Through the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) Program and the Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT), the FAA’s Center of Excellence (COE) for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment, the FAA is supporting Research and Development (R&D) of new aircraft and engine technologies. Technologies developed by these programs will result in a fleet of aircraft with improved performance and safety. ASCENT also supports research on quieter, more efficient operational measures. 

Aircraft Technology

Through the CLEEN Program, the FAA and industry are working together to develop and evaluate aircraft and engine technologies with reduced fuel burn, less noise, and other benefits. Through the CLEEN Program, the FAA partners with aerospace manufacturers via a cost-sharing approach to support the development and integration of these advanced technologies into current and future aircraft. Visit the CLEEN Program page for more information.

Funding from the Environment & Energy (E&E) portfolio also supports efforts by ASCENT to develop and assess innovative technological solutions for subsonic and supersonic aircraft. While CLEEN focuses on partnerships with industry, the ASCENT aircraft technology work provides a complementary venue for university-led research to advance the state of the art and disseminate the learnings from these projects broadly across the industry. For more information on the technology projects under ASCENT, please visit: https://ascent.aero/topic/aircraft-technology/.

Operations

The FAA sponsors research to develop and implement quiet and energy-efficient operational procedures. This research is conducted in coordination with other government agencies (e.g., NASA) as well as non-governmental aviation stakeholders, including industry, academia, and airport communities. The FAA aims to develop innovative, cost-effective solutions while maintaining or enhancing the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System.

For more information on these operations research projects, please visit: https://ascent.aero/topic/operations/.

Partnerships

CLEEN and ASCENT are conducted in partnership with a wide range of aviation stakeholders that leverage resources from the private sector. CLEEN is a public-private partnership where the industry contributes a cost share that matches or exceeds the amount provided by the FAA. ASCENT, like all FAA COEs, requires matching cost-share from non-federal sources and benefits from an advisory committee with robust participation from a wide range of aviation stakeholders, including industry.