The 8th Americas Regional ISTVS Conference hosted a technical panel discussion entitled "Future research directions in terramechanics/mobility and off/on-road vehicle engineering for complex road/terrain and cyber environments."
Read MoreNewswire
Best Paper Awards at the ISTVS 8th Americas Conference
The 8th Americas Regional ISTVS conference concluded with acknowledging the efforts of the authors. The Board of Directors congratulated all the authors and researchers for their efforts and were pleased to award the 'Best Paper' and the 'Best Student Paper' at this conference
Read MoreGraduate Research Assistant Positions
ISTVS member Dr. Mehari Tekeste at ISU-ABE is inviting applications from MSc and PhD students for graduate research assistantship on vehicle traction and soil compaction management.
Read MoreISTVS Research Grants Program, Announcement of 1st Award
At its Board of Directors meeting in 2014, the ISTVS approved the ISTVS Research Grants Program. It was subsequently announced on the ISTVS website, through a newsletter, and by email in December 2014, along with a call for proposals.
The objectives of the program are to encourage:
- Interaction among the ISTVS members
- International collaborations
- Progress towards ISTVS goals
- Active terramechanics participation from young ISTVS members
The call for proposals issued December 23, 2014 was soliciting proposals from active ISTVS members applying for student support funding to sponsor activities where ISTVS members will make a contribution in areas such as the following:
- Develop and validate ISTVS standards (currently the highest ISTVS priority)
- Addressing specific research challenges that hinder the progress in terramechanics and off-road vehicle dynamics. These can include tires, case studies for model development and testing procedures.
- Compiling a database of resources (test equipment, facilities,expertise, capabilities and interests) from all universities/agencies represented in ISTVS.
- Developing curriculum or course materials for Terramechanics and Off-Road Vehicle Dynamics.
- Providing conference travel grants for students or young professionals at underserved universities or countries, or others as benefits ISTVS.
- Addressing other topics and ideas of benefit to ISTVS and the field of Terramechanics.
A peer review committee was set up by the ISTVS BOD to evaluate and rank the proposals received. Committee members were chosen to have no conflicts of interest with any of the proposals submitted. In all, six proposals were received of which one was a duplicate. Peer review was performed between April and June 2015 and resulted in significant agreement among the reviewers. Two proposals ranked similarly high and were found eligible for selection. The peer review results were presented at the October 2015 ISTVS Board of Directors meeting, and the Board decided to fund a single proposal, being the one ranking highest in the peer review.
Accordingly, the ISTVS Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the proposed research
Systematic testing and parameterization of soft soil for vehicular applications
submitted by Prof. Schalk Els, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Prof. Corina Sandu, Virginia Tech, USA, is the first award provided by the ISTVS Research Grants Program. The objectives of the selected research are to:
- Perform a comprehensive literature survey covering all equipment and techniques used to characterize soft soil
- Compile a list of resources (test equipment, facilities, expertise, capabilities, and interests) from all universities and agencies for the ISTVS community to have a better understanding of the collective infrastructure and expertise.
- Compile a soil properties database from literature and make it available to ISTVS members to facilitate future benchmarking studies and to make soil tests procedures and parameterization techniques more uniform.
- The study will conclude with a proposed ISTVS standard for testing and parameterization of soft soil.
The proposal was ranked highest in the evaluation because it best responded to the objectives of the call and is conceived to address a significant obstacle in terramechanics being the shortcoming in standardization of equipment and experimental procedures to determine terrain properties in the laboratory and in the field, leading to many different variations on equipment design and interpretations of terrain test data obtained.
A first report on progress in the selected research will be provided at the upcoming 8th Americas Conference of the ISTVS in September in Detroit.
Journal of Terramechanics update from Elsevier
We are pleased to share a report prepared by Elsevier for the 13th European Conference of the ISTVS, Rome, 21-23 October 2015.
