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   Onboard
Blended wing body prototype in the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel


TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE: SEEDLING FUND
Sometimes great ideas can use a little boost. ARMD recently established the Seedling Fund to foster the development within NASA of innovative solutions to aeronautics technical challenges.

Through a competitive proposal and award process, the fund promotes the exploration of early-stage ideas through research, analysis and proof-of-concept demonstrations. Up to $150,000 a year for up to two years is awarded to each recipient to advance a new process, novel concept, or game-changing technology not currently supported by ARMD's program and project funds.

Legend
ARC = NASA Ames Research Center
DFRC = NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
GRC = NASA Glenn Research Center
LaRC = NASA Langley Research Center

2012 Seedling Fund Grant Recipients
Twenty NASA civil servants received Phase I awards with an average value of $150,000 for research efforts lasting 12 months. Efforts that show significant progress after a year could be selected to receive a Phase II grant for 12 more months of research.


Principal Investigator NASA Center Seedling Idea Discipline Area
Michael J. Aftosmis ARC Adaptive Shape Parameterization for Aerodynamic Design Aeroacoustics
Vivake Asnani GRC The Vibration Ring Measurement Technology
Craig A. Brice LARC Functionally Tailored Multi-component Composite Structures via Additive Manufacturing Materials
Kathy C. Chuang GRC Reactive Extrusion of High Temperature Resins for Additive Manufacturing Testing
Michael J.Doty LARC Active Noise Control of Radiated Noise from Jets Materials
Frederick Dynys GRC In-situ Production of High Energy Nano- Fuels by Laser Ablation Materials
Susan Frost ARC Bio-mimetic Optical Sensor for Real-time Measurement of Aircraft Wing Deflection Measurement Technology
Carl H. Gerhold LARC Adaptive Back Sheet for Acoustic Liner Application Propulsion
James Heineck ARC Non-intrusive Pressure and Sound Speed Measurement Propulsion
Loyd Hook DFRC Development of a "Where-to-land" Decision Function for an Expert Piloting System (EPS) in Man-rated Autonomous Air Vehicles Materials
Lee W. Kohlman GRC Engineered Polymer Composites Through Electrospun Nanofiber Coating of Fiber Tows Materials
John Lawson ARC Enabling Electric Aviation with Ultra High Energy Lithium Metal Anode Batteries Materials
Eric Madaras LARC Measurement of Damage-induced Changes in Stress of Composites by Acoustic Response of Embedded Magnetostrictive Particles Safety
Christopher J. Miller GRC Multifunctional Low Pressure Turbine for Core Noise Reduction, Improved Efficiency and NOx Reduction Materials
Frank J. Ritzert GRC Structural Batteries for Hybrid Electric Propulsion System Aeroacoustics
Qamar A. Shams LARC Infrasonic Tracking of Aircraft Wake Vortices Aerodynamics
Joseph G. Smith, Jr. LARC Hydrogen-Bonding Surfaces for Ice Mitigation Aeroacoustics
W. Keats Wilkie LARC Self-Latching Shape Memory Piezocomposite Control Surface Measurement Technology
Christopher J. Wohl Jr. LARC Flexible Nanopost Arrays for Direct Shear Stress Measurement Structures
M. Clara Wright KSC Thermo-mechanical Evaluation of Self-healing Metallic Structures for Aerospace Vehicles Utilizing Shape Memory Alloys Structures



2011 Seedling Fund Phase I and II Recipients
Twenty NASA civil servants received Phase I awards with an average value of $150,000 for research efforts lasting 12 months. In August 2012, 12 of the Phase I recipients were selected to receive a Phase II grant for 12 more months of research.

+ 2011 Seedling Fund Phase I and II Recipients

Principal Investigator NASA Center Seedling Idea Discipline Area Where Idea Could Be Applied
Glen S. Bigelow GRC Single Crystal High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloys
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Materials Shape memory alloy (SMA)-based actuator
Jay M. Brandon LaRC Nonlinear Aerodynamics Modeling using Fuzzy Logic
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Aerodynamics Model the flight envelope
Marty Brenner DFRC Controller Performance Evaluation of Fly-by-Feel (FBF) Technology
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Aerodynamics UAS autonomous sensing and control
John W. Connell LaRC Novel Bonding Methodologies Toward the Attainment of Primary Bonded Aircraft Structure
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Materials and Structures Ti bonded structures
Paul M. Danehy LaRC Fluorescence-Doped Particles for Simultaneous Temperature and Velocity Imaging
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Measurement Technology Non-toxic wind-tunnel testing
James A. DiCarlo GRC Ultra High Temperature (UHT) SiC Fiber Materials Hypersonic leading edges, turbine vanes and blades
Frederick W. Dynys GRC Nano-rod Piezoelectrics for Icephobic Surfaces Materials, Safety Icing mitigation
Jeffrey I. Eldridge GRC Luminescence-Based Temperature Mapping at Turbine Engine Temperatures Using Breakthrough Cr-Doped GdAlO3
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Measurement Technology Engine temperature measurement
Chad R. Frost ARC Autonomous Optical Collision Detection to Enable Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) Air Traffic Management UAS collision detection
Edward H. Glaessgen LaRC Deformation and Damage in Structurally Graded Nano-Crystalline Aluminum Alloys
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Materials, Safety Lightweight Structures
Corey Ippolito ARC Integration and Control of Morphing Wing Structures for Fuel Efficiency/Performance Control, Aircraft Dynamics Morphing wing structures
David A. Jacqmin GRC Computations of Multicomponent Fuel Jet Atomization and Evaporation, and Effects of Evaporation in Producing Drops of Different Compositions Combustion Extend combustion knowledge to new/bio-fuels
Dean A. Kontinos ARC Combined Electric Aircraft and Airspace Management Design for Metro-Regional Public Transportation
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Air Traffic Management Electric aircraft and airspace management systems
Sunil L. Kukreja DFRC Sensor-Only System Identification for Structural Health Monitoring of Advanced Aircraft Prognostics Structural health monitoring
Mary Ann Meador GRC Design and Development of Aerogel-Based Antennas for Aerospace Applications
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Materials Lightweight antennas
Michael V. Nathal GRC Three Dimensional Cellular Structures Enhanced By Shape Memory Alloys Materials and Structures Lightweight structures
Sai V. Raj GRC High Temperature Lightweight Self-Healing Ceramic Composites for Aircraft Engine Applications
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Materials Engine structures
Diana Santiago-deJesus GRC Hybrid Boron Nitride Nanotubes – Carbon Nanostructures Supercapacitor with High Energy Density Materials Energy storage device
Emilie J. Siochi LaRC Enhanced Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge Body-Force Generation using Nanofoam Materials with Infused Catalytic Layer
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Materials High-performance plasma actuators for flow controls
Ashok N. Srivastava ARC Reducing the Environmental Impact of Aviation: A Data Mining Approach to Instantaneous Estimation of Fuel Consumption
Selected for Phase II Funding		 Data Mining, Air Traffic Management Estimators for instantaneous fuel consumption






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Last Updated: July 1, 2011
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