Basic Research in Microelectronics

(20:12 + Q&A)  Dr. Bindu Nair, Director of Basic Research, US Department of Defense

Index:
-- Focus on basic DoD research
-- Microelectronics investments and workforce
-- Basic vs advanced development
-- Funding sources and top fields areas
-- Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI)
-- The future of integration and advanced manufacturing

Dr. Bindu R. Nair was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in March 2020 and is now serving as the Director of Basic Research within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense. In this role, she is responsible for oversight and coordination of the Department’s $2.5 billion investment in basic science. This investment supports high risk and high pay-off basic research projects in fields including physical science, life science, environmental science, applied mathematics, and others that probe the limits of today’s technologies and discover new phenomena and know-how that may ultimately lead to future technologies for the Department.
From 2012-2017, Dr. Nair served in various roles including Acting Director and Deputy Director in the Human Performance, Training and Biosystems Directorate within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this role, Dr. Nair was involved in overseeing a broad range of DoD’s science and technology programs that support Warfighter effectiveness. Her specific areas of responsibilities in the office were in environmental technologies, bio-assist technologies (for exoskeletons and prosthetics), human machine teaming, and social behavioral modeling in the information environment.
Prior to that assignment, Dr. Nair worked for the Department of the Army with oversight responsibilities over the science and technology program in power and energy. She has worked in the DoD laboratory system at Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center as well as in private industry at Foster Miller (Waltham, MA). Her research expertise is in the field of Materials Science and Engineering including nanomaterials, polymers, and organic electronic materials, and she has taught graduate level courses in Polymer Synthesis. She has published primarily in membrane and materials development fields and holds patents in fuel cell technologies. Dr. Nair holds a B.Sc. from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Materials Science and Engineering.

For edited videos/slides for the plenary talks and working-group presentations, please visit our Silicon Valley EPS chapter's website: https://r6.ieee.org/scv-eps/?p=3049