DTRA Post-Doctoral Pipeline for Fellows Program [Application included]

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1 DTRA Post-Doctoral Pipeline for Fellows Program [Application included] Overview: The objective of this fellowship program is to assist DTRA to address critical scientific, technology and engineering needs for reducing the threat from Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). This program will enable DTRA to utilize mission-critical expertise possessed by highly qualified faculty and graduate students (nearing completion of their degree) who hold doctoral or terminal professional degrees in relevant scientific, technical and engineering disciplines. Post-Doctoral Fellows will be selected based upon their responsive ability to enhance the DTRA mission to counter WMD. Key science and technology skills include: nuclear and radiation physics; weapons engineering; chemistry of materials, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering; broad-based nano-technological science and applications; weapons effects and system response technologies; physics, chemistry and biological sciences related to detection, characterization and destruction of WMD materials; medical and pharmaceutical sciences; information technology, modeling, data visualization and advanced computational sciences; social, adversarial and behavioral modeling and analysis. Post-Doctoral Fellows will be assigned as PHYSICAL SCIENTISTS or ENGINEERS to the Research and Development Directorate, Basic and Applied Sciences Department (J9-BA) and subsequently detailed to perform such duties as may be required among the various agency Enterprises, Directorates and Offices. The incumbent, as a technical authority and representative of the Directorate, is responsible for basic and applied science projects and initiatives, for planning, coordinating, and evaluating research proposals and projects which address challenges in combating WMD. The incumbent will execute duties such as soliciting challenges / topics from other DTRA directorates, assisting with drafting Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) or Requests for Proposals (RFPs), technically reviewing white papers, keeping in touch with Principal Investigators (PIs), organizing and attending project technical reviews, and presenting at portfolio / program reviews. The incumbent is to provide technical and program management support to the Directorate, to DTRA and DOD. The incumbent is to maintain personal technical knowledge in the incumbent's subject of expertise by reading and researching peer-reviewed journal articles, attending / organizing conferences, meetings and symposia, and keeping abreast of the state-of-the-art. The applicant's current research may be able to be continued while working under this opportunity but only if DTRA feels it is in concert with their goals. For an American citizen capable of obtaining security clearances at the Secret Level, this opportunity would provide $83,664 annual salary (including a monthly living allowance of $1,000) and a $6,000 domestic travel. hired as a Post PhD in the Penn State University s College of Information Sciences and Technology. DTRA hires applicants for the DTRA Basic and Applied Sciences Thrust Areas. The following pages define each thrust area and includes the Candidate Recruitment Request information. The application follows.

2 (Thrust Area 1) Science of WMD Sensing and Recognition: The basic science of WMD sensing and recognition is the fundamental understanding of materials that demonstrate measurable changes when stimulated by radiation or particles from WMD in the environment. This research thrust involves exploration and exploitation of interactions between materials and various photons, molecules, nuclear radiation and/or particles. These interactions and the specific form of recognition they provide are used for subsequent generation of information that provides knowledge of the presence, identity, and/or quantity of material or energy in the environment that may be significant. Research and Development Enterprise, Basic and Applied Sciences Directorate (RD-BA) Thrust Area 1: Science of WMD Sensing and Recognition The candidate should have a Ph.D. in one of the physical sciences or in engineering A strong degree of quantitative ability and strong communication skills are sought. A background in multiple disciplines is desirable; for example, course-work in several distinct subjects drawn from topics such as chemistry (especially radiochemistry), radiation detection, nuclear science & engineering, physics (including laser, nuclear, condensed matter, plasma, atomic, molecular, and optical), materials science, remote sensing, mass spectrometry, robotics, mathematics, international relations, political science and related curricula. An interest and ability to learn policy issues is also desirable. The ideal candidate will have conducted a mix of science and policy-relevant studies. Work : This position is on-site at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and is not a lab research position, incorporating neither laboratory time nor academic research. The successful candidate will be expected to assist in the development of research topics and management of grants that improve the understanding of science with the objective of sensing and recognition of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) to include: advancing capabilities to locate, identify and characterize nuclear and radiological materials, providing significant advancements in stand-off detection capabilities; and reducing the technical nuclear forensics timeline. ======================================================================================= (Thrust Area 2) Cognitive and Information Science: : The basic science of cognitive and information science results from the convergence of computer, information, mathematical, network, cognitive, and social science. This research thrust expands our understanding of physical and social networks and advances knowledge of adversarial intent with respect to the acquisition, proliferation, and potential use of WMD. The methods may include analytical, computational or numerical, or experimental means to integrate knowledge across disciplines and improve rapid processing of intelligence and dissemination of information. Research and Development Directorate, Basic and Applied Sciences Department (J9-BA) Thrust Area 2 Network Sciences The candidate should have a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering/Physics. The candidate should have a strong background in power systems and control theory. Knowledge of nuclear weapons effects a plus. Understanding of mathematical and statistical methods for design, control and characterization of dynamic, reconfigurable networks Understanding of power grid components and control of the power grid Some theoretical understanding of graph theory and network analysis. Understanding of electrodynamics and EM fields required. Excellent written and oral communication skills Excellent research skills, concomitant with ability to condense large amounts of information, eliminate extraneous data, and provide clarity of message Experience decomposing requirements into science topics Experience preparing, reviewing, editing and formatting technical documents and associated graphics/illustrations Ability to multitask and align deliverables with tight project deadlines

