Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-10

This award supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), Daytona Beach, Florida. Each summer, ten motivated undergraduates from universities across the United States participate in a rigorous 10-week Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) cybersecurity research program. The program combines faculty-mentored research with professional development activities designed to prepare students for careers in cybersecurity and/or graduate school. The project's novelties include vulnerability assessment and the development and testing of new cyber-resilient algorithms to safeguard UAVs. More broadly, the Site advances UAV security research while equipping students with essential research skills through structured faculty mentorships. The training is designed to prepare students with skills and tools to thrive in graduate school and future careers in the cybersecurity field. The REU Site focuses on enhancing UAV security through faculty-guided research projects. Participants investigate cyber-resilient UAV operation and simulations; secure navigation including Global Positioning System (GPS) spoofing detection and mitigation; and AI-based anomaly and intrusion detection. The research process includes systematic literature reviews, hypothesis development, testbed creation for data collection, data processing, technical seminars, and workshops in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. Throughout the program, students gain valuable experience presenting their findings, with mid-term results showcased at the Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS) and final outcomes at the ERAU Summer Symposium. The key objectives of this Site are: (1) Increase the number of high-quality cybersecurity professionals, (2) Broaden STEM participation by enhancing recruitment efforts for veterans, individuals with diverse socioeconomical backgrounds and under-resources institutions, (3) Inspire and empower undergraduates to confidently pursue graduate degrees, and (4) Provide undergraduates with professional skills for their future careers. By leveraging Embry-Riddle’s state-of-the-art facilities, research labs, and faculty expertise, the program cultivates interest in cybersecurity and develops the research skills of undergraduate students, contributing to cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-09

This award will deploy an instrumented tower to coastal Florida to study sea breezes and how they help to initiate thunderstorms. The tower will be deployed during a gathering of scientists and students who are interested in how uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) can best be used to advance atmospheric sciences. The focus of this award is on providing students with hands-on training in field instrumentation, data quality control, and interpretation of surface–atmosphere interactions. This project advances US interests by educating the next generation of scientists and improving the use of technology. The International Society for Atmospheric Research using Remotely-piloted Aircraft (ISARRA) Flight Week (FW) will take place in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral, Florida in summer 2026. These Flight Weeks provide a rare, hands-on research and education testbed in which students, early-career scientists, and experienced investigators work side-by side to design, deploy, and evaluate coordinated UAS observing strategies aimed at addressing fundamental questions in boundary-layer meteorology. The addition of a 30-meter flux tower will provide continuous measurements of the surface energy budget and key meteorological variables needed to identify the timing and passage of boundaries and circulations and allow for intercomparison between the tower and UAS measurements. Students will analyze measurements collected by the tower throughout its deployment, which will enable them to anticipate boundary-layer conditions expected during Flight Week operations and to connect evolving atmospheric conditions with flight planning and observational strategy. These experiences will provide a foundation for students to learn about the challenges and best practices associated with intercomparing measurements from stationary reference platforms and mobile UAS-based observing systems, a skill set that is increasingly important in modern atmospheric research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Surrounding Earth is the exosphere, a vast cloud of hydrogen atoms that forms the outermost edge of our atmosphere and extends tens of thousands of kilometers into space. This region plays important yet poorly understood roles in atmosphere near-space interactions, including how Earth recovers from geomagnetic storms — solar-driven disturbances that can disrupt satellite communications, GPS navigation, and power grids. The project serves the national interest by improving space weather prediction and resilience, helping to protect satellites, critical infrastructure and astronauts. It advances fundamental understanding of how Earth’s atmosphere interacts with the space environment, with broader implications for atmospheric escape and planetary habitability. The work aligns with national priorities for distributed ground-based observing systems and supports student training through a multi-institutional collaboration with openly accessible data products. This project leverages a rare, time-sensitive opportunity created by recent start of science operations for NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, coinciding with the decline from the peak of solar cycle 25. During the period of elevated solar activity, overlapping space- and ground-based observations of Earth’s extended hydrogen atmosphere are planned. Because spacecraft cannot fully observe the nightside of Earth, a distributed network of ground-based observatories across North and South America would be used to fill these gaps. Together, these measurements will produce a coordinated, three-dimensional view of the exosphere not achievable by existing observations alone and reveal its storm-time response. This project investigates the structure and dynamics of Earth’s hydrogen exosphere, where charge exchange with magnetospheric hydrogen and oxygen ions plays a central role in geomagnetic storm recovery. The project enables new constraints on exospheric hydrogen density by combining Lyman-alpha observations from the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory with near coincident ground-based measurements of Balmer-alpha and Balmer-Beta emission obtained using Fabry–Perot interferometers and narrow-band photometers. This effort represents a unique opportunity to obtain complementary measurements that are not achievable by the space-based mission alone. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-05

