The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) has received a $99 million U.S. Air Force research contract. It’s the biggest contract in UD’s history.
UDRI will study technologies like 3-D printing and sensors that could save the U.S. Air Force money on maintenance for an aging air fleet.
“If the planes are spending more time in maintenance, they are not available for the job,” said SukhSidhu, head of UDRI’s Energy Technologies and Materials division.
Sidhu says the five-year contract will take 25 to 30 researchers, possibly more. About half of those will be new jobs. It could also mean sub-contracting work for local/regional technology businesses.
The university will develop courses to train Air Force personnel and students at UD in the new maintenance tools.
And Sidhu says the project has even bigger, positive implications for area businesses that are involved in the technologies that can help ensure the program’s success.
“It’s very exciting. This will not only help us do the job now but also help train the workforce of the future.”
The contract was issued through the Air Force Materiel Command Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the agency responsible for Air Force aircraft maintenance.