3 Ability to work independently and in teams with other scientists and engineers, as necessary, with minimal direction/supervision Work : Employs Basic Research principles, standards and engages systematic studies directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of WMD effects on networks. Provides subject matter expertise for basic and early applied research efforts, analytical support and technical advice to the establishment of requirements, and technical oversight of scientific study and experimentation directed toward increasing fundamental knowledge and understanding related to long-term combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) needs. ======================================================================================= (Thrust Area 3) Science for Protection: Basic science for protection involves advancing knowledge to protect life and life-sustaining resources and networks. Protection includes threat containment, decontamination, threat filtering, and shielding of systems. The concept is generalized to include fundamental investigations that reduce consequences of WMD, assist in the restoration of lifesustaining functions and support forensic science. Research and Development Enterprise, Basic and Applied Sciences Directorate (RD-BA) Thrust Area 3: Science for Protection The candidate should have a Ph.D. in Physical Sciences such as electrical engineering, materials science, nuclear physics, solid state physics or related discipline. A background including coursework or research in nuclear science is desired. A strong degree of quantitative ability and strong communication skills are sought. A background in multiple disciplines is desirable. Familiarity of radiation interaction with materials and the ability to interpret experimental data, theory, and scientific modeling of phenomena causing radiation or nuclear effects is desirable. Work : This position is on-site at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and is not a lab research position, incorporating neither laboratory time nor academic research. The successful candidate will be expected to assist in the development of research topics and management of grants that improve the understanding of science with the objective of protection of resources and infrastructure. Work will be designed to advance capabilities to improve complex system components against the effects of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD); shield or harden components or systems and infrastructure. Additionally, the thrust area seeks to investigate analytical, computational, and/or experimental approaches to understand Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosive (CBRNE) effects and fundamental methods to reduce consequences, as well as, understand means and methods to mitigate the effects of, and restore systems, after WMD attack. ======================================================================================= (Thrust Area 4) Science to Defeat WMD: Basic science to defeat WMD involves furthering the understanding of explosives, their detonation and problems associated with accessing the target WMDs. This research thrust includes the creation of new energetic molecules/materials that enhance the defeat of WMDs, the improvement of modeling, and simulation of these materials and various phenomena that affect success and estimate the impact of defeat actions, and investigation of novel methods that may yield order-of-magnitude improvements in energy and energy release rate. Research and Development Enterprise, Basic and Applied Sciences Directorate (RD-BA) Thrust Area 4, Science to Defeat WMD