Technical Tour Announced — 13th ISTVS European Conference, Rome
Join us in the heart of Italy for the 13th European Conference of the ISTVS. The conference will be held at the Italian National Research Council (C.N.R.), Piazzale Aldo Moro, 7 – Rome. (www.imamoter.cnr.it)
» Conference Site
» Registration
» Conference brochure (pdf)
Technical Tour
The conference program includes a technical tour of the experimentation center of the Italian Army, the Multipurpose Center of Experimentation (CEPOLISPE), in Monterotondo. The technical tour will be on the afternoon of October 22.
CEPOLISPE (English translation)
Accompanying Persons Tours
The Gala Dinner will conclude the technical tour back to Rome, where we will join the guests taking part to the leisure program in Rome. Rome offers a huge number of different tours, and the will be booked according to individual needs right at the conference Desk, thanks to an agreement with a local tour operator. Tour options will include: Christian Rome (half day), Imperial Rome (half day), and Historical Appia Antica Tour (full day).
Our international conferences form an amazing legacy since our first meeting in 1962 in Turin, Italy — ISTVS is a connected group of professionals from industry, universities, and research institutions who have been meeting over five decades to share research findings. See the full history and order proceedings.
The 13th European Conference of the ISTVS will provide you a place where you can exchange ideas and information on the current research and technology developments in the field of terramechanics and terrain-machine systems.
Conference Scientific Committee
R. Paoluzzi — IMAMOTER-C.N.R., Italy
P. Kiss — Szent Istvan University, Hungary
J.Y. Wong — Carleton University, Canada
J. Yamakawa — National Defense Academy, Japan
L. Richter — OHB System AG, Germany
S. Shoop — U.S. Army CRREL, USA
L. Kushwaha — University of Saskatchewan, Canada
C. Sandu — Virginia Tech, USA
ABOUT ROME
Rome is the Eternal city. Rome is without doubt one the most beautiful cities in the world; every year millions of visitors come from around the world to admire the treasures and masterpieces of Roman art and architecture.
The many monuments and attractions of Rome cannot be described in a short paragraph, but many websites give information on travel, lodging, visiting, dining, and enjoying Rome.
If possible, plan to stay after the Conference, and join one of the many guided tours conveniently provided by the many tour operators available.
After all, Rome wasn't built in a day — it can’t be seen in one, either!
ABOUT ISTVS
The mission of the ISTVS is to advance the knowledge in terrain-vehicle systems for improvements in engineering practice and for innovation; in the terrain-vehicle domain, to promote the transfer of advanced knowledge to the user for the benefit of society at large in environmental protection, energy conservation, and sustainable development.
Journal of Terramechanics ISTVS publishes Journal of Terramechanics: Applications to Terrain-Vehicle Systems. The Journal is the leading international journal serving the multidisciplinary global off-road vehicle and soil-working machinery industries, and related user community and governmental agencies.
The Journal provides a forum for those involved in research, development, design, innovation, testing, application and utilization of off-road vehicles and soil-working machinery. It presents a cross-section of technical papers, review, comments and discussion in the field.
ISTVS published a history of the mobility research including:
- Land Locomotion Laboratory, Detroit, Michigan
- Ground vehicle mobility, modeling, and simulation at TACOM-TARDEC * National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, USDA-ARS
- Waterways Experiment Station Mobility Research
- U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
- Keweenaw Research Center – Snow Ice Permafrost Research Establishment
- Nevada Automotive Test Center
A mentor, friend and colleague — recollections of Dr. Mieczyslaw Gregory Bekker
Dr. Andrzej Selenta informed me in early 2015 that the State School of Higher Education in Chelm, Poland, planned to publish a book, in both Polish and English, to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Bekker, and asked me to contribute an article. I felt honoured to have the opportunity of paying tribute to my mentor, friend and colleague of more than two decades.
Read MoreNanoterramechanics?
We liked this report from the New Scientist of tiny strong robots from Stanford. Good use of biomimicry to figure out how to help the feet hold up to the lateral forces. via The Verge.
Read MoreEarly-Bird Registration: Save €50 by registering before May 1 // 13th ISTVS European Conference
Early-Bird Registration: Save €50 by registering before May 1
ISTVS 13th European Conference
Rome, Italy, October 21-23, 2015
Join us in the heart of Italy for our 13th European Conference in Rome, October 21-23, 2015, hosted by the National Research Council of Italy, Headquarters, www.imamoter.cnr.it.
