OVERVIEW

Mission:
To provide the nation with a center for the validation and quality assurance of composites and advanced materials to be applied in the construction of aircraft through:

(1) research, testing, certification and technology transfer;
(2) coordination and cooperation with the FAA, aircraft manufacturers, materials suppliers and airline companies; and
(3) education of the aircraft manufacturing and maintenance workforces.

In December 2003, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a joint award to Wichita State University and the University of Washington to create the FAA Joint Advanced Materials and Structures Center of Excellence, (JAMS). NIAR was designated as a Center of Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials (CECAM) and the University of Washington was designated as a center for Advanced Materials in Transport Aircraft Structures (AMTAS).

NIAR focuses primarily on the safety and certification of emerging applications of composites and advanced materials in commercial transport aircraft.

Currently, the economic state of the aircraft industry is approaching the point of criticality as aircraft manufacturers and airlines are investigating extreme methods to reduce manufacturing costs and increase operational efficiency. These advances in vehicle development will likely accelerate during the next decade as these emerging technologies are applied to design and placed into production throughout the aircraft industry. The establishment of the FAA Center of Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials plays a key role in this evolution as the strategic integration of these new technologies cannot be achieved with contemporary materials and structures. CECAM is composed of an academic team of universities that complement each other’s interests and expertise in research areas associated with advanced materials, as that continues to be critical to future of the aviation industry and the FAA. CECAM is led by Wichita State University, with core members from Northwestern University, Purdue University, Tuskegee University, the University of Delaware and the University of California at Los Angeles.