Ceramic particle-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) have attracted wide interest across multiple industries because they combine the ductility and toughness of metals with the hardness, stiffness, and thermal stability of ceramics. In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged for producing MMCs with complex geometries and functionally graded structures. Among AM technologies, directed energy deposition (DED) offers exceptional flexibility in material feedstock control, making it suitable for fabricating MMCs ranging from protective coatings to complex bulk components. Although DED has been successfully employed to manufacture a wide range of ceramic particle-reinforced MMC systems, achieving uniform particle dispersion remains a major scientific and technological challenge. Reinforcement particles often segregate due to density mismatch and complex melt-pool fluid flow, resulting in heterogeneous microstructures and reduced mechanical reliability. This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) project aims to uncover the fundamental mechanisms governing three-dimensional (3D) particle dispersion during DED and to identify manufacturing conditions that promote uniform particle distribution. The outcomes will advance the scientific foundation of additive manufacturing and strengthen the United States’ capability to produce high-performance materials for critical industries including aerospace, energy, and defense. This research will also contribute to education and workforce development by involving undergraduate and graduate students in research activities, integrating additive manufacturing experiments into engineering courses, and engaging K-12 students through outreach programs. The technical objective of this work is to establish a mechanism-guided framework for controlling the three-dimensional dispersion of micro-scale ceramic reinforcements in directed energy deposition of metal matrix composites. The research integrates controlled experiments, advanced characterization, and multiphysics modeling to reveal the relationships among processing conditions, particle transport mechanisms, and resulting mechanical properties. Specifically, this work will first quantify how process parameters influence both local (short-range clustering) and global dispersion uniformity in three-dimension. Second, the dominant forces governing particle transport within the melt pool will be elucidated using a validated multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Third, the relationship between dispersion uniformity and mechanical performance will be established. By linking process parameters to particle transport mechanisms and material performance, this research will provide predictive guidelines for achieving uniform reinforcement dispersion in DED-built MMCs. The results will advance the fundamental understanding of particle behavior in additive manufacturing and enable more reliable fabrication of high-performance composite components. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-04

This project investigates the complex "weather" of the upper atmosphere, specifically in the region above 80 km. This is referred to as mesosphere, and lower thermosphere, and ionosphere (MLTI). While often invisible to the naked eye, the MLTI encompasses a turbulent region where large-scale atmospheric tides and smaller-scale gravity waves—ripples of energy that originate in the lower atmosphere. Understanding how these waves and tides interact is essential, as these dynamics directly influence the space weather environment. Space weather can disrupt satellite communications, GPS accuracy, and power grid stability, all of which are vital to the nation's prosperity and defense. The project also promotes the international scientific collaboration with Switzerland and Chile and contributes to the training the next generation of scientists. The primary goal of this research is to quantify the dynamical interactions between gravity waves (GWs) and atmospheric tides within the MLTI region. The project will address four science topics: (i) how tides influence GW propagation, filtering, and dissipation; (ii) the mechanisms by which GWs modulate the amplitude and phase of diurnal tides; (iii) the feedback loops between GW-tide interactions and mean atmospheric circulation; (iv) the impact of regional and seasonal wave source variations on wave-tide coupling. The project utilizes both state-of-the-art high-resolution modeling and advanced observational data. The model is uniquely capable of resolving GW breaking and assimilating realistic tidal backgrounds to simulate nonlinear interactions. The observational data utilizes a multi-static meteor radar system in the Andes, which will provide continuous, high-resolution wind measurements. These can resolve both horizontal and vertical structures of all three wind vector components. This system will also be upgraded with orbital capabilities to achieve hourly temperature measurements. The observational data will be used to provide realistic background for performing simulation, while model simulations will be used to validate wind retrievals with advanced tomographic technique. This work is a combination of advanced observation, modeling, and instrumentation, that will fill a critical gap in our understanding of how small-scale instabilities shape the global energy transfers that drive ionospheric and space weather variability. This award was made possible through the U.S.NSF/SNSF (Swiss NSF) lead agency opportunity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-02

The interaction of the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field created a collisionless shock called a bow shock in front of the Earth's magnetosphere. The incident particles can be accelerated and reflected at the bow shock, resulting in their counter-streaming along field lines and interacting with the local plasma. Earth's bow shock is a natural laboratory to study the complex interactions between the incident solar wind and the counter-streaming foreshock populations. This study aims to build a predictive model of the foreshock backstreaming ions, which can be integrated into a space weather prediction model to help accurately forecast and mitigate space weather hazards. An early-career female scientist leads this project and involves the participation of multiple early-career scientists. The related science materials will be presented to k-12 students, parents, and the general public audience through various outreach events to promote STEM education. This study focuses on the foreshock ion properties and addresses the following questions: (1) What are the properties of the freshly reflected ions near the bow shock, including reflection rate, velocity, perpendicular and parallel temperatures and Velocity Distribution Function (VDF) types (e.g., field-aligned beam, ring distributions, etc), as a function of upstream solar wind conditions (e.g., speed, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), Mach number, beta, etc) and shock normal angles? (2) How do the properties of the freshly reflected ions evolve spatially and temporally as they travel away from the bow shock as suggested by global simulations? (3) Can the obtained properties be explained by existing acceleration and reflection theories, such as adiabatic and specular reflections? The project combines analysis of satellite measurements and numerical simulations to reveal how the ion distributions are determined by the upstream solar wind conditions. This project will improve our understanding of the properties of the bow shock reflected ions and the related reflection, acceleration, and scattering processes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The interaction of the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field created a collisionless shock called a bow shock in front of the Earth's magnetosphere. The incident particles can be accelerated and reflected at the bow shock, resulting in their counter-streaming along field lines and interacting with the local plasma. Earth's bow shock is a natural laboratory to study the complex interactions between the incident solar wind and the counter-streaming foreshock populations. This study aims to build a predictive model of the foreshock backstreaming ions, which can be integrated into a space weather prediction model to help accurately forecast and mitigate space weather hazards. An early-career female scientist leads this project and involves the participation of multiple early-career scientists. The related science materials will be presented to k-12 students, parents, and the general public audience through various outreach events to promote STEM education. This study focuses on the foreshock ion properties and addresses the following questions: (1) What are the properties of the freshly reflected ions near the bow shock, including reflection rate, velocity, perpendicular and parallel temperatures and Velocity Distribution Function (VDF) types (e.g., field-aligned beam, ring distributions, etc), as a function of upstream solar wind conditions (e.g., speed, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), Mach number, beta, etc) and shock normal angles? (2) How do the properties of the freshly reflected ions evolve spatially and temporally as they travel away from the bow shock as suggested by global simulations? (3) Can the obtained properties be explained by existing acceleration and reflection theories, such as adiabatic and specular reflections? The project combines analysis of satellite measurements and numerical simulations to reveal how the ion distributions are determined by the upstream solar wind conditions. This project will improve our understanding of the properties of the bow shock reflected ions and the related reflection, acceleration, and scattering processes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Project Summary/Abstract The proposed project investigates the combined effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) and dietary nitrate supplementation on exercise performance at sea level and under conditions of simulated moderate altitude. Recognizing the increased workload on respiratory muscles in various patient populations, which is simulated by high-altitude ascent, and the resulting diversion of blood flow from locomotor muscles to the diaphragm, this study aims to address the subsequent reduction in oxygen availability for locomotion, leading to impaired exercise tolerance. The study will focus on young, healthy adults to explore how RMT and nitrate supplementation can improve muscle oxygenation, vascular function, and exercise tolerance. This approach is driven by the need to develop effective interventions that can ultimately enhance physical capacity in various populations, including critically ill patients recovering from mechanical ventilation and individuals at risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS) during high-altitude exposure. Aim 1 will assess the impact of five weeks of RMT on muscle tissue oxygenation and exercise performance at sea level and simulated moderate altitude (~4000 meters) in young adults. Aim 2 will examine the effects of five weeks of dietary nitrate supplementation alone and combined with RMT on vascular endothelial function and exercise performance under similar conditions. This research will heavily involve undergraduate students, providing them with valuable hands-on experience in advanced clinical research techniques. The findings are expected to pave the way for future interventions to enhance physical capacity in ICU patients, reduce the incidence of AMS in high-altitude environments, and improve exercise performance in various populations. This work will significantly impact patient populations by laying the groundwork for larger-scale research projects investigating the efficacy of RMT and nitrate-based therapies in patient populations, including those with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Ultimately, this project aims to develop non-invasive therapies to improve health outcomes related to respiratory muscle function and exercise tolerance, thereby advancing health science and patient care.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-07