Our international conferences form an amazing legacy since our first meeting in 1962 in Turin, Italy — ISTVS is a small, connected group of professionals from industry, universities, and research institutions who have been meeting over five decades to share research findings.
The 13th European Conference of the ISTVS will provide you a place where you can exchange ideas and information on the current research and technology developments in the field of terramechanics and terrain-machine systems.
Post-Doctoral Researcher Position at Iowa State
Opening: Post-Doctoral Position
Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
The Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher associate. The successful applicant will work with the Physical Systems Modeling of Agricultural and Off-road Machinery Systems group. The fellow will participate in a research project to advance Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) capability to model soil/plant/machine dynamics. There will be opportunities to work in close collaboration with industrial partners. Applicant must have a PhD degree in agricultural, mechanical, civil engineering; or related areas such as physics, applied mathematics, material science with relevant expertise.
Responsibilities Required qualification and experience in the following areas: * DEM and numerical particle upscaling (particle size distribution, contact models) and associated experience in soil/granular mechanics and mechanical testing of materials * Validation and calibration of simulation models * Design of experiments and optimization methods * High performance computing in a C++ programing applicable to DEM codes and visualization of post-processing data * Publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific meetings are expected and encouraged
A strong candidate may also possess: * Experience in agriculture and construction manufacturing industry * Good communication skills and experience to support graduate student research in this area
Application Information The position is scheduled to start as soon as the elected candidate is available. The position is for one year and can be renewed for up to one additional year depending on satisfactory performance
Candidates should send their application materials including cover letter, CV, and list of three references to Dr. Mehari Tekeste at mtekeste@iastate.edu (mailto:mtekeste@iastate.edu).
Post-Doctoral Researcher Position at Iowa State
Announcement
Job Opening
The Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher associate. The successful applicant will work with the Physical Systems Modeling of Agricultural and Off-road Machinery Systems group. The fellow will participate in a research project to advance Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) capability to model soil/plant/machine dynamics. There will be opportunities to work in close collaboration with industrial partners.
Qualification
Applicant must have a PhD degree in agricultural, mechanical, civil engineering; or related areas such as physics, applied mathematics, material science with relevant expertise.
Responsibilities
Required qualification and experience in the following areas:
- DEM and numerical particle upscaling (particle size distribution, contact models) and associated experience in soil/granular mechanics and mechanical testing of materials
- Validation and calibration of simulation models
- Design of experiments and optimization methods
- High performance computing in a C++ programing applicable to DEM codes and visualization of post-processing data
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific meetings are expected and encouraged
A strong candidate may also possess:
- Experience in agriculture and construction manufacturing industry
- Good communication skills and experience to support graduate student research in this area
Application Information
The position is scheduled to start as soon as the elected candidate is available. The position is for one year and can be renewed for up to one additional year depending on satisfactory performance
Candidates should send their application materials including cover letter, CV and list of three references to Dr. Mehari Tekeste at mtekeste@iastate.edu.
Final Reminder! Call for Papers Abstract Submission Deadline Tonight 31 MAR
Final Reminder! Abstract Submission Deadline Tonight 31 MARCH
Call for Papers
ISTVS 13th European Conference Rome, Italy, 21-23 October 2015
Conference Site -- http://conference.istvs.org
Abstract Submissions -- http://callforpapers.istvs.org
Registration -- http://conference.istvs.org/registration
All ISTVS present and past members, students, and non-member professionals in the field are cordially reminded that they are invited to submit papers for the following topics:
- terramechanics
- tires, wheels, and tracks modeling
- soil and terrain modeling and characterization
- operation on snow and ice
- vehicle mobility and safety
- agricultural and construction machinery
- mining, forestry, and other earthmoving machinery
- performance assessment
- planetary rovers and mobile robotics
- education in terramechanics
All papers will be peer-reviewed, and those accepted will be included in the conference proceedings. We strongly encourage all authors to submit full papers, but will also accept oral presentations, for which only an abstract needs to be submitted.
