In the Munitions Response sessions for the 2021 Symposium, speakers will focus on a variety of sensor and platform types ready for demonstration. Presentations will also include discussions of machine learning technologies used to classify UXO and scoring methods to evaluate systems during demonstrations. More
At the 2021 Symposium, Weapons Systems and Platforms speakers will present on advancements in additive manufacturing, data analytics, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) PFAS-free alternatives, sustainable coatings systems, sustainability analysis and machine learning to address Department of Defense (DoD) environmental challenges. More
At the 2021 virtual Symposium, attendees will have the opportunity to attend several sessions focused on Resource Conservation and Resiliency research initiatives, covering topics related to improving Department of Defense (DoD) installation resilience and natural resource management. More
This is the second year that the SERDP and ESTCP Symposium will be held as a virtual event. While we are eager to return to an in-person Symposium in the future, the 2021 virtual Symposium has an impressive lineup of researchers and technology developers who will share valuable insights to address the Department of Defense’s (DoD) energy and environmental challenges. More
SERDP and ESTCP have continued to invest in research and demonstrations dedicated to reducing or eliminating the use of chromium in processes and materials and providing safe and effective replacements for chromium. While researchers have successfully developed and demonstrated chromium-free alternatives for select processes, identifying a chromium-free sealer that can perform multiple functions would simplify and streamline DoD operations. In 2021, SERDP selected the following projects to develop chromium-free, high-performance sealers and pretreatments that can be applied across multiple surface finishing processes. More
To advance the management and remediation of military munitions in underwater environments, ESTCP has recently funded several projects in 2021 focused on the demonstration of munitions response technologies. These technologies address the following topics: unexploded ordnance (UXO) test bed sites, detailed survey techniques, and site management tools. More
In the arctic, SERDP and ESTCP are studying the dynamics of cold region ecosystems to ensure resilience against shifting climate conditions, now and in the future. Dr. Michelle Mack, a professor at Northern Arizona University, is studying carbon balance and forest regeneration in Alaskan boreal forests after wildfire. Her project team set out to determine if the ecosystem state changes resulting from interactions between fire, soils, permafrost, and vegetation immediately following disturbance remain robust predictors of carbon balance over a long period. More
Dr. Jinelle Sperry from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center is the principal investigator of a SERDP project team whose findings were recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Specifically, they recently discovered that nonnative bird species dominate plant seed dispersal networks in Oahu, Hawaii. Since Oahu has experienced significant extinction and species invasion, their discovery provides important insight for predicting ecological response to ecological disturbance. More
SERDP has launched a challenge to develop aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) alternatives for Department of Defense (DoD) use in fighting fuel fires. Challenge submissions will advance the replacement of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in legacy AFFF firefighting agents. More
In 2021, SERDP is funding projects that address the two Department of Defense (DoD) environmental challenges, (1) threats to strategic movement resulting from invasive, alien terrestrial species (IATS) and (2) infrastructure system function in the face of climate and weather extremes. These projects seek to improve biosecurity and control IATS on military vehicles and cargo and develop tools to improve planning related to DoD infrastructure resilience. More