Start Date: April 17, 2026
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Propulsion Outreach Program, or APOP, will hold its 17th annual conference poster session at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, April 17, 2026, from noon to 3 p.m.
APOP is a partnered outreach program for University engineering students. It allows students an opportunity to work with Air Force engineers and challenges them to modify small gas turbine engines and innovate on current turbine engine designs. The conference provides students an opportunity to present their designs to AFRL and AFLCMC.
The primary sponsors of the conference are the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, or AFLCMC, Propulsion Directorate, joining forces to provide funds and mentors for the event.
“It’s an honor to support such an innovative and growing program for our university participants,” said 1st Lt. Madelyn Pratt, AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate. “AFRL’s technical experts who support the program share their experiences and that insight truly allows students to dig deeper into innovative design challenges.”
The APOP conference began in 2009 with four universities participating and has grown to 21 in 2026. Every year, APOP tasks students to address a specific challenge with this year’s being compressor bleed air utilization. Challenges in past conferences have included maximum thrust/weight, variable nozzles and electronic power generation.
The poster session will allow students to present their designs in an open forum, including table displays where observers can get an overview of their projects. For many years, APOP has been an effective recruiting tool for AFRL. The organization is unmatched in terms of talented people and world-class facilities that allow the lab to accelerate technology development.
The following colleges and universities will be participating in the event:
- Brigham Young University
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- Cedarville University
- Cornell University
- Miami (Ohio) University
- Michigan Technological University
- New Mexico State University
- Ohio University
- Ohio State University
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Oklahoma State University
- Oregon State University
- Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
- Tennessee Technological University
- University of Alabama
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Michigan
- University of North Dakota
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Wright State University
Applications for the 2026-2027 school year will be accepted until May 31, 2026. Please send applications to Jacob Baranski, afrl.apop.applications.int@afrl.af.mil. Applications will be reviewed and ranked according to the responses provided. You may access the application here:
APOP University Application — 2026-2027
Final Day to Apply – May 31, 2026