Skydio drone. Photo: Skydio
By Cal Biesecker |
@calvinb21
3 years ago |
08/21/2020

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last Friday awarded a new round of grants valued at $7.5 million for eight projects aimed at helping to integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the nation’s airspace.

The awards, 19 in all to 12 institutions, represent the third round of grants for fiscal year 2020 under the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) program. The latest awards bring the FY ’20 grant totals to $13.4 million.

“This $7.5 million federal investment will fund university research on the safe integration of drones into our national airspace,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement.

The research areas and respective grantees are:

  • Validation of Low-Altitude Detect and Avoid Standards-Safety Research Center. Mississippi State Univ., $1.5 million.
  • Safety Risks and Mitigations for UAS Operations On and Around Airports. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, $401,999; Kansas State Univ., $220,000; New Mexico State Univ., $320,000, Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, $219,815; and Univ. of North Dakota, $320,000.
  • Science and Research Panel Support. Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, $70,383.
  • Identify Wake Turbulence and Flutter Testing Requirements for UAS. Univ. of Kansas, $800,000; and the Ohio State Univ., $698,921.
  • Urban Air Mobility: Safety Standards, Aircraft Certification and Impact on Market Feasibility and Growth Potentials. Wichita State Univ., $450,000; Mississippi State Univ., $315,000; North Carolina State Univ., $184,999; and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ., $249,923.
  • UAS Standards Tracking, Mapping, and Analysis. Embry-Riddle, $264,900; and Univ. of North Dakota, $235,000.
  • Cybersecurity and Safety Literature Review. Oregon State Univ., $200,000; New Mexico State Univ., $150,000; and Univ. of North Dakota, $114,238.
  • Validation of ASTM Remote ID Standards-Safety Research Center. Mississippi State Univ., $750,000.