Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is the lead institution on a $7.4 million, multi-university award from the U.S. Army that will support the development of new metallurgical methods and lightweight alloys that will help the military build more effective and durable vehicles and systems. The goal of the research is the development of databases and computer modeling techniques that will make it possible to predict the nanoscale properties of lightweight alloys (primarily aluminum, titanium and magnesium) and to use these tools to design and test new alloys for specific military applications. Researchers are also studying a variety of metallurgical processes, including heat treating, that can alter an alloy's microstructure.