This project facilitates international experiences for U.S. students through collaborative research between Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica in Brazil. The program provides both undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on fundamental research experience in the field of thermal management for next-generation aircraft. As the aviation industry works to reduce emissions, lower operating costs, reduce noise, and increase design flexibility through electric and hybrid-electric technologies, there is an urgent need for new cooling systems that are both efficient and lightweight. Through this project, each cohort of participating U.S. students spend ten weeks in Brazil collaborating with researchers and gaining exposure to international aerospace industries. The program emphasizes teamwork across cultures and disciplines. Collaboration with Brazilian experts strengthens the scientific outcomes and prepares students for global careers in thermal science engineering. Propulsion electrification presents various environmental and technological hurdles. Among these obstacles lies the need for effective thermal management systems that are both lightweight and capable of handling the increased heat generated by all-electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, a demand surpassing that of traditional aircraft designs. Fundamental understanding of the heat transfer performance is crucial because many of these materials and thermal management solutions have not been previously used in the intended area of operation for electric and/or hybrid electric aircraft. This IRES project addresses knowledge gaps and equips students with a deep understanding of fundamental issues and the thermal behavior of various heat transfer media before their implementation into critical thermal management systems. The research activities in this IRES program are centered around two major thrusts. These themes focus on highly promising yet not fully understood heat transfer media and approaches: 1) solid-to-liquid phase change materials for passive thermal management and 2) transcritical CO2 refrigeration systems for active cooling. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-06

This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) project supports research that aims to establish a new foundation for the analysis and design of chaotic systems by investigating how higher-dimensional representations and topological modeling can fundamentally alter the way engineers perceive and interact with complex dynamics. Many critical engineering challenges, such as trajectory design for space missions, occur within chaotic regimes where small changes in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes. Traditional approaches often reduce these systems to oversimplified, low-dimensional representations that obscure their full complexity, leading to inefficiencies and blind spots in design. To address these challenges, this project seeks to answer two research questions – 1) how can expanding the dimensionality of the problem space, while incorporating topological methods from knot theory, enhance the analysis, visualization, and design of complex chaotic systems to reveal previously unattainable solutions? 2) how does knot theory-informed reinforcement learning with human-in-the-loop interactions enhance design quality, guidance, and decision efficiency and accuracy? This project hypothesizes that by expanding the dimensionality of the design space and integrating human-in-the-loop learning with mathematical insights from knot theory, it is possible to reveal new solutions and guide users toward more efficient, accurate, and interpretable design decisions. This work seeks to offer a new lens for understanding chaos, one that integrates visual, mathematical, and symbolic reasoning, while also engaging broader audiences in science and engineering through immersive learning tools and curriculum. Outreach efforts will include curriculum development and hands-on activities for all K-12 students to support engagement with advanced STEM concepts. The research will pursue the two key questions through a multi-pronged investigation that merges topological dynamics, human-centered learning, and engineering design theory. First, the project will explore how universal templates from knot theory can be used to represent the qualitative structure of chaotic flows in four or more dimensions, enabling novel insights into the organization of phase space. The research will focus on identifying patterns and structures that organize chaotic motion, using knot theory as a mathematical framework to symbolically classify and interpret complex behaviors. These classifications will then support the development of new methods for exploring and navigating chaotic design spaces. As the system’s complexity scales beyond three dimensions, the project will explore methods for projecting and visualizing this behavior through dimensionality reduction techniques, enabling interpretation of 5D+ datasets (3D position, 3D velocity, divergence measure) while preserving topological integrity, enabling semi-analytical identification of stability boundaries and transition surfaces within high-dimensional phase space. Augmented reality (AR) will serve as an interactive research environment for exploring, testing, and refining mathematical hypotheses about chaotic structure. An investigation will be carried out on how symbolic insights from chaos theory can inform early-stage meta-reinforcement learning approaches for human-in-the-loop design, providing a conceptual basis for adaptive decision-making. This project will advance the theoretical foundations of chaotic system design while generating new pathways for integrating topology, dynamical systems, and visualization into engineering education. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-04

The 2025 ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference (SHTC2025), co-located with the ASME Energy Sustainability Conference, will be held in Westminster, Colorado, from July 8–10, 2025. This annual event serves as a major platform for researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to share new ideas about heat and mass transfer, fostering collaboration across technical fields. The conference seeks to address challenges in the thermal science field through innovative discussions, research presentations from different areas, and knowledge sharing. The aim of the funding is to provide financial support for students and early-career professionals, enabling their participation in SHTC2025. SHTC2025 will feature technical sessions, keynote addresses, and panel discussions that emphasize cutting-edge research in heat transfer and its integration with energy solutions. The conference fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across topics such as nanotechnology, energy systems, thermal management, and biotechnology. The co-location of SHTC2025 with the ASME Energy Sustainability Conference expands opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. These discussions are designed to drive significant scientific progress and practical applications, supporting national objectives in energy efficiency. The initiative will also strengthen the educational and professional development of students and early-career professionals through technical presentations, poster sessions, and career-focused panels. By connecting students and early-career professionals with leading experts, SHTC2025 facilitates mentorship opportunities and fosters workforce development in heat transfer and thermal sciences. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Electric discharges (commonly referred to as spark) occur naturally in lightning flashes, where it starts a simple electron avalanche process that elevates its temperature and energy leading to spectacular form. In the atmosphere, electric discharges manifest in various ways: glow coronae, St Elmo’s fires, diverse lightning discharges, Narrow Bipolar Events, upward-directed starters, blue jets, gigantic jets, red sprite and other Transient Luminous Events (TLEs). Most discharges start with a seeding electron avalanche, as in Townsend’s (1901) process, and can evolve into a glow, streamer, or leader discharge, or a combination of these. Two fundamental parameters that are central to avalanche mechanism are: (1) the effective Townsend ionization coefficient, which describes the well-known ionization of an atom or a molecule by electron impact; and (2) a poorly understood secondary electron emission coefficient, which is the object of this proposal. The research has many practical applications; for example, it is useful for (a) their role in lighting rod optimization; (b) disinfecting medical equipment, and (c) space systems going to Mars that encounter conditions that could trigger discharges. The main objective of the proposal is to advance the current understanding of atmospheric electricity on Earth and beyond. It will address the following scientific questions: (a) How does the secondary electron emission influence the ignition of electric discharges? (b) How does the electrode shape and composition impact the initiation of gas discharges? (c) How does dust change electrical discharges in Earth and Mars atmospheric conditions? The approach will utilize an existing dusty plasma chamber at the PI’s institution with new modifications to address the above questions and includes theoretical validation to characterize the initiation of dielectric breakdown in planetary atmospheres. The PI will also explore methods to promote scientific research in planetary sciences, geosciences, and astronomy by developing open access educational tools. This includes the creation of PyTHAGORA: Python Training for Heliophysics, Astronomy, and Geosciences: an Opencourse for Researchers with Applications. This proposal will support an early career, and several students at an emerging research institute. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-01

This project will establish a distributed network of meteor radars and optical instruments in the mid-latitudes of South America, providing continuous measurements of upper atmospheric winds and nighttime wave perturbations in the mesosphere and thermosphere. This network will be able to make multi-point observations to resolve detailed four-dimensional (spatial and temporal) structures of small-scale (tens to hundreds km) waves. These small-scale waves are known to be a key player in driving variabilities at all spatial and temporal scales in this region and this network will provide a much-needed dataset for investigations of these waves and their impacts. The project will provide opportunities to a postdoctoral researcher and Ph.D. students to gain real world experience in working at remote areas to conduct engineering and research work. The project will also promote strong international collaboration with scientists from the United States, Germany, Chile, and Argentina, and will strengthen the ground-based network of instruments for geospace observations in South America. This network will be built upon two NSF-funded projects to fully leverage the existing infrastructure and expertise that are already developed through NSF’s investments: a Major Research Instrumentation project that supported the deployment of a multi-static meteor radar (MR) system in northern Chile; and an NSF Distributed Array of Small Instruments project MANGO (Midlatitude Allsky-imaging Network for GeoSpace Observations) that established a network across the continental United States with multiple all-sky imagers and Fabry-Perot Interferometers (FPIs). This project will expand the MR system by adding two additional receiver stations, establish an optical network with airglow imagers and an FPI and a data infrastructure to promptly retrieve and share all data products, based on instruments and software developed in MANGO. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-10

