WASHINGTON, March 6, 2006 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) announced it will award 30 basic research grants to 20 universities totaling about $13.5 million in fiscal year 2006 and about $30.2 million per year starting in fiscal year 2007 for a total of $150.6 million over five years. The universities will receive the grants to conduct multidisciplinary research in 26 topic areas of basic science and engineering under the DoD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program. All awards are subject to the successful completion of negotiations between DoD research offices and the academic institutions. Universities chosen for the program include: the California Institute of Technology, MIT, the University of Maryland and the University of Central Florida and Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Rutgers, Iowa State, Arizona State, Kent State, Ohio State, Pennsylvania State and Purdue universities. Funded research topics include silicon-based lasers and nanophotonics, ultrafast switching for optical imaging, a multifunctional EMO (electrical, magnetic and optical) chip for reconfigurable information processing and bioengineering for compact, sustainable power. The MURI program is designed to address large multidisciplinary topic areas representing exceptional opportunities for future DoD applications and technology options. The awards will provide long-term support for research, graduate students and laboratory instrumentation development that supports specific science and engineering research themes vital to national defense. The average award will be $1 million per year over a three-year period. If the projects demonstrate satisfactory research progress and money is available, two additional years of funding are possible, bringing the total award to five years. According to the DoD, it received 143 full proposals after the MURI program potential awards was announced, from which 30 proposals were selected for funding. The complete list of projects selected for fiscal year 2006 funding can be found at: www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/d20060222muri.pdf