Rogers Selected as a National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow

John A. Rogers, the Lee J. Flory Founder Chair in Engineering Innovation at Illinois, has been selected as a National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow (NSSEFF). Rogers, who is professor of materials science and engineering and a professor of chemistry, is one of six distinguished university faculty

John Rogers

scientists and engineers forming the 2009 class of its National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellows Program. NSSEFF provides grants--$3 million over five years--to top-tier researchers from U.S. universities to conduct long-term, unclassified, basic research involving the most challenging technical issues facing the Department of Defense (DoD).

"These individuals are some of the top academics in fields of strategic importance to the DoD and we congratulate each of these remarkable scientists and engineers on their selection," said William Rees Jr., deputy under secretary of defense for laboratories and basic sciences.

The fellows conduct basic research in core science and engineering disciplines that underpin future DoD technology development. This basic research is crucial to enabling future applications in sensors, functional materials, surveillance, near shore navigation, communications and information security, energy independence, and force protection. In addition to conducting this unclassified research, Rees noted another important benefit of the NSSEFF Program.

"These are leaders in their research areas and NSSEFF will engage them with senior DoD officials, as well as scientists and engineers in DoD laboratories, in sharing their knowledge and insight on technological challenges facing the Department," Rees added.

Rogers' research includes fundamental and applied aspects of nano and molecular scale fabrication as well as materials and patterning techniques for unusual format electronics and photonic systems. He has published more than 200 papers, and is co-inventor on over 70 patents and patent applications, more than 40 of which are licensed or in active use by large companies (e.g. Lucent Technologies) and startups (e.g. Active Impulse Systems and Semprius).

His teaching has been recognized many times through selection to the Unofficial List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Their Students. Rogers was elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2006 and as an inaugural Fellow of the Materials Research Society in 2007. He serves, or has recently served, on several Editorial Boards, including those for Applied Physics Letters, Journal of Applied Physics and Nano Letters. He also is associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology, and SPIE Journal of Microlithography, Microfabrication and Microsystems.

In response to the NSSEFF Broad Agency Announcement, 156 academic institutions submitted 659 nomination letters. A rigorous technical review of 468 white papers resulted in 17 semifinalists being invited to submit full proposals outlining their research plans. Each of the semifinalists was interviewed by a panel of scientists and engineers representing a broad segment of national security. The DoD may elect to announce additional winners of this year’s NSSEFF awards at a later date.

Upon successful completion of negotiations between their home academic institutions and DoD research offices, grant awards will be made to the faculty members’ universities for support of their research.