Texas A&M University Office of Government Relations

The Future of Discovery...

Starting with the first federally funded grants to save the American cattle industry from disease in the 19th century and continuing with our efforts to help put a human on Mars in the 21st century, Texas A&M has greatly contributed to making the United States one of the strongest nations in the world in innovation. With a triple designation as a land-, sea- and space-grant institution, our exploration of the universe is limitless as we study the depths of the ocean, the breadth of our lands, the diseases of our people and animals, and the worlds beyond.

Two Aggies in lab coats and safety goggles work with industrial lab equipment.
A view of the U.S. Capitol building from the front, against a sunset.

...is Possible with Federal Support

With consistent federal funding, Texas A&M is equipped to help the United States meet the challenges that have overwhelmed all other nations. The United States will lead progress toward solutions to problems in agriculture, energy, defense, artificial intelligence, health, space and so much more — supporting our economy and saving lives. The stories we share here demonstrate the promise of our partnership with the federal government — our enduring commitment to use federal dollars responsibly with maximum impact for Texas, the nation and beyond.

Highlighting Four of Our Areas of Impact

  • National Security
  • Food, Energy and Water Security
  • Improving Health
  • Space Exploration

National Security

Texas A&M's leadership in artificial intelligence, biosecurity, cybersecurity, advanced computing infrastructure and military science positions it as the ideal institution to advance national defense solutions. By leveraging our subject matter experts, secure networking, state-of-the-art facilities and interdisciplinary research clusters, our research ensures a safer America for generations to come.

Dr. Mohammad Naraghi showcasing ATSP, the carbon-fiber smart plastic. Credit: Dr. Mohammad Naraghi/Texas A&M University College of Engineering

Breakthrough Smart Plastic: Self-Healing, Shape-Shifting, and Stronger Than SteelFunder: Department of Defense

Aerospace engineering and materials science researchers at Texas A&M University have uncovered new properties of an ultra-durable, recyclable, smart plastic — paving the way for transformative applications in the defense, aerospace and automotive industries.

Read Story About Self-Healing Plastics
Incoming Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar speaks during the dedication for the Ballistic Aero-Optics and Materials Range at the Texas A&M-RELLIS Campus on April 24, 2025.

Ballistic Aero-Optics and Materials Range Will Help ‘Bring Fear To Our Enemies’Funders: U.S. Army, NASA

The BAM Range, a giant high-tech tool in the race for the world’s best weapons systems, is open for business on the Texas A&M-RELLIS Campus.

Read Story About BAM Range
An digital image showing three industrial buildings surrounded by a clear orb shield with other shields defending attacks from zeros and ones (representing cyber attacks).

Researchers unveil new tool to detect stealth cyberattacks on critical infrastructureFunder: Office of Naval Research

Stealth cyber-attacks against power grids, water systems and other critical infrastructure often go undetected until it is too late. Led by Dr. Irfan Khan, researchers have developed a novel cybersecurity system to detect and defend against these attacks.

Read Story About stealth cyberattacks on critical infrastructure

Improving Health

Health research at Texas A&M works to increase life expectancy in the U.S. and around the world by assuring the safety of the food and water supply, battling debilitating diseases, responding to disasters, controlling infectious diseases and much more.

Dr. Khan holds up a small bottle of pink 3D printed medicine with a blue gloved hand. Credit: Abbey Santoro/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications

Texas A&M researcher is revolutionizing medicine with 3D printingFunder: National Institutes of Health

Imagine a childhood in which all of your medications taste good, while simultaneously coming in the exact serving size you need — no wait times for the pharmacy to reformulate them, no adult-sized pills that must be tediously cut in half and no “grape” flavors that taste absolutely nothing like grape. Thanks to the groundbreaking work of Texas A&M University’s Dr. Mansoor Khan, this once-futuristic idea is becoming a life-saving reality. Dr. Mansoor Khan is using 3D printing to create precise, personalized medication doses, a major leap for pediatric care.

Read Story About revolutionizing medicine with 3D printing
Credit: Getty Images; A man laying on the floor with a medical professional and another person providing him care for a heart attack.

Healing the Heart after a Heart AttackFunder: National Institutes of Health & American Heart Association

A new patch developed by Texas A&M University researcher Dr. Ke Huang may offer a way to help the heart heal after a heart attack. The patch uses a unique microneedle system to deliver a therapeutic molecule directly to damaged heart tissue, promoting repair and improving heart function without affecting the rest of the body.

