AAMP-UP is a collaboration between the Purdue Energetics Research Center (PERC) and the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL). The purpose of the program is to bolster the energetic materials workforce by creating a network of students from a variety of backgrounds. The program provides students with hands-on research experience while directly contributing to a national security initiative and introduces them to the array of career options across the field. Since the program’s inception in May 2021, 141 students from 28 U.S. universities have participated.
Throughout the summer, each undergraduate contributes to an energetics project with the help of graduate student, faculty and staff mentors. These projects range in scope from additive manufacturing to molecule synthesis to machine learning.
In addition to hands-on lab work, students also complete a variety of professional development opportunities, including seminars, networking sessions and a research symposium.
As part of the summer experience, students traveled to the Crane Army Ammunition Activity (CAAA) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division in Southern Indiana to tour facilities and learn about the research and development activities on base. This full-day trip provided opportunities for students to build ties with the broader energetics community in Indiana and discover civilian career opportunities in the Army and Navy.
The program culminated in a research symposium held on July 25, 2024, that included a poster session, research talks and awards. All students developed posters that showcased the research that they completed over the summer, and three students—Jonathan Martin (Syracuse University, Aerospace Engineering), Juliann Muntz (Purdue University, Mechanical Engineering) and Jared Rigdon (Purdue University, Chemical Engineering)—were chosen to give presentations to 80 attendees, which included employees from DEVCOM ARL, CAAA and NSWC Crane Division.
AAMP-UP is a component of the Advancing Army Modernization Priorities – Energetic Materials Cooperative Agreement between PERC and DEVCOM ARL. The agreement’s research agenda targets every aspect of the U.S. energetic materials enterprise — from synthesizing molecules all the way to manufacturing munitions.
