an independent scientific evaluation group of about 30 experts from NATO countries. The recommended projects are then sent to a 28-member committee of NATO allies in Brussels who have the final say. “Mostly we look for two things,” Switkes said. “One is scientific and technical excellence. The other is impact, whether it’s on something near-term or on future work in that area.”
Political implications and budgets also have bearing on the final approval decision. “We’ve had in the past a very scientific project that brought together scientists from all three South Caucasus countries, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan,” he said. “We love to have such projects, which bring together several of our partner countries regionally.”
Deadlines for grant applications are usually in the spring, summer, and fall.
The next deadline is May 15, 2016.