Conference Chair Dr. Roberto Paoluzzi
Director, Institute for Agricultural & Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER)
Italy
** Save €50 — Early-Bird Registration Now Open! **
http://conference.istvs.org/registration
** Scientific Committee
R. Paoluzzi — IMAMOTER-C.N.R., Italy
P. Kiss — Szent Istvan University, Hungary
J.Y. Wong — Carleton University, Canada
J. Yamakawa — National Defense Academy, Japan
L. Richter — OHB System AG, Germany
S. Shoop — U.S. Army CRREL, USA
L. Kushwaha — University of Saskatchewan, Canada
C. Sandu — Virginia Tech, USA
ABOUT ROME
Rome is the Eternal city.
Rome is without doubt one the most beautiful cities in the world; every year millions of visitors come from around the world to admire the treasures and masterpieces of Roman art and architecture.
The many monuments and attractions of Rome cannot be described in a short paragraph, but many websites give information on travel, lodging, visiting, dining, and enjoying Rome.
If possible, plan to stay after the Conference, and join one of the many guided tours conveniently provided by the many tour operators available.
After all, Rome wasn't built in a day — it can’t be seen in one, either!
Reminder! Call for Papers Abstract Submission Deadline March 31 // 13th European Conference, 21–23 Oct 2015
Call for Papers | ISTVS 13th European Conference, October 21-23, 2015
** Call for Papers
** Reminder — Deadline for submitting abstracts is March 31
ISTVS 13th European Conference Rome, Italy, October 21-23, 2015
Conference Site -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=fd7a8de320&e=77af6e2607 Abstract Submissions -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=74a13bf8b8&e=77af6e2607 Registration -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=4f85d1f930&e=77af6e2607
All ISTVS present and past members, students, and non-member professionals in the field are cordially reminded that they are invited to submit papers for the following topics: * terramechanics * tires, wheels, and tracks modeling * soil and terrain modeling and characterization * operation on snow and ice * vehicle mobility and safety * agricultural and construction machinery * mining, forestry, and other earthmoving machinery * performance assessment * planetary rovers and mobile robotics * education in terramechanics
All papers will be peer-reviewed, and those accepted will be included in the conference proceedings. We strongly encourage all authors to submit full papers, but will also accept oral presentations, for which only an abstract needs to be submitted.
Conference Chair Dr. Roberto Paoluzzi Director, Institute for Agricultural & Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER) Italy
** Save €50 — Early-Bird Registration Now Open! ** http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=817ade5272&e=77af6e2607
** Scientific Committee R. Paoluzzi — IMAMOTER-C.N.R., Italy P. Kiss — Szent Istvan University, Hungary J.Y. Wong — Carleton University, Canada J. Yamakawa — National Defense Academy, Japan L. Richter — OHB System AG, Germany S. Shoop — U.S. Army CRREL, USA L. Kushwaha — University of Saskatchewan, Canada C. Sandu — Virginia Tech, USA
ABOUT ROME Rome is the Eternal city.
Rome is without doubt one the most beautiful cities in the world; every year millions of visitors come from around the world to admire the treasures and masterpieces of Roman art and architecture.
The many monuments and attractions of Rome cannot be described in a short paragraph, but many websites give information on travel, lodging, visiting, dining, and enjoying Rome.
If possible, plan to stay after the Conference, and join one of the many guided tours conveniently provided by the many tour operators available.
After all, Rome wasn't built in a day — it can’t be seen in one, either!
Copyright © 2015 International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a current member of the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems.
