The Army expanded its collaboration with higher education last week to create a formal research agreement with Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md.In a May 10 ceremony at the campus, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Nick Justice signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Morgan State University President Earl S. Richardson.
The CRADA strengthens a partnership between RDECOM and the university to work on research projects through school laboratories, personnel, facilities, equipment and other resources.
“We have partnerships of this kind with universities throughout the country,” Justice said.
He said this is a big event because of the base realignment and closure process. Thousands of high-tech jobs are coming to the area as Aberdeen Proving Ground transforms into the Army’s center for science and technology, Justice said.
“As we move into that new face of Aberdeen, we’re changing the face of Maryland north of Baltimore, and it’s going to become a very high-tech corridor with opportunities galore,” Justice said.
The Army is particularly impressed with the Morgan State University Computer Science Department and it will look to sponsoring projects at the university as well as recruit and hire, the general said.
The Research, Development and Engineering Command’s communication and electronics center will work closely with the school in the next coming years. Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center Director Gary Blohm participated in the signing ceremony, and will oversee the first research project.
The partnership reinforces the command’s expanding teamwork between Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and local universities. Army officials said Aberdeen Proving Ground could become one of the leading science and technology centers in the nation.
“This is a very important moment for the university,” Richardson said. “We think that there is a major role that this university can play.”
