BOZEMAN
Three Montana State University physicists who do basic research relating to the military have been awarded $1 million from the U.S. Department of Defense. Alan Craig, Yves Idzerda and Randy Reibel will use the money for separate projects that deal with surveillance, computer memory and hostile missiles, said Keith Cooksey, director of the Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research in Montana. The projects in all will involve 13 undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at MSU; four companies, and seven federal laboratories. The grants require matching funds from nonfederal sources. Montana was one of six states to receive the maximum number of the Defense Experimental Program grants this year, Cooksey said. Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Oklahoma also received three each. Twenty-four institutions in 18 states received money. Idzerda credited Montana's success to interesting projects, capable researchers and Cooksey's experience. Cooksey has headed Montana's defense grant program for 15 years. During that time, he took a leave of Absence to work two years as the Navy's liaison scientist for Europe and the Middle East. His office was located in the same building as Navy, Army and Air Force personnel, giving him insights into their thinking. "That experience always pays off," Idzerda said. Cooksey said the fact that Montana's recipients all came from MSU's physics department indicates their research is highly relevant to the Department of Defense. It also reflects a national trend toward awarding defense grants to researchers in physics or physics-related departments, like engineering, he said. (AP)
