Colloquium Series: Dr. Michael Bakas, University of North Carolina

Join us for our Colloquium Series. Dr. Micahel Bakas, an affiliated professor at UNC, will be joining us to present his research on “Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURIs): How they are created and awarded.” at Chapman Hall, Room 125.

Research Synopsis

In this seminar, the method by which the Army Research Office (ARO) creates and approves MURI topics (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives) will be discussed. MURI topics are multimillion dollar awards intended to support a team of multidisciplinary researchers to work on a significant scientific challenge. However, the creation, defense, and award of a MURI topic requires significant effort from both the program manager (PM) and the researchers involved. The presentation will cover the entire process, beginning with the original inception of an MURI topic by an ARO program manager, the writing and development process, the competitive topic selection, team and proposal evaluation, and finally the management of the awarded MURI. In addition to providing insight into how MURI topics originate, Dr. Bakas will also provide advice and suggestions as to for how university scientists can aid and assist in the development process, tips on how to write strong MURI proposals, and advice on how to manage MURI projects once awarded one.