Read Story About the patch
Astatine-211 (At-211), one of a handful of promising alpha-emitting radioisotopes for cancer therapy, is produced in-house within the Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute via the institute’s K150 cyclotron with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy Isotope Program. | Image: Shutterstock

Texas A&M Researchers Go Nuclear On CancerFunder: U.S. Department of Energy Isotope Program

Astatine-211 (At-211), one of a handful of promising alpha-emitting radioisotopes for cancer therapy, is produced in-house within the Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute via the institute’s K150 cyclotron with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy Isotope Program. At-211 has been described as the “perfect” or “goldilocks” isotope because of its potential ability to efficiently deliver radiation to kill cancer cells without leaving harmful secondary decay products in the body. The revolutionary radioisotope has demonstrated significant potential in the treatment of blood, ovarian and specific types of brain cancers.

Read Story About Texas A&M Cancer Research

Food, Energy and Water Security

Texas A&M is dedicated to meeting the challenges raised by global shifts in the risks associated with food, energy and water securities. These areas are interconnected and Texas A&M takes a holistic, trans-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach to explore and safeguard the vital functions each has in achieving prosperity for the United States.

Texas A&M University doctoral student Charles Borenstein loads a high-temperature tube furnace. Credit: Emily Oswald/Texas A&M University College of Engineering

Texas A&M researchers develop metallic gel that could transform batteriesFunder: Department of Energy

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed the first known metallic gel. Unlike everyday gels, like those used in hand sanitizers, hair products or soft contact lenses, this new material is made entirely of metals and can withstand extreme heat. The discovery could be a game changer for energy storage.

Read Story about metallic gel
A computer-generated image of a building divided by day and night time, cross-sected to show the path of energy coming from an outside AC unit into a below-ground group of ice batteries, and then up into the vents to cool down the structure.

Ice-Cooled Buildings Could Ease Strain On Power GridFunder: U.S. Department of Energy

Texas A&M researchers are working to improve an “ice battery” system that freezes water at night to cool buildings during the day. Ice battery systems work by freezing water or other materials at night, when electricity is cheaper and demand is lower. The stored cold is then used to cool buildings during the day, reducing peak energy use and lowering costs. While the concept isn’t new, Shamberger’s research addresses a key challenge: how to make the materials inside these systems more efficient, stable and long-lasting.

Read Story about ice batteries
Two operators stand on a beach in Texas with an orange drone in front of them, while using a remote control system. CLARKE was trained on drone images from over 21,000 houses across 10 major disasters. Credit: Texas A&M University College of Engineering

AI Turns Drone Footage Into Disaster Response Maps In MinutesFunder: National Science Foundation

A tool developed at Texas A&M University is set to transform how emergency responders assess damage after disasters. The technology, known as CLARKE (Computer vision and Learning for Analysis of Roads and Key Edifices) uses artificial intelligence and drone imagery to evaluate damage to buildings, roads and other infrastructure in a matter of minutes.

Read Story about Disaster Response Maps

Space Exploration

By leveraging Texas A&M’s existing expertise and resources while bringing together stakeholders from civilian, commercial and defense, we remain a leader in space exploration with our new discoveries, technological innovations and health advances.

Perseverance rover reached the Bright Angel site on Mars by navigating through a dune field, bypassing large boulders. The rover is now investigating this area’s unique geological features to understand Mars’ past environmental conditions and support future human exploration. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Researchers uncover potential biosignatures on MarsFunder: NASA

A new study co-authored by Texas A&M University geologist Dr. Michael Tice has revealed potential chemical signatures of ancient Martian microbial life in rocks examined by NASA’s Perseverance rover. The findings, published by a large international team of scientists, focus on a region of Jezero Crater known as the Bright Angel formation — a name chosen from locations in Grand Canyon National Park because of the light-colored Martian rocks.

Read Story about potential biosignatures on Mars
Rishi Jangale and Derek Pravecek with RoboBall III. Credit: Emily Oswald/Texas A&M Engineering

From sea to space, this robot is on a rollFunder: NASA

While working at NASA in 2003, Dr. Robert Ambrose, director of the Robotics and Automation Design Lab (RAD Lab), designed a robot with no fixed top or bottom. A perfect sphere, the RoboBall could not flip over, and its shape promised access to places wheeled or legged machines could not reach — from the deepest lunar crater to the uneven sands of a beach. Two of his students built the first prototype, but then Ambrose shelved the idea to focus on drivable rovers for astronauts. Now, two decades after the original idea, RoboBall is rolling across Texas A&M University.

Read Story about the RADLab
The most significant hurdle in making a spacecraft fully reusable is withstanding the intense heat it encounters when reentering the atmosphere at high speeds. The image depicts a spacecraft re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Spacecraft That Sweat? A Cool New Way to Tackle Atmospheric ReentryFunder: NASA

As space travel becomes more common, the need for fully reusable spacecraft is growing. One potential solution? A spacecraft that sweats. The Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University is partnering with Canopy Aerospace to develop and test a 3D-printed material that releases or “sweats” a coolant gas to protect spacecraft. This technology, part of a $1.7 million Air Force Small Business Technology Transfer grant, could enable the design of fully and rapidly reusable spacecraft.

Read Story about Atmospheric Reentry