This proposal takes advantage of an existing Short Wavelength InfraRed (SWIR) all-sky imager and is an example of advances in technology that has enabled measurements in the least studied spectral region spanning 800 – 1700 nm wavelength range. The investigators plan to utilize this instrument to map mesoscale spatial brightness structures to study auroral and airglow emissions. The project aims to investigate the role of Alfvénic waves in generating auroral arcs and to measure metastable Helium (He) and the associated dynamics. Alfvén waves are travelling ion oscillations and magnetic field tension in the plasma, which propagate along geomagnetic field lines, and transport energy. Electrons are accelerated during the Alfvénic wave propagation, which plays a dominant role in magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling through their interactions with ionospheric ions. To examine the role of the Alfvénic aurora relative to the electron aurora, midnight observations would be considered, since during this time Alfven waves are more dominant. Supplemental observations by the instruments currently operating at Poker Flat, which include meridian scanning photometers, all sky 630.0/557.7/482.1 imagers, and the Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar (PFISR) are also planned. The proposal seeks funds to address two science questions (SQ): (i) What is the role of Alfvén waves in exciting auroral arcs and forms as compared with monoenergetic particle influx producing auroral emission? and (ii) what is the exospheric density variability in the polar atmosphere over various time scales between minutes and days? To investigate the first SQ, the proposers plan to combine SWIR observations with other instruments as outlined in the first paragraph, while the second SQ will be explored through the observations of metastable He emissions at 1083 nm, which possibly acts as a tracer of exospheric density. Addressing Alfvén precipitation will contribute to (a) thermospheric responses that impact atmospheric drag calculations and (b) enhance magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions. Observations of exospheric metastable He 1083 nm brightness and its comparison with TIEGCM would provide new insights into exospheric dynamics and total atmospheric density variations relevant to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) atmospheric drag and how it responds to changes in geomagnetic activity and solar flux, hence benefitting space weather research. The proposal will involve several undergraduate/graduate students and will provide support to an early career researcher. This award has been made possible through co-funding from the GEO directorate and the EPSCoR Program. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-10

Solar eclipses are unique celestial phenomena that offer excellent opportunity to explore the impacts of reduced solar flux on the ionosphere. As the moon’s shadow sweeps across the contiguous United States, it provides a natural laboratory to study the ionosphere—a partially ionized region of our atmosphere that plays a crucial role in radio communication, navigation, and space weather. During a solar eclipse, the reduction in solar radiation leads to a decrease in ionization. The investigators plan to take advantage of the upcoming solar eclipse in 2024 through coordinated multi-instruments observations of ionospheric parameters. The proposed work will deepen our understanding of the chemical and dynamical processes in the ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) system. Such events impact the plasma density, which adversely affects High Frequency (HF: 3-30 MHz) propagation and communication signals. While the macroscopic effects on the IT response are well understood, the detailed features controlling the ionospheric density including the transport in the F-region and topside ionosphere remain unclear. The project will strengthen collaborations with the citizen science community, support two early-career scientists and an undergraduate summer student. This project benefits society by improving communication reliability, enhancing space weather predictions, and supporting education and diversity in STEM fields. One of the main objectives of the proposal is to understand and quantify the relative importance of external forces on the ionospheric density responses to the October 2023 and April 2024 solar eclipses as observed by HF sounding and compare the findings with the August 2017 solar eclipse. The proposal will focus on the following scientific topics: 1. Quantification of Eclipse-Driven Ionospheric Changes: the project seeks to understand how solar eclipses impact the ionosphere's electron density. It plans to investigate variations in the F-region height (HmF2) and the occurrence of the ionospheric G-condition (where NmF1≥NmF2), (2) Identification of Controlling Factors: By analyzing data from ground-based HF facilities, the researchers will quantify the relative importance of various factors in determining the ionospheric responses, including reduced EUV Flux, thermospheric winds, photoelectron transport and heating. The proposed scientific investigation involves the use of the SuperDARN, the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar (MHISR), and HamSCI HF observations. This work encourages training and education of the younger generation and facilitates capacity building through the involvement of early career scientists. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-10

The project aims to address the impact of geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) on submarine cables. Submarine cables are vital as they carry a significant portion of global internet traffic. Disruptions to these cables due to GMDs can lead to widespread communication outages, affecting economies, national security, and daily life. GMDs caused by space weather events like solar storms, induce geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) beneath the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. These currents can produce hazardous voltages in submarine cables, potentially leading to failures. However, the detailed behavior of these induced currents in modern submarine cables during extreme space weather is not well understood. This project seeks to characterize the induced underwater geoelectric fields (GEFs) and potential along submarine cables during various geomagnetic disturbances. The project will benefit various stakeholders, including space weather researchers, submarine cable operators, policymakers, and the broader scientific community. Moreover, this research will facilitate technology transfer and provide practical insights for disaster management and policy development. It supports the training of a postdoctoral researcher, a female early-career scientist, and a mid-career scientist, enhancing diversity and education in the field. The project aims to model interactions between ionospheric and magnetospheric currents and submarine cables during geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs). GMDs induce geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) beneath the Earth's surface and within bodies of water, posing significant risks to submarine cables, which are critical for global internet traffic. The main objective is to characterize the induced underwater geoelectric fields (GEFs) and potential along submarine cables during various geomagnetic disturbances. Specifically, the project will investigate: (1) the types of GMDs that may produce hazardous voltages, (2) how magnetospheric and ionospheric currents influence underwater GEFs, and (3) the potential impact of solar superstorms on submarine cables. The work will utilize the SCUBAS (Submarine Cable Upset By Auroral Streams) model, which predicts voltages induced in submarine cables during geomagnetic disturbances. The model leverages data from magnetotelluric (MT) studies and integrates magnetic field disturbance inputs. This research will significantly enhance our understanding of how GMDs impact submarine cables under various conditions, including extreme space weather events. The project will gain insights into the GMDs that generate significant GEFs and potential along submarine cables, contributing to better risk assessment and mitigation planning. Research fills a critical knowledge gap using a novel combination of satellite and ground-based datasets and a comprehensive computational model. The findings will aid in risk assessment, disaster management, and policy development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-10

This Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) Stage 1 project will fund research that attempts to address severe damage caused by hurricanes Ian and Nicole to Florida's Central East Coast in late 2022, which resulted in significant damage to Volusia County and rendered numerous beachfront properties uninhabitable. A strategic restoration plan will be developed that combines hard structures like seawalls with natural elements such as sand and vegetation, resulting in “living seawalls.” Such a restoration approach will enhance coastal resilience against future storms while promoting ecological and aesthetic benefits. By integrating natural and engineered solutions, the research will help stabilize dunes, protect habitats, and maintain beach access. This approach will balance environmental and economic needs, contributing to long-term community resilience. Furthermore, advanced climate modeling will be used in the design process to generate future storm scenarios, ensuring the effectiveness of these designs in the face of climate change. The research project will involve collaboration with local communities and stakeholders to develop a strategic plan that aligns with environmental policies, economic goals, and the coastal lifestyle. The anticipated results of this project include the development of a research agenda and evaluation metrics for a Stage 2 implementation. This project will advance the field by demonstrating the potential of hybrid coastal protection methods that take advantage of nature-based solutions. It will support education through community involvement, promotes diversity by engaging various stakeholders, and ultimately benefits society by enhancing coastal resilience, protecting property, and restoring natural habitats. Stage 1 research will encompass community engagement workshops to consider, co-design, and adopt a research-based approach, schematics, and a location for the living seawall, potentially to be implemented in Stage 2 of the CIVIC solicitation. The workshop and potential implementation would focus on: a) adaptation of resilient natural foredunes, focusing on key ecological functions such as sand trapping, wind deflection, and habitat provision for species like sea turtles; b) design of the structural component which will integrate sophisticated climate modeling and stochastic simulations to assess performance under future climate scenarios; and c) consideration of socioeconomic and policy aspects involving stakeholders to co-design the seawalls, ensuring they meet ecological, aesthetic, and economic goals while adhering to environmental policies. The project will link ecosystem services such as property protection and recreation to community benefits and address permitting and insurance requirements. It will address structural endurance, ecological resilience, and socio-economic needs, providing guidelines for hybrid coastal restoration to bolster resilience against hurricanes amidst climate change. Measurable objectives include adopting a design aligned with regulations and securing shoreline properties for Stage 2 implementation and monitoring. This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program’s Track A. Climate and Environmental Instability - Building Resilient Communities through Co-Design, Adaption, and Mitigation and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-09

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is a highly competitive, federal fellowship program. GRFP helps ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of financial support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM and STEM education. This award supports the NSF Graduate Fellows pursuing graduate education at this GRFP institution. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-08

The goal of NSF's LIGO gravitational wave detectors is to explore the Universe by observing the astronomical gravitational waves that were first described by Einstein over a century ago. LIGO is currently observing a gravitational wave event about once every two weeks. This award is to develop improved mirrors for the laser-based detector that will allow more observations of gravitational waves, both more frequently and from astronomical sources that are rarer and/or farther away. Gravitational wave observations will help us better understand the universe, and specifically current mysteries including the source of dark matter, the nature of dark energy and the expansion of the Universe, and whether Einstein’s description of gravity continues to work at very high strengths like immediately around a black hole. Developing better mirrors for LIGO will also advance the technology used for mirrors in related precision timing technologies and lasers. This can help with a number of precision measurement techniques useful in many fields and applications. The PIs will train students in STEAM research areas. This award is part of the effort to reduce coating thermal noise, the limitation to LIGO’s sensitivity which dominates the lowest noise mid-frequency band. For LIGO's A# upgrade and the future Cosmic Explorer detector crystalline GaAs/AlGaAs coatings are being developed because they have the best thermal noise properties known and have optical properties commensurate with the best current coatings. With AlGaAs coatings the predicted event rate for LIGO A# will increase by 3-4 times over the previous A+ upgrade. This contrasts with 1.5-2 times the event rate increase expected with ion beam-deposited amorphous oxide coatings. Such improved sensitivity will deliver a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of more than 200 for binary black hole sources like GW150914 and more than 300 for binary neutron star sources like GW170817. This will allow for better determinations of black hole spin, better tests of alternative theories of gravity, improvement in our knowledge of the nuclear equation of state from neutron star mergers, and a better explanation of objects in the mass gap between black holes and neutron stars. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-08

This Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering (BRITE) Pivot grant supports research that contributes fundamental knowledge on material behavior when manufacturing in a low-gravity environment. Harnessing the low-gravity environment to create and process new material systems with extraordinary properties has never been more promising than it is now with rapidly increasing opportunities for long term access to space. The process of manufacturing ceramic nanocomposites in space involves vastly different thermal and transport phenomena and consequent material properties that are not yet well-understood. During the manufacturing process, the ceramic nanoparticles emit spectral signatures which are interrogated through light-matter interactions to elucidate the composite’s fundamental physical properties. The outcomes unleash new measurement capabilities that lead to better manufactured materials and the ability to create previously unexplored functional sensors. These sensors can be used to monitor parameters such as temperature, structural health, gas emissions, and others for applications on Earth and in space. This project contributes to advancing sensing and measurement technology for real-time health monitoring of various Earth- and space-based systems which benefits the U.S. economy. Broader participation of women and underrepresented minority students is achieved through outreach to bring the excitement of manufacturing in space to K-12 students and expand access to STEM education. Manufacturing in a low-gravity environment offers a means for achieving material with qualities not achievable on Earth. However, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding the exact physical phenomena, including greatly reduced buoyancy-driven convection and surface-tension driven convection, that leads to unique properties of particulate composites manufactured in a low-gravity environment. Limited studies on in-space manufacturing of nanocomposites have shown enhanced particle dispersion yielding homogeneity with some revealing better tensile properties but reduced flexural capability. This research aims to leverage light-matter interactions to reveal the effects of microgravity on the processing of nanocomposites while tailoring mechanical and functional properties in these materials. With a focus on manufacturing of ceramic, lunar and planetary regolith nanoparticles in polymer matrices, this research leads with the investigation of polymer-particle interactions, measuring changes in intrinsic spectral emission properties under acoustic levitation and in low gravity parabolic flights. The results shed light on the impact of physical mechanisms in microgravity that lead to variations in particle-matrix bonding and dispersion with different polymer viscosity and curing profiles. This understanding is utilized in tailoring microgravity-assisted manufacture of functional sensors by direct ink writing. The project establishes relationships of spectral shifts with stress and damage and intensity decays of luminescent dopants to changes in temperature and gas environments. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-08

The planned Center for Science, Technology, and Advanced Research in Space (C-STARS) seeks to form a multidisciplinary hub that supports and serves the rapidly growing sector of space manufacturing. C-STARS brings academic researchers together led by University of Florida and three partner universities (Florida Institute of Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) with spaceflight providers to help industries transition to the space manufacturing sector and improve the production of unique medicines, therapeutics, electronics, and materials that can benefit the people of Earth. The rapid increase in private sector investment and competition has increased the demand for in-space manufacturing technologies and products critical to a new space-based industry. Despite the advantages and expanding access, conducting research and manufacturing in space is limited by experience, data reproducibility, and standardized hardware technologies. C-STARS brings together broad expertise and experience in space research across the State of Florida, including the Florida Spaceport, which is the busiest spaceport in the U.S. to ensure an efficient and effective transition to commercial space research and operations for its industry partners. Additionally, C-STARS will develop new corporate mentoring programs, curriculums, certifications, and internship programs to train the future workforce in this dynamic and rapidly changing field thereby ensuring that the US achieves and sustains global space manufacturing preeminence.   The planned Center for Science, Technology, and Advanced Research in Space (C-STARS) serves as a critical nexus to advance technologies, processes and operation protocols associated with in-space manufacturing to benefit life on Earth and sustain life during deep space missions. Manufacturing in the microgravity environment provides unique physical advantages that cannot be replicated on Earth enabling the production of novel and potentially higher quality products. C-STARS combines the unique experiences, resources, and perspectives of its academic partners to help support industry transition their products and operations to the space environment in areas such as regenerative medicine, diagnostics, artificial intelligence, biomonitoring, bioenergy systems, additive manufacturing of electronics, and materials recycling. Products arising from these thrust areas have the potential to advance cell therapies, mitigate human diseases, recycle space electronics, and improve the overall sustainability of space manufacturing. In proximity to the nation’s busiest spaceport and through partnerships with manufacturing companies, launch providers, and STEM-focused education centers, C-STARS is uniquely positioned to assist companies’ de-risk, high value manufacturing needs, promote large-scale company portfolio growth, and support diverse workforce training. Together, C-STARS creates a sustainable, efficient, and effective collaboration with industrial partners to ensure U.S. maintains its leadership in the field of space manufacturing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-08

LIGO and its sibling collaborations continue to push forward the young field of gravitational wave astronomy in the fourth observing run and beyond. This grant focuses on Embry-Riddle's continued contributions to two facets of LIGO science. The first is detector characterization, which involves efforts to understand and mitigate the effects of Earth-based noise on the interferometer in order to detect gravitational waves with better clarity. Detector characterization efforts involve both near-real time analysis of data enabling time-sensitive follow-ups of signals with optical telescopes and mitigation of noise in archival searches on longer timescales. The second is the search for gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae, a promising source of gravitational wave emission beyond binary coalescences. Embry-Riddle is well positioned to advance the training of the next generation of scientists due to its focus on undergraduate education with close faculty-student interaction. Embry-Riddle's location, serving rural north-central Arizona and in close proximity to the Navajo nation, helps attract first-generation college students. The search for gravitational waves is complicated by the presence of terrestrial background, resulting from environmental disturbances and behavior of the interferometers themselves. Understanding these disturbances and removing them from interferometric data through detector characterization activities is critical in conducting sensitive searches for gravitational waves. The PI recently completed his term as a co-chair of LIGO's detector characterization group, and continues to contribute to that group's noise mitigation efforts, including vetting potential events in near real-time as a member of the rapid response team enabling multimessenger follow-ups of gravitational wave signals. Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are an exciting target for multi-messenger astronomy. Given the rate of about two CCSNe per century in our galaxy, the signatures of the next Galactic CCSN are already traveling toward us. The reconstruction of a gravitational wave from a CCSN would address a number of open questions in astrophysics, including the mechanism of the explosion itself as well as fundamental questions about neutrino interactions and the neutron star equation of state. In the next few years, the improved sensitivity of Advanced LIGO combined with more sophisticated algorithms for detection and parameter estimation of supernova signals will greatly enhance LIGO's opportunities for exploring supernova astrophysics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-08

