WE PROPOSE AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY EFFORT TO PARTICIPATE AND COOPERATE WITH THE NASA/ GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER TO DEVELOP A SERIES OF FAR INFRARED-SPECTROMETERS USING NOVEL MICROWAVE KINETIC INDUCTANCE DETECTORS (MKIDS) AS WELL AS NOVEL ARCHITECTURES FOR FACILITATING THE READOUT OF CRYOGENIC DETECTORS. THESE EFFORTS WILL BE PRIMARILY BE IN THREE MAJOR AREAS: 1.) DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL MATERIALS FOR PHOTON-COUNTING MKID APPLICATIONS; 2.) DEVELOPMENT OF A MODERATE SPECTRAL RESOLUTION (R ~500) SPECTROMETER WHICH WILL EMPLOY MKIDS FOR A BALLOON-BORNE OBSERVATORY; AND 3.) DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL FABRICATION TECHNIQUES ON MICRO-MACHINED SILICON WAFERS FOR CRYOGENIC DETECTOR READOUT APPLICATIONS.