4 The candidate should have a PhD in Material Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Physics, Computational Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or Materials Engineering. Expert knowledge of at least one of these research areas: Energetic materials, pyrotechnics, reactive materials, biocidal (able to destroy bio agents) materials, general material science, nano technology, structural materials or functional materials. Materials modeling and simulation, density functional theory, molecular dynamics simulation, multi-scale methods, or modeling of heterogeneous systems with grains and grain boundaries. Computational fluid dynamics, turbulence, Eulerian or Lagrangian methods. Some knowledge of shock physics, high-pressure or high-temperature effects, time-resolved spectroscopies, dynamic diagnostic methods, 3-D imaging techniques, etc. Excellent research skills, particularly using online resources, with ability to condense large amounts of information, eliminate extraneous data, and provide intelligent answers Experience preparing, reviewing, editing and formatting technical documents and associated graphics/illustrations Ability to multitask, specially under tight deadlines, independently and in-coordination & communication with a team of other scientists and engineers, with minimal supervision Work : This position is on-site at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and is not a lab research position, incorporating neither laboratory time nor academic research. Specifically, the position is within DTRA s Research and Development Enterprise, Basic and Applied Directorate. This Directorate sponsors universities or government labs to perform farsighted, high payoff research addressing challenges in preventing, reducing, eliminating, defeating and mitigating threats from weapons of mass destruction (WMD); and facilitates transition of research results to higher levels of S&T maturation. In particular, Thrust Area 4, Science to Defeat WMD, supports research on revolutionizing weapons designed for accessing and defeating WMD, including research on new energetic materials (explosives), physical approaches that enhance the defeat of WMDs; improved modeling and simulation of weapon payloads (energetic material) and weapon effects; estimating the impact (lethality) of defeat actions; accessing hard-to-reach targets; and assessment of materials and damage (defeat) using various dynamic analytical diagnostic methods. The position entails developing research areas to push the state-of-the-art in weapons design and target access, publishing topics in BAAs to solicit research in these research areas, reviewing and evaluating white papers and proposals thus obtained, finding subject matter experts to peer-review proposals, preparing award packages for obligating funds to execute research, reading and analyzing research reports from performers, evaluating research products at review presentations and preparing presentations or support documents for program reviews, meetings or internally required tasks. ========================================================================================= (Thrust Area 5) Science to Secure WMD: Basic science to support securing WMD includes: (a) environmentally responsible innovative processes to neutralize chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) materials and components; (b) discovery of revolutionary means to secure components and weapons; and (c) studies of scientific principles that lead to novel physical or other tags and methods to monitor compliance and disrupt proliferation pathways. The identification of basic phenomena that provide verifiable controls on materials and systems also helps arms control. Research and Development Directorate, Basic and Applied Sciences Department (J9-BA) Thrust Area 5: Science to Secure WMD The candidate should have a Ph.D. in one of the fields of physical or life sciences. A strong degree of quantitative ability and strong communication skills are sought. A background in multiple disciplines is desirable; for example, course-work in several distinct subjects drawn from topics such as cultural anthropology, biology, chemistry, international relations, nuclear science & engineering, physics, political science or related curricula. An interest and ability to learn policy issues is also desirable, especially in areas of arms control, proliferation, and treaty verification. The ideal candidate will have conducted a mix of science and policy-relevant studies.

5 Work : The successful candidate will be expected to assist in the development of research topics and management of grants that improve the understanding of science with the objective of securing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) to include: advancing knowledge that supports verification of treaties, safeguards, and non-proliferation; advancing scientific knowledge for safe and verifiable control of materials, systems, and facilities that underpin greater confidence for entering, exiting, or sustaining WMD-related agreements; identifying revolutionary means to safely handle, transport, secure, or eliminate WMD components and weapons; and, improving the understanding of novel means that lead to physical or other methods to monitor events. ======================================================================================== Application Process: Based on your interest in being selected for this Post-Doctoral Pipeline for Fellows Program, please follow these steps. Complete our candidate application form below, using Microsoft Word ( enabling macros, if asked). o Be sure to state exactly the DTRA Thrust area that aligns with your specific area of research. o Print out and sign application form Scan and to jbm18@psu.edu o Applicant s completed signed form o Applicant s Cover letter, highlighting relative research and skill sets o Applicant s Current Vitae o Optionally, additional relevant information from sponsoring faculty Expected Deliverables: Applicants selected are expected to adhere to the following deliverables, respecting the noted due dates : Awarded applicants sign and mail: o Memorandum of Agreement o Signed DTRA forms (Upon receipt, fellowship arrangements will begin.) Quarterly Report Status: Due the 25th of last month of each quarter o Format - One to two detailed pages on progress having: 1. Section 1 Accomplishments this past quarter 2. Section 2 Planned goals for next quarter 3. Section 3 Presentations / Papers / Recognitions / Awards this past quarter NOTE: Any publication / presentation MUST be approved by DTRA through Jan Mahar Sturdevant. Potential visit to DTRA to present report Potential status report (using PSU s quad-chart format) authored Scientific and Technical Paper relative to this funded work Regards, Jan Mahar Sturdevant jbm18@psu.edu

6 APPLICATION Post-Doctoral Pipeline for Fellows Program Name (First Middle Last) Thrust Area- circle one: (Definitions for TA1 thru TA5 on previous pages) US Citizen: Yes No (Mandatory for Secret clearances) Ethnicity: Gender: Male Female University attending: Date Degree Conferred: / / (or anticipated) Graduate Degree: Area of focus: Research experience (Please limit to three pages): Post-Doc Applicant: (Signature) Sign, scan and to jbm18@psu.edu o Applicant s completed signed form o Applicant s Cover Letter, highlighting relative research and skill sets o Applicant s Current Vitae o Optionally, recommendation & additional relevant information from sponsoring faculty