Andrew Makeev at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) has received two U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) grants worth nearly $1.5 million that will further enhance the Advanced Materials and Structures Lab's (AMSL) national standing and capabilities. A $542,937 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) grant will upgrade UTA's computed tomography (CT) facilities to enable high-resolution, in situ, 3D material characterization. The new images have up to a 1-μm resolution. The second grant is for $930,849 from the Aerospace Science Research Division of ONR to study the physics phenomena governing manufacturing irregularities or defects in composite parts. "We must continue injecting physics/science into the practical engineering analysis to better understand and predict the conditions at which the defects would happen in the composite rotocraft, flight-critical components and structures manufactured using various material systems and tooling," Makeev said. Makeev has received three ONR DURIP grants during his six-year tenure at UTA. The focus this year is on upgrading UTA's CT facility to handle structures up to 5 ft long for industrial CT capabilities. The combination of maximum size of test articles and in situ microfocus ability has made UTA's CT system a destination for Navy, Air Force, and Army research programs, and for aircraft manufacturers such as Bell, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. This in situ CT facility has been instrumental in achieving a breakthrough in understanding complex deformation and failure mechanisms in composites. The AMSL enables a shift from relying on the traditional time-consuming trial-and-error experimentation loops and empiricism in the design of composite materials and structures to efficient diagnostics and prognosis methods. These rely upon 3D imaging and performance prediction based on accurate computational tools. "The Advanced Materials and Structures Lab is continuing its stellar trajectory for making breakthroughs in diagnostics and prognosis of composites," said Erian Armanios, chair of the UTA department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. "UTA is becoming the go-to destination for pioneering work serving the aerospace industry and government labs with novel solutions to timely technical challenges." ONR coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.