UND researchers receive $1.5 million Department of War grant for aviation research

Three-year project will study factors that may help improve student success in naval flight training

A University of North Dakota research team has received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of War’s Office of Naval Research to study factors that may help students succeed in flight training.

Andrew Leonard, an assistant professor at the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, leads the three-year project. Leonard is joined by Nicholas Wilson, associate professor in aviation and Thomas Petros, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in psychology.

Naval flight training requires a significant investment of time and resources, making student attrition a priority for the Department of the Navy. UND researchers will examine whether certain physical and psychological characteristics are associated with stronger performance under the stresses of flight training.

“This study looks to identify variables that can help increase student success in flight training,” Leonard said. “One of our primary goals is to help decrease the current high attrition rate among naval aviation students.”

Researchers will conduct the study in primary flight training and collegiate aviation settings, comparing flight-training and academic performance with measurements of how participants respond to stress. Later stages of the project will incorporate UND’s flight simulation capabilities to study participants in simulated high-stress situations.

“The combination of large-scale flight training, sophisticated simulation capabilities and faculty with interdisciplinary research experience makes UND an ideal institution to conduct this study,” Leonard said. “We have expertise spanning aviation, human factors, safety, flight training, psychology and data analytics.”

The findings could ultimately help inform future approaches to naval aviation training and safety.

Leonard said the award also reflects UND’s expanding role in aviation research.

“This award is an important validation of UND’s ability to conduct high-level, nationally significant aviation research,” he said. “It strengthens our position not only as a place where pilots are trained, but also as a place where relevant, real-world research is conducted.”

The project was funded through the Office of Naval Research’s Fiscal Year 2025 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology, which supports research addressing the Department of the Navy’s science and technology needs.