Our mailing address is: International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems Landsberger Str 24 Gilching D-82205 Germany ** unsubscribe from this list (http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=53f88bad8f&e=77af6e2607&c=c6885ff79e) ** update subscription preferences (http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=53f88bad8f&e=77af6e2607) Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utmsource=freemiumnewsletter&utmmedium=email&utmcampaign=monkey_rewards&aid=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&afl=1
Call for Papers Update | 13th European Conference, 21–23 Oct 2015
Call for Papers | ISTVS 13th European Conference, Oct 2015
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** Call for Papers
Conference Site -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=7297f41fcd&e=77af6e2607 Abstract Submissions -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=8ec6b18f31&e=77af6e2607 Brochure -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=33c46b5fe9&e=77af6e2607
Update
ISTVS 13th European Conference Rome, Italy, October 21-23, 2015
The deadline for submitting abstracts is extended to March 31
All ISTVS present and past members, students, and non-member professionals in the field are cordially reminded that they are invited to submit papers for the following topics:
- terramechanics
- tires, wheels, and tracks modeling
- soil and terrain modeling and characterization
- operation on snow and ice
- vehicle mobility and safety
- agricultural and construction machinery
- mining, forestry, and other earthmoving machinery
- performance assessment
- planetary rovers and mobile robotics
- education in terramechanics
All papers will be peer-reviewed, and those accepted will be included in the conference proceedings. We strongly encourage all authors to submit full papers, but will also accept oral presentations, for which only an abstract needs to be submitted.
Conference Chair Dr. Roberto Paoluzzi Director, Institute for Agricultural & Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER) Italy
Scientific Committee R. Paoluzzi — IMAMOTER-C.N.R., Italy P. Kiss — Szent Istvan University, Hungary J.Y. Wong — Carleton University, Canada J. Yamakawa — National Defense Academy, Japan L. Richter — OHB System AG, Germany S. Shoop — U.S. Army CRREL, USA L. Kushwaha — University of Saskatchewan, Canada C. Sandu — Virginia Tech, USA
ABOUT ROME
Rome is the Eternal city.
Rome is without doubt one the most beautiful cities in the world; every year millions of visitors come from around the world to admire the treasures and masterpieces of Roman art and architecture.
The many monuments and attractions of Rome cannot be described in a short paragraph, but many websites give information on travel, lodging, visiting, dining, and enjoying Rome.
If possible, plan to stay after the Conference, and join one of the many guided tours conveniently provided by the many tour operators available.
After all, Rome wasn't built in a day — it can’t be seen in one, either!
Copyright © 2015 International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a current member of the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems.
Our mailing address is: International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems Landsberger Str 24 Gilching D-82205 Germany ** unsubscribe from this list (http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=53f88bad8f&e=77af6e2607&c=e6401eea7a) ** update subscription preferences (http://istvs.us2.list-manage1.com/profile?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=53f88bad8f&e=77af6e2607) Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utmsource=freemiumnewsletter&utmmedium=email&utmcampaign=monkey_rewards&aid=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&afl=1
Call for Papers | ISTVS 13th European Conference, Oct 2015
Call for Papers | ISTVS 13th European Conference, Oct 2015
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** Call for Papers
Conference Site -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=0d4e2149d4&e=77af6e2607 Abstract Submissions -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=9bd51187e1&e=77af6e2607 Brochure -- http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=a2a8409435&e=77af6e2607
Reminder
Upcoming ISTVS 13th European Conference Rome, Italy, October 21-23, 2015
All ISTVS present and past members, students, and non-member professionals in the field are cordially reminded that they are invited to submit papers for the following topics:
- terramechanics
- tires, wheels, and tracks modeling
- soil and terrain modeling and characterization
- operation on snow and ice
- vehicle mobility and safety
- agricultural and construction machinery
- mining, forestry, and other earthmoving machinery
- performance assessment
- planetary rovers and mobile robotics
- education in terramechanics
All papers will be peer-reviewed, and those accepted will be included in the conference proceedings. We strongly encourage all authors to submit full papers, but will also accept oral presentations, for which only an abstract needs to be submitted.
The deadline for submitting abstracts for consideration is coming on March 1.
Conference Chair Dr. Roberto Paoluzzi Director, Institute for Agricultural & Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER) Italy
Scientific Committee R. Paoluzzi — IMAMOTER-C.N.R., Italy P. Kiss — Szent Istvan University, Hungary J.Y. Wong — Carleton University, Canada J. Yamakawa — National Defense Academy, Japan L. Richter — OHB System AG, Germany S. Shoop — U.S. Army CRREL, USA L. Kushwaha — University of Saskatchewan, Canada C. Sandu — Virginia Tech, USA
ABOUT ROME
Rome is the Eternal city.
Rome is without doubt one the most beautiful cities in the world; every year millions of visitors come from around the world to admire the treasures and masterpieces of Roman art and architecture.
The many monuments and attractions of Rome cannot be described in a short paragraph, but many websites give information on travel, lodging, visiting, dining, and enjoying Rome.
If possible, plan to stay after the Conference, and join one of the many guided tours conveniently provided by the many tour operators available.
After all, Rome wasn't built in a day — it can’t be seen in one, either!
Copyright © 2015 International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a current member of the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems.
Our mailing address is: International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems Landsberger Str 24 Gilching D-82205 Germany ** unsubscribe from this list (http://istvs.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=53f88bad8f&e=77af6e2607&c=cb69943ab1) ** update subscription preferences (http://istvs.us2.list-manage1.com/profile?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=53f88bad8f&e=77af6e2607) Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utmsource=freemiumnewsletter&utmmedium=email&utmcampaign=monkey_rewards&aid=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&afl=1
ISTVS Newswire | New research grants program for 2015
[Reminder!] New ISTVS research proposal grant program
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** ISTVS-supported collaborative research proposals framework
/// SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT ///
**
Dear ISTVS Members,
As approved by the ISTVS Board of Directors at the meeting in Seoul in September 2014, I am pleased to announce that we are inaugurating a new ISTVS Research Grants Program for 2016.
The objectives of the ISTVS Research Grants Program are to encourage: 1. Interaction among our members 2. International collaborations 3. Progress toward ISTVS goals 4. Active terramechanics participation from our young members
Two-page proposals are due by email to ISTVS General Secretary Dr. Lutz Richter (mailto:lutz.richter@ohb.de) by 15 March 2015. The evaluation committee will make recommendations for funding to the Board of Directors by 15 May 2015 and the award will be announced on 15 September 2015.
The proposal guidelines and background information are included below and are also posted to our ISTVS Awards page (http://istvs.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=a89f961e4b8d7f56705e0fc91&id=b9b68f9cad&e=77af6e2607) .
Happy holidays to all and best wishes for the new year and for all your future terramechanics endeavors.
Warmest wishes, Sally Shoop (mailto:sally.a.shoop@erdc.dren.mil)
-- Sally A. Shoop, PE, PhD Deputy General Secretary for Americas, ISTVS
p.s. We encourage you to share this announcement with colleagues by forwarding this email!
** Call for proposals
The ISTVS Board of Directors invites researchers to apply for student support funding to sponsor activities where members will make a contribution in areas such as the following: 1. Develop and validate ISTVS standards (currently the highest ISTVS priority) 2. Addressing specific research challenges that hinder the progress in terramechanics and off-road vehicle dynamics. These can include tires, case studies for model development, and testing procedures. 3. Compiling a database of resources (test equipment, facilities, expertise, capabilities and interests) from all universities and agencies represented in ISTVS. 4. Developing curriculum or course materials for Terramechanics and Off-Road Vehicle Dynamics. 5. Conference travel grants for students or young professionals at underserved universities or countries, or others as benefits ISTVS. 6. Other topics and ideas of benefit to ISTVS and the field of Terramechanics.
The funding should be used to facilitate collaboration between multiple institutions so that real, tangible progress can be made on the chosen topic for the benefit of ISTVS.
The call for proposals will be advertised on the ISTVS website, ISTVS newsletter, and email. All investigators must be active ISTVS members.
