National Security Cooperative

At South Dakota Mines, we are a strategic partner for government and industry.

We are focused on addressing critical national security challenges. Through innovative research and workforce development, we fast-track the implementation of next-generation capabilities to meet the needs of the Department of Defense and industries that support the critical infrastructure of our nation. Applying convergent approaches, we are at the forefront of innovation to support national defense objectives.

South Dakota Mines (SDM) is just one of the many reasons the Black Hills were recognized as a Great American Defense Community in 2024. Home to Ellsworth Air Force Base and Camp Rapid, the South Dakota National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, SDM works closely with military leaders and industries supporting the defense ecosystem.

Core Competencies

 

Deterrence

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Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials, Cyber and Data Infrastructure, Survivability of Forces.
Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Metals processing technologies including cold spray, laser additive manufacturing, plasma surface engineering, and friction stir welding Materials development and processing of plastics, natural biopolymers, and composites Surface treatment and coating technologies Cyber and Data Infrastructure Manufacturing technologies for security printing, artificial electromagnetic materials, adaptive optics, photovoltaic cells, microwave frequencies, and chemical sensing 2D nanomaterials for quantum computing and quantum communications technologies Sensors for autonomous cyber-physical systems Adaptive and real-time physical attack detection and recovery in autonomous cyber-physical systems UAV swarms for autonomous operations Microwave sensing and direction-finding systems  Survivability of Forces  Wound healing technologies Advanced materials for cold weather applications Resilient materials and manufacturing Biological agent neutralization Microwave sensing and direction-finding systems for civil and military applications
  • Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials

  • Metals processing technologies including cold spray, laser additive manufacturing, plasma surface engineering, and friction stir welding
  • Materials development and processing of plastics, natural biopolymers, and composites
  • Surface treatment and coating technologies
  • Cyber and Data Infrastructure

  • Manufacturing technologies for security printing, artificial electromagnetic materials, adaptive optics, photovoltaic cells, microwave frequencies, and chemical sensing
  • 2D nanomaterials for quantum computing and quantum communications technologies
  • Sensors for autonomous cyber-physical systems
  • Adaptive and real-time physical attack detection and recovery in autonomous cyber-physical systems
  • UAV swarms for autonomous operations
  • Microwave sensing and direction-finding systems 
  • Survivability of Forces 

  • Wound healing technologies
  • Advanced materials for cold weather applications
  • Resilient materials and manufacturing
  • Biological agent neutralization
  • Microwave sensing and direction-finding systems for civil and military applications

Supply Chain

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Strategic materials and energetics for munitions readiness, Domestic production of critical components, Artificial Intelligence.
Strategic materials and energetics for munitions readiness Domestic production of critical components Sustainable recovery of Earth’s resources Next-generation mining: highly autonomous vehicles, extreme environments, in-situ recovery, and workforce creation Artificial Intelligence Predicative analytics, anomaly detection, natural language processing, and image analysis
  • Strategic materials and energetics for munitions readiness

  • Domestic production of critical components

  • Sustainable recovery of Earth’s resources
  • Next-generation mining: highly autonomous vehicles, extreme environments, in-situ recovery, and workforce creation
  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Predicative analytics, anomaly detection, natural language processing, and image analysis

Energy and Natural Resources

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Energy storage technologies, Energy production technologies, Soil and Water Health, Decarbonization solutions, Artificial Intelligence.
Energy storage technologies Solid-state energy systems  Energy production technologies Bioelectrical systems Converting waste into biofuels Developing sustainable resources through renewable energy sources, smart grids, and steel recycling Alternative energy generation, including a focus on solar PV/Thermal energy generation as well as waste heat energy recovery Soil and Water Health PFAS and emerging contaminants mitigation Aquatic ecology Bioprocessing technologies to create specialty chemicals from renewable sources; develop biodegradable plastics to optimize crop growth Decarbonization solutions Carbon capture and mineralization Conversion of CO2 into products Artificial Intelligence Advanced technologies and data analytics to create smart energy systems that optimize the generation, distribution, storage, and consumption of energy Molecular modeling and simulation to address problems relevant to energy and the environment
  • Energy storage technologies
  • Solid-state energy systems 
  • Energy production technologies
  • Bioelectrical systems
  • Converting waste into biofuels
  • Developing sustainable resources through renewable energy sources, smart grids, and steel recycling
  • Alternative energy generation, including a focus on solar PV/Thermal energy generation as well as waste heat energy recovery
  • Soil and Water Health
  • PFAS and emerging contaminants mitigation
  • Aquatic ecology
  • Bioprocessing technologies to create specialty chemicals from renewable sources; develop biodegradable plastics to optimize crop growth
  • Decarbonization solutions
  • Carbon capture and mineralization
  • Conversion of CO2 into products
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Advanced technologies and data analytics to create smart energy systems that optimize the generation, distribution, storage, and consumption of energy
  • Molecular modeling and simulation to address problems relevant to energy and the environment

People

Laurie Anderson

Vice President for Research
         

Deterrence

Grant Crawford

Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Professor and Director of AMP Lab 

 

David Salem

Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor and Director of CAPE Lab

Steve Smith

Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering Department Head and Professor and Director of Quantum Materials Institute

Randy Hoover

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor

Jon Kellar

Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Professor and Director of Center for Understanding and Disrupting the Illicit Economy

Supply Chain

Andrea Brickey

Mining Engineering and Management Professor 

Lori Groven

Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor

Rudra Mitra

Mining Engineering and Management, Assoc. Professor

   

Energy and Natural Resources

Alla Smirnova

Chemistry, Biology, and Health Sciences Professor and Director of Center for Solid-state Electric Power Storage

Lisa Kunza

Chemistry, Biology, and Health Sciences Assoc. Professor and Director of Center for Sustainable Solutions

Rajesh Sani

Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor

Gokce Ustunisik

Geology and Geological Engineering Assoc. Professor

 

 

Workforce Development

A critical component of ensuring national security is a qualified workforce equipped to advance national security priorities. SDM invests in developing students to pursue defense-related careers.

This upper-level course offers Department of Defense leaders an opportunity to collaborate with talented student teams to develop innovative solutions to their most pressing national security problems.

As a member of DIBC, university researchers work with DOD to deploy solutions that address supply chain issues, develop an industrial workforce, sustain critical production, and commercialize research and development efforts to rapidly scale emerging technologies to build a robust, resilient defense industry base.

Senior-level students work on real-world problems faced by defense industry partners and military installations, providing prototypes for testing and possible implementation.

South Dakota Mines unit of the senior division of the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps is the headquarters for the Mount Rushmore Battalion. The unit is administered by commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the U.S. Army.

Since 2012, South Dakota Mines has offered this internship program connecting high school and undergraduate students to research. The students spend the summer conducting cutting-edge research in state-of-the-art laboratories with renowned scientists and engineers in STEM fields that complement their interests and areas of study.

Outreach & Collaborations

Black Hills Defense Symposium

This annual event brings together industry and military leaders, and local community members to discuss important defense issues. South Dakota Mines is an active participant, serving as subject matter experts on several topics important to national security.

Event Info

State Partnership Program

The South Dakota National Guard, as part of the State Partnership Program, included South Dakota Mines in an exchange with Suriname to include civilian-to-civilian academic exchanges and incorporate the university in planned engineering operations. 

Event Info