THE AERONAUTICS RESEARCH DIRECTORATE (ARD) AND THE CENTER CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST OFFICE (CCT) (BOTH OFFICES ARE PART OF THE ORGANIZATION OF NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER) DESIRE TO CONTINUE SUPPORT FOR AEROSPACE-FOCUSED RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING INITIATIVES THROUGH A GRANT WITH CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY. THIS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ARD AND CNU PROVIDES A PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR FROM THE CNU FACULTY TO WORK ON-SITE IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE ARD AND CCT. THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR DR. ELIZABETH WARD WILL PROVIDE DIRECTION AND TASK MANAGEMENT FOR AEROSPACE-FOCUSED MULTI UNIVERSITY AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTEGRATED SYSTEMS RESEARCH IN AEROSPACE. SHE BRINGS OVER 26 YEARS OF RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE OBTAINED FROM HER ROLES WITH MULTIPLE NASA ORGANIZATIONS. THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR WILL ALSO PROVIDE ON CENTER ADMINISTRATION OF RESEARCHERS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF US UNIVERSITIES. SHE WILL ALSO PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS THAT SUPPORT THE SPACE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM AS DELEGATED THROUGH THE CENTER CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST OFFICE. THE PROPOSED GRANT WITH CNU PROVIDES A LOCAL LOW COST ALTERNATIVE FOR ADMINISTERING RESEARCH INITIATIVES ACROSS NASA TECHNICAL ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS UNIVERSITIES AND ACROSS DISCIPLINES. UNIVERSITY PARTICIPANTS KNOWN IN THE PROPOSAL AS PARTICIPANT OR VISITING RESEARCHERS ARE COMPETITIVELY SELECTED BY NASA TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL GRADUATE OR UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL RESEARCH. CENTER RESEARCH FACILITIES ENHANCE THE VISITING RESEARCHER EXPERIENCE AND VISITING RESEARCHERS BRING NEW PERSPECTIVES TO THE NASA RESEARCH COMMUNITY. THE AGREEMENT ALSO ENABLES THE ADMINISTRATION OF AN ANNUAL TECHNICAL CHALLENGE IN AERONAUTICS AND THE MEANS TO HOST TECHNICAL SYMPOSIA OR CONFERENCES FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS.