Held annually, the FLC conference promotes the cross-pollination of ideas and the sharing of technology across government. ECBC’s participation is coordinated by the Technology Transfer Office, which nominates ECBC projects for the awards.

“By leveraging our partnerships and learning from our peers, we can stay on the cutting edge of the chemical biological field and improve our work, thereby making the warfighter safer on the battlefield,” said Amanda Hess, technology transfer chief. “We’re thrilled that our researchers took home two awards. These awards bolster our reputation and reinforce our position as a world leader in the industry.”

ECBC Research Chemist Terrence D’Onofrio, Ph.D., was selected as a winner of the 2017 FLC MAR Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for the “Low-Volatility Agent Permeation Verification and Validation Program.”

“What I found was that that traditional, vapor-based methods for testing permeation were not suitable for such low-volatility contaminants and could yield unreliable and dangerously misleading results,” D’Onofrio said. “To solve this problem, I created a new technique called the low-volatility agent permeation (LVAP) test method and apparatus.”

LVAP, an award winning technique used by several Department of Defense facilities, is the first contact-based method capable of accurately quantifying the permeation hazard of low-volatility contaminants through clothing and protective equipment. The potential contact hazard is measured under rigorous environmental control and standardized contact pressure.

ECBC was also awarded with the 2017 Interagency Partnership Award for its partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

In 2014, the Maryland General Assembly established RAMP MD, a group of businesses and government agencies seeking to promote additive manufacturing in the state. Through that group, ECBC hosted a visit from several organizations and later came to an interagency agreement with ATF.

Under the agreement, ECBC supported ATF by developing tactical gear with 3-D printing, 3-D scanning, interactive 3-D models, virtual interactive environments, additive manufacturing design, traditional manufacturing, concept service, and packaging and product development.

As of October 2017, ECBC and ATF are finalizing a second IAA to continue their mutually beneficial relationship.