ARRC Strategic Partner Consortium (SPARC)

Consortium Members

Charitable Partners

Introduction

In an effort to increase the number of students educated by OU's Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC), as well as to support emerging research and ensure resources to maintain and upgrade state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, the ARRC announces its Strategic Partner Consortium (SPARC).

The ARRC is an innovation leader in radar systems, algorithms, and RF components. The ARRC is also the largest academic radar program in the nation comprised of more than 120 members including faculty, technical and administrative staff, students, post-docs, and affiliated scholars. Through its basic operating tenets of teamwork, transparency, strategic investment, and shared facilities, the ARRC endeavors to be the top academic center for radar and RF research and education.

The ARRC leads the nation in phased-array systems and polarimetric radar, phased-array antenna design, tunable microwave components, radar signal processing, RF and niche system prototyping, digital back-ends and embedded software (including software-defined systems), spectrum efficiency and agility, radar meteorology and other scientific applications, and simulation and modeling. The ARRC executes large projects in system development and prototyping, modeling, and associated science for NSF, NOAA, DoD, NASA, and industry. Through its unique combination of academic foundations, first-class facilities, and full-time engineering staff, the ARRC supports a wide range of technology readiness levels from fundamental research to fielded system prototypes.

Program Description

The ARRC SPARC provides an opportunity for industry and government entities to partner with the ARRC in ways that are mutually supportive of the ARRC's mission and partners' goals. ARRC partners will enjoy active communication with ARRC leadership and faculty regarding research and educational needs, updates on research through early access to publications and participation in ARRC workshops, access to a centralized repository of ARRC publications and theses/dissertations, and direct engagement with ARRC students. Active interaction and engagement between partner personnel and ARRC faculty/students is encouraged.

Consortium Membership Fee

Membership in the consortium is available to most entities through an annual consortium membership fee of $60K to the ARRC. SBIR-eligible small businesses may join for an annual fee of $30K. Fees are paid through a consortium membership agreement covered by the consortium's umbrella statement of work [1] (see footnote below regarding charitable gift option). Fees provided through the consortium's standard consortium agreement are eligible for a reduced indirect costs rate of 26%. [2]

Member Benefits

  • Participation in the ARRC's Annual Industry and Government Days workshop, which is open only to Consortium Members and Research Sponsors
  • Enhanced access to ARRC students, including a short biography, resume, and research topic for each student, and personal interactions with students during annual workshop
  • Members at the full $60K level may appoint an individual to the ARRC advisory board, enabling feedback on research priorities, investment in new seedling areas, etc.[2]
  • Access to recordings of periodic student research seminars
  • Acknowledgment of membership/partnership on ARRC website, newsletters, and annual report
  • Account access for a designated individual to member-only website containing student info, early access to selected publications and reports, centralized repository of ARRC theses/dissertations, and descriptions of currently funded research projects
  • Opportunity for short-term embedding (e.g., ~1 month and subject to space availability and university vetting) of technical personnel onsite at the ARRC and/or personnel exchanges for enhanced collaboration

ARRC Use of Membership Fees

The majority of annual fees received will be applied directly to student support (e.g., undergraduate and graduate research stipends). This student support will 1) enable a larger student base in the ARRC; 2) assist with effective recruitment of students who have not yet identified an advisor or where grant support is not currently available for a particular high-risk, high-reward research topic; and 3) provide seed support in emerging research areas. Annual fees may also be used to support ARRC research and educational activities via equipment purchases, software licenses and computing support, internship travel support, and other direct expenses. The ARRC will report annually on expenditures drawn from member fees.

Contact

If your organization is interested in joining or if you have further questions, please contact us at sparc@arrc.ou.edu.

Download this information in a pdf document.

Notes

  1. For organizations who may wish to partner with the ARRC via charitable gift rather than consortium agreement, please contact us at sparc@arrc.ou.edu to discuss options.
  2. The partnership program is not an alternative to a targeted sponsored research agreement for funding of specific research; therefore, member fees cannot be directed by the partner to support specific research projects, faculty members, or deliverables.