Data science is evolving rapidly and places a new perspective on realizing state-space dynamical systems. Predicting time-advanced states of dynamical systems is a challenging problem in STEM disciplines due to their nonlinear and complex nature. This project will utilize data-driven methods and analyze state-space dynamical systems to predict and understand future states, surpassing classical techniques. In addition, the PI team will (i) guide students to obtain cross-discipline PhD/Master's degrees, (ii) guide students to work in a peer-learning environment, and (iii) educate a diverse group of undergraduates. In more detail, this project will utilize state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) algorithms to efficiently analyze and predict information within data matrices and tensor computations with low-complexity algorithms. Single-dimensional ML models are not efficient at extracting hidden semantic information in the time and space domains. As a result, it becomes challenging to simultaneously capture multi-dimensional spatiotemporal data in state-space dynamical systems. Using efficient ML algorithms to recover multi-dimensional spatiotemporal data simultaneously offers a breakthrough in understanding the chaotic behavior of dynamical systems. This project will (i) utilize ML to predict future states of dynamical systems based on high-dimensional data matrices captured at different time stamps, (ii) realize state-space controllable and observable systems via low-complexity algorithms to simultaneously analyze multiple states of the systems, (iii) analyze noise in state-space systems for uncertainty quantification, predict patterns in real-time states, generate counter-resonance states to suppress them, and optimize performance and stability, (iv) study system resilience via multiple state predictors and perturbations to assess performance and adaptation to disturbances and anomalies, and finally (v) optimize spacecraft trajectories, avoid impact, and use low-complexity algorithms to understand spacecraft launch dynamics on the space coast and support ERAU's mission in aeronautical research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-07

The Aerospace Student-Teacher Program for Innovation, Research, and Education (ASPIRE) is dedicated to merging Aerospace Advanced Manufacturing (AM) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), integrating cutting-edge aviation technologies like Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), electric aircraft, and Air Transportation (AT) with automated air traffic management. The progress in advanced manufacturing enhances the rapid growth of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), enabling the creation of drones that are lighter, stronger, and more efficient. ASPIRE for high school participants and educators in advanced manufacturing is related to the above fields. Recognizing the increasing demand for skilled individuals in the evolving aerospace industry, the ASPIRE team has tailored experiential learning activities and STEM education for high school students and teachers, specifically targeting students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds, as well as schools lacking experiential programs. ASPIRE's mission includes annually bringing subject matter experts to high schools, delivering the Aerospace Centered Career Exploration for Student Success (ACCESS) program to 100 students. Twenty percent of these students have the opportunity to engage in summer research internships through SKY-CARE (Summer Program for High School Youth in Career Aerospace, Aviation, and Research Education), alongside professional development opportunities. Furthermore, the ACCESS program expands experiential learning activities for 100 high school educators each year. The project team will develop a curriculum integrating practical experience with aeronautical manufacturing education, to foster their interests, motivations, skills, knowledge, and professional competencies in pursuing careers providing 20% of these educators with classroom supply grants to enhance student learning experiences. ASPIRE also forms partnerships with relevant organizations to amplify its impact. It employs a combination of experiential learning activities, such as hands-on workshops in rocket launching, UAS drone design, additive manufacturing, flight and UAS simulations, summer research internships, and rigorous evaluation mechanisms. An annual internship showcase conference allows participants to present their learning outcomes through oral presentations. The project's objectives include fostering diversity in the aerospace industry by exposing students from diverse backgrounds to these fields and enhancing research skills among educators. It goes beyond traditional high school education by employing experiential learning pedagogies. The project aims to cultivate critical thinking and independent problem-solving skills, nurturing innovative thinkers prepared to advance progress in aerospace industries and beyond. ASPIRE adopts a holistic approach that focuses on both academic proficiency and essential professional competencies. It prepares students for future careers by imparting technical writing, oral presentation, and scientific communication skills, thereby contributing to collaborative and forward-thinking aerospace communities. By implementing ASPIRE, the project team seeks to make a significant contribution to the future workforce and sustainability of the aerospace industry. Furthermore, it aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education and careers, thereby fostering a more inclusive and innovative landscape. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Awards · FY 2024 · 2024-06

This project will create new computational capabilities using experimental investigations to understand fracture and failure in 3D printed polymer composites. 3D printing is transitioning from demonstrative prototypes to functional products that impact a wide range of industrial sectors. However, many polymer-based 3D printed parts are prone to fracture and failure. This limits their applications in load-bearing components. Various polymer composite filaments reinforced with particles and/or fibers are being developed to improve the performance of 3D printed components. The current research and development are hindered by the complex variabilities of 3D printing. It thus largely remains in a trial-and-error stage with insufficient scientific guidance. This project will develop a science-based strategy that combines computational modeling and simulations with an optimal suite of experiments. This approach helps to gain a fundamental understanding of multiscale fracture as well as to quantify uncertainties associated with 3D printed polymer composites. The new knowledge achieved through this research can develop new technologies for 3D printing of high-performance components. The outcomes of this research can be applied to a broad array of industries. The research will be complemented by educational and outreach activities. These include curriculum enhancements, hands-on 3D printing workshops, and STEM education programs that engage K-12 and underrepresented minority students. This project will take on the challenges of quantifying the process-structure-property-performance relationship and deriving multiscale fracture mechanics mechanisms for additively manufactured polymer composites. Although additive manufacturing is capable of printing parts with relatively complex geometries, several fundamental issues must be addressed before AM can advance to producing functional composites. Current limitations include microstructural defects due to strong thermal gradients induced during manufacturing, heterogeneous interface bonding conditions, and large fracture and failure performance variations. The research objectives of this project thus include: 1) developing direct mesoscale simulations capable of predicting thermo-mechanical-chemical coupling and fluid-structure interactions during the additive manufacturing process, which will address fundamental questions of how motions and deformations, temperature gradients, melting/solidification between filaments and reinforced particles/fibers interplay with one other in assocoation with micro-crack nucleation and propagation; 2) deriving multiscale modeling of fracture based on machine learning of micro-crack simulations and phase-field models of macro-crack predictions, with in-situ monitoring of manufacturing processes and multiscale experimental characterizations being used for direct model validations; and 3) developing an optimal model-based uncertainty quantification protocol that organizes computational and experimental activities to validate the model, investigate parameter sensitivities, and quantify process/property variations. The research outcomes will advance fundamental knowledge of the complex interplay between additive manufacturing process parameters and fracture behaviors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.