On August 21 US Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced that the Federal Aviation Administration was awarding USD7.5 million in research, education, and training grants to universities that comprise the agency’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).
“This $7.5 million federal investment will fund university research on the safe integration of drones into our national airspace,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.
The following information summarizes the 19 grant awards for the eight projects. The COE universities received a total of USD7,495,178 to advance specific goals and projects. This is the third round of ASSURE grants for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. These grants bring the FY 2020 year-to-date award amount for this COE to $13,363,638. The grant awards include:
Validation of Low-Altitude Detect and Avoid Standards–Safety Research Center
The tasking for this work validates prior research in the performance of human pilots to detect other air traffic, assesses the potential for conflict, and analyzes potential maneuver options for avoidance against an intruder aircraft when a potential conflict exists.
- Mississippi State University – lead University USD1,500,000
Safety Risks and Mitigations for UAS Operations On and Around Airports
This research is focused on safely integrating UAS operations with airport operations, on and around airport surfaces with manned aircraft operations, and on and around the same surfaces. The depth of research expertise at the universities involved affords the selection of a set of experts to spearhead a specific use case and shepherd the constructs of each use case through completion.
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks – lead University USD401,999
- Kansas State University USD220,000
- New Mexico State University USD320,000
- University of Alabama, Huntsville USD219,815
- University of North Dakota USD320,000
Science and Research Panel (SARP) Support
The purpose of this grant is to provide research focused on identifying research opportunities and gaps between SARP stakeholders, coordinating awareness of the research opportunities, and identifying ways stakeholders can work together to resolve research gaps to the benefit of the research community.
- University of Alabama, Huntsville – lead University USD70,383
Identify Wake Turbulence and Flutter Testing Requirements for UAS
The research team consisting of the University of Kansas and the Ohio State University will work together to:
- Identify severities of UAS flight upset due to wake turbulence to help the FAA assess risk of upset and to develop policy, guidance, and procedures for mitigating UAS wake turbulence encounters; and
- Demonstrate safe flutter flight testing procedures for UAS.
- University of Kansas – lead University USD800,000
- The Ohio State University USD698,921
Urban Air Mobility (UAM): Safety Standards, Aircraft Certification and Impact on Market Feasibility and Growth Potentials
The vision to revolutionize mobility within metropolitan areas is a new frontier in aviation. Supporting accessible air transport systems for passengers and cargo by working with the urban air mobility (UAM) community to identify and address the opportunities and key challenges ahead is an emerging role for the FAA.
- Wichita State University – lead University USD450,000
- Mississippi State University USD315,000
- North Carolina State University USD184,999
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University USD249,923
UAS Standards Tracking, Mapping, and Analysis
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology is evolving rapidly and the FAA is working to keep pace with industry and to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System. A gap in UAS integration is having standards developed by industry which the FAA can use for policy and rulemaking activity.
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – lead University USD264,900
- University of North Dakota USD235,000
Cybersecurity and Safety Literature Review
The proposed work will complete a literature review of cybersecurity concerns and resulting potential safety issues with the integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). The aim of the work is to support the establishment of a baseline model to identify and assess cybersecurity related risks of integrating UAS into the NAS, and undertake a survey of strategies for managing such risks.
- Oregon State University – lead University USD200,000
- New Mexico State University USD150,000
- University of North Dakota USD144,238
Validation of ASTM Remote ID Standards–Safety Research Center
The tasking for this work operationally validates that the ASTM International (ASTM) Remote Identification (Remote ID) Broadcast standards satisfy stakeholder needs. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Remote ID states that the proposed rulemaking is intended to facilitate onboard pilot awareness of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and to also facilitate certain Detect and Avoid technologies.
- Mississippi State University – lead University USD750,000
For more information
https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=25199
