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REU SITE: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR HYPERSONIC, PROPULSIVE, ENERGETIC AND REUSABLE PLATFORMS -THE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REU) SITE IN HYPERSONIC, PROPULSIVE, ENERGETIC, AND REUSABLE PLATFORMS (HYPER) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA (UCF) ADDRESSES THE MOST CRITICAL TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO NEXT-GENERATION HIGH-SPEED FLIGHT AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION. OPERATING AS A KEY PILLAR OF THE CENTER OF ADVANCED TURBOMACHINERY AND ENERGY RESEARCH (CATER), THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM RECOGNIZES THAT REALIZING THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION AND HYPERSONIC TRANSPORT REQUIRES A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH ACROSS AERODYNAMICS, MATERIALS SCIENCE, AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT. THE HYPER SITE CONTINUES TO RECRUIT APPROXIMATELY 30 HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS TO PARTNER WITH LEADING FACULTY AND GRADUATE RESEARCHERS. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN 10 WEEKS OF HANDS-ON RESEARCH. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME IS DEDICATED TO LAB-BASED DISCOVERY, REU PARTICIPANTS BENEFIT FROM A ROBUST PROFESSIONAL ECOSYSTEM DESIGNED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN UNDERGRADUATE STUDY AND A PHD-LEVEL RESEARCH CAREER INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TECHNICAL TRAINING, SEMINARS FROM SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS, AND ACCESS TO FACILITIES SUCH AS NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. HYPER?S ULTIMATE GOAL IS STEADFAST: TO CULTIVATE A COHORT OF FUTURE RESEARCHERS AND EQUIP THEM WITH THE SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK NECESSARY TO LEAD THE NEXT ERA OF AEROSPACE INNOVATION. THE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REU) SITE: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR HYPERSONIC, PROPULSIVE, ENERGETIC AND REUSABLE PLATFORMS (HYPER) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA (UCF) ADDRESSES CHALLENGES IN NEXT-GENERATION MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY GENERATION. HYPER WILL CULTIVATE AND UNITE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERESTS TO STUDY ADVANCED STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATION TO HYPERSONICS, SPACE, PROPULSION, AND ENERGY. THE HYPER RESEARCH PORTFOLIO INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING: (A) ADVANCED MANUFACTURING: UTILIZING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FOR HIGH-VALUE HYPERSONIC COMPONENTS, (B) THERMAL MANAGEMENT: DEVELOPING NOVEL METHODS FOR IMPROVED INTERNAL COOLING AND HEAT TRANSFER EFFECTIVENESS, (3) STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS: MITIGATING FLUTTER THROUGH ADVANCED ROTOR DYNAMIC CONTROL AND PREDICTIVE MODELING, (4) PROPULSION & MATERIALS: INVESTIGATING LIFE PREDICTION FOR MATERIALS UNDER COMBINED EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS AND TESTING ADVANCED ROCKET-EXHAUST MODELS. THESE PROJECTS ARE INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN PHD?LEVEL RESEARCH PROBLEMS THAT INTEGRATE EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES ACROSS TRADITIONAL DISCIPLINARY BOUNDARIES. THROUGH THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY FRAMEWORK, THE HYPER REU PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS FOR RESEARCH CAREERS IN AEROSPACE, PROPULSION, HYPERSONICS, AND ENERGY SYSTEMS. ULTIMATELY, THE PROGRAM?S GOAL IS TO CULTIVATE A HIGHLY SKILLED COHORT OF FUTURE RESEARCHERS, EQUIPPING PARTICIPANTS WITH THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, CONFIDENCE, AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS NECESSARY TO LEAD THE NEXT ERA OF AEROSPACE AND ENERGY INNOVATION. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

Project Grant (B) · National Science Foundation · to The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees (UEI RD7MXJV7DKT9) · data as of 2026-09-30

Source: USAspending.gov prime award transactions and FSRS subaward reports, as loaded by SpendQuery (data as of 2026-09-30). Amounts are obligations (money committed), not outlays. The official record on USAspending.gov ↗