** Background
The ISTVS Board of Directors has been discussing ways to grow the society and attract new members for several years now. During the 2012 Conference in South Africa, a panel discussion was held in which all conference attendees participated. The following important topics resulted from the discussion: 1) There is a universal need in the science community to create a uniform course in Terramechanics and Off-Road Vehicle Dynamics. No such course is currently being offered as a full-course in the U.S. universities. Several examples exist worldwide, but ISTVS can and should play a pivotal role in establishing a curriculum and course material to reach more students who will become tomorrow’s professionals in these areas. 2) It is proposed that a list of resources (test equipment, facilities, expertise, capabilities and interests) from all universities and agencies are investigated and compiled, for the ISTVS community to have a better understanding of our collective infrastructure and expertise. This can be used to facilitate more efficient use of resources and less duplication of facilities and staff/student exchange. 3) There are several research challenges that hinder the progress in terramechanics and off-road vehicle dynamics. Specific challenges mentioned are tires (tire parameters, standards for testing modeling techniques, and validation), a soil properties database, case studies for model development and testing procedures. 4) There is positive interest in collaboration among ISTVS members, which should be explored. It is important to mention the uniqueness of ISTVS in the sense that it is truly an international society, with tight connections among its members. More often than not, it is very difficult to obtain research funding that will support long-term projects for international cooperation. 5) People need to know if there is an ultimate authority on a certain topic. If ISTVS is that organization, people should know about it. This includes the work on proposed ISTVS standards that haven't momentum. This is hindering fundamental developments in terramechanics and off-road vehicle dynamics, as researchers either have to rely on SAE or other accepted standards that may not necessarily fit the ISTVS problem, or, as it often happens, develop their own set of testing and model validation procedures, using a diverse range of tires, soil conditions, etc.
** Proposal action dates for 2015
The proposals will be reviewed for decisions in the following process: 1. Proposals must be submitted to the General Secretary, Dr. Lutz Richter by 15 March 2015: lutz.richter@ohb.de (mailto:lutz.richter@ohb.de?subject=ISTVS-supported%20collaborative%20research%20proposal) 2. Proposals will be assembled and sent to the ISTVS Research Grant Awards Committee by 30 March 2015. The evaluation committee will consist of 3-4 active ISTVS members to consist of the GS and DGS for each region, or their designee. 3. The committee will present their recommendation to the BoD by 15 May 2015. 4. Funding will be made available by 15 Sept 2015. 5. Awardees will be announced at the next ISTVS regional and International Conferences and advertised in the ISTVS web site. 6. Each project funded will be assigned a Project Technical Adviser (PTA) who will be responsible for technical evaluation of results according to the proposal and to act as a contact point between ISTVS and the granted Institution/Individual 7. Request for renewal/extension of proposals for years 2 and 3 should be received, together with the appropriate progress report and deliverables promised in the previous year, by 1 year after the receipt of funding. 8. Renewals/extensions can be decided by the BoD, by e-mail ballot, with a qualified majority decision of 2/3rds based on the evaluation of the contents of the application and evaluation of the PTA in charge.
** Proposal guidelines
Keep the proposal short and concise (2 pages). A one-page bio for each principal investigator (PI) must be attached as an appendix. The bio should highlight work of interest to ISTVS and note service and involvement to the organization. Full and Student members are eligible.
** Content of proposal
1. Goal/scope of the proposal. 2. Significance of the work proposed for ISTVS (both technically and in terms of professional training/education of future generations). 3. Work proposed (clear tasks identified with expected outcomes for each). 4. Project development/management (where will the work be conducted, who does what, travel planned, etc.). 5. Funding requested and how it will be spent. 6. The plan should be for 1 to 3 years, with year 1 tasks detailed, and funding for years 2 and 3 depending on the outcomes of year 1. The deliverables should include at least one ISTVS conference paper presentation or poster, and/or one Journal of Terramechanics publication, unless otherwise agreed upon, and a significant contribution to ISTVS goals and mission. 7. Clarify the cost per region for multi-region proposals. 8. Proposals are estimated to be in the range of 1000 to 5000 USD, although these are only guidelines.
Proposals must be submitted via email by 15 March 2015 to the ISTVS General Secretary Dr. Lutz Richter at lutz.richter@ohb.de (mailto:lutz.richter@ohb.de)
** Proposal evaluation
1. The proposals will be reviewed by the ISTVS Research Grant Awards Committee. 2. The committee will provide the following to the BoD: 1) a list of title and author for all proposals received, 2) the full proposals recommended for funding, and 3) the proposed amount of funding that should be contributed from each region. 3. The BoD will make the final approval through e-mail voting.
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