DTRA Basic Research

Known as DTRA BASIC RESEARCH is a strategic investment by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to advance scientific and technological progress in countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD). The program focuses on high-risk, high-payoff basic research, leveraging expertise from academia, government, and industry to enhance the foundational body of scientific knowledge supporting DTRA’s Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development projects. The specific objectives include accelerating the development of radiological/nuclear detection capabilities, securing vulnerable materials, defeating WMD agents, developing radiation-hardened microelectronics, and leveraging science and technology through domestic partnerships. The program aims to build a robust fundamental research portfolio targeting strategic, mission-focused basic research with high potential impact for CWMD.

The Basic Research for Countering WMD project aligns with DTRA’s strategic objectives and supports policy and planning guidance from the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the broader WMD threat reduction community. The program solicits, coordinates, and conducts research to bring new science solutions with a fresh approach or leverage revolutionary approaches to technical surprise. It aims to enable new capabilities to control, defeat, disable, and/or dispose of WMD threats. The program's planned activities include conducting experiments to improve DoD models of nuclear fireball dynamics, developing composite nanoparticles with staged energy release, studying novel findings on semiconductors for radiation detection without refrigeration or mechanical cooling, and synthesizing functional fibers with embedded microchip readouts for wearable radiation sensing. Additionally, the program supports workforce development through internships and collaborative opportunities across universities.