This year’s Defense Basic Research Conference (DBRC) truly lived up to its theme: “Foundational Science: Where Big Ideas Begin”.
Over four days, leading Department of Defense scientists, researchers, and innovators came together to explore groundbreaking ideas, share kno
wledge, and build collaborations that will shape the future of science and technology.
Highlights included:
Thought-provoking plenaries from:
- Mr. Michael Holthe – Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology - Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
- Dr. Adam Kaufman – JILA , University of Colorado Boulder
- Professor Dirk Englund – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Professor Rein Ulijn – Advanced Science Research Center at The City University of New York
Special sessions:
- From Breakthroughs to Battlefield: Strengthening Lab–University Collaborations for Advancing Basic Research and Defense Innovation — Dr. Lola Fatunmbi, Dr. Mahesh R. Neupane, and Dr. John Kamp
- Pathways to Impact: A DoD STEM and SMART Scholarship Career Showcase — Dr. Marcus Smith
Technical sessions and networking:
- Engaging technical sessions and poster presentations that sparked meaningful discussions and partnerships.
- Networking opportunities that connected brilliant minds from across the defense research community.
A sincere thank you to:
- Speakers, attendees, Basic Research Office Planning Committee — Dr. David Montgomery , Dr. Jason O. Day , Dr. Maureen Erinne- Kperogi, Toni DeVille, and Daniel Osborn .
- Technical Committee — Dr. Dashiell Vitullo (Army Research Laboratory), Dr. Chase Ellis (Naval Research Laboratory), Dr. Mahesh R. Neupane (Army Research Laboratory), and Dr. Luke A. Baldwin (Air Force Research Laboratory).
- Logistical partners, Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) at Basic Research Innovation Collaboration Center (BRICC) and University of Maryland .
Your passion for pushing the boundaries of basic science is what drives innovation forward.
We look forward to building on this momentum — stay tuned for 2026!
#DBRC2025 #defensebasicresearch #dodresearch #basicresearch