UT-Austin Commits $20M For U.S. Army Futures Command Pact

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Texas System Board of Regents on Thursday approved committing $20 million to support The University of Texas at Austin’s collaboration with the U.S. Army Futures Command, officials said.

The earmarked funds are in addition to $30 million UT Austin is committing to strengthen faculty and research capabilities in areas of mutual interest with the Army, university officials said.

Headquartered in Austin, The Futures Command is dedicated to modernizing the U.S. Army, with UT Austin designated as the hub of its five research programs: Robotics and Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing, which develops advanced location tools to help soldiers navigate contested environments.

UT Austin will conduct much of the five areas of concentration, in addition to coordinating and managing the research done on other university campuses. UT Austin will also participate in research directed from the three other hubs, most notably the Hypersonics and Artificial Intelligence hubs and future work on biodefense.

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“This initiative at UT Austin is one of the reasons why we are so enthusiastic about our collaboration with the Army Futures Command,” UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife said in a prepared statement. “Students and faculty will have unprecedented research opportunities. And the Army will be able to leverage the unparalleled expertise and innovation at UT Austin as it accelerates its research capability to serve and defend our country.”

UT Austin’s commitment includes building out two facilities — the largest of which is the robotics research center to be housed in the Anna Hiss Gymnasium. This facility will allow students and faculty members to work alongside Army personnel, officials noted. The second facility will be within the building on the J.J. Pickle Research Campus that houses the Center for Electromechanics, where work requiring additional physical security will be conducted, officials said.

“The Board of Regents’ visionary support will help UT Austin achieve its bold goals for important work with the Army Futures Command,” UT-Austin President Gregory L. Fenves said in a prepared statement. “As we undertake research together that benefits national security, our partnership with the AFC will also prepare students to be leaders in critical technologies.”

University officials said the campus will also add eight new faculty hires in the related research areas over the course of five years. The funds will help initiate and enable a long-term research relationship with the Army Futures Command, officials explained. The ongoing work will allow UT Austin faculty members and students to bring research skills to bear on key technical problems the Army must solve to remain competitive, officials added.

The collaboration will yield opportunities for students to work closely with Army personnel in ways that enhance their efforts to go on to valuable careers in industry, academic research and the military, officials said.

In 2018, the Army created the Army Futures Command as an organization with the sole mission of modernization. Its headquarters was established in Austin to immerse itself “...in an environment where innovation occurs at speeds far faster than our current process allows,” Secretary of the Army Mark T. Esper said when the headquarters location was announced. “We searched for a location that had the right combination of top-tier academic talent, cutting-edge industry and an innovative private sector.”

Earlier this month, Army project directors and staffers from across the country convened at UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering with faculty experts in areas where the Army believes it needs innovation. Directors of various Army cross-functional teams briefed other Army teams and engineering faculty members on the state of research and current problems.

The symposium was the first of its kind, “...but it certainly won’t be the last,” Lt. Gen. James Richardson afterwards. “We’re here today to make good on a promise to partner America’s academic horsepower with our new modernization initiatives. The University of Texas remains the envy of the world because of your unique capabilities to generate creativity and unlock innovation.”

The Army’s priorities include improving navigation systems in long-range artillery, mobile communication networks, and developing the next generation of vertical lift aircraft such as helicopters and drones.