Keith Moored, a professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics in Lehigh University’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, was recently selected to join the Defense Science Study Group (DSSG), a highly selective program that connects leading academic researchers with U.S. national security challenges. Moored is one of just 18 academics selected from more than 150 nominated by universities across the country for the class of 2027-28.
The DSSG introduces outstanding scientists and engineers to security challenges faced by the United States and encourages them to apply their expertise toward potential solutions. Established in 1986, the program is run by the Institute for Defense Analyses and sponsored by the assistant secretary of defense for science and technology.
Bio-inspired systems and national security
Moored’s research focuses on fluid dynamics and bio-inspired underwater propulsion systems, including technologies inspired by aquatic animals that could improve the performance and maneuverability of underwater drones. Such systems could eventually inform next-generation autonomous underwater vehicles used for environmental monitoring, exploration, and maritime security applications.
The DSSG experience culminates in the development of “think pieces” by individuals or small groups within the cohort, offering research-informed perspectives on national security.
“The pieces are meant to provide insight from our perspective as researchers into how to address some of these national security issues,” he says.
Operational immersion and academic expertise
Throughout the program, participants visit the Pentagon, military bases, intelligence agencies, national laboratories, and defense offices in Washington, D.C., where they engage with researchers, policymakers, and military personnel working directly on national security operations. The cohort meets approximately 20 days each year over the course of the two-year program.
“I’m looking forward to going to these bases and talking to the people who work on them,” says Moored. “I’ll get a much better understanding of the problems our military members are facing and what they need. I think that will ultimately help inform my own research to more directly address those challenges.”
In turn, Moored and his colleagues in the group have much to offer.
“As academics, we understand where the state of the art is in our respective fields,” he says. “We know what’s possible, and what’s reasonable from a research standpoint.”
By pairing that perspective with a deeper understanding of operational defense challenges, Moored says the group can help identify practical research directions and emerging technological opportunities.
With only a small cohort selected every two years, inclusion in the DSSG is considered a significant professional distinction. For Moored, however, the opportunity is most meaningful because of its potential impact.
“It’s an honor,” he says. “I’m grateful to have this opportunity to help solve some of these challenges, and assist the people who serve our country.”
