During a press conference held today to announce the plan to seek help in the plan, Neyland was adamant in contending that technology developed as a result of this project would likely reap great benefits for the U.S. military as well as the population as a whole.

"We want to feed research and development" to create technology to use in building starships that would also "have ancillary payoffs," Neyland said. "Clearly, a starship would have to be energy neutral. It's not going to be able to stop off at a gas station on the way. That kind of research could benefit us now."

He also cited technologies that could be used to produce food, water and oxygen in outer space.

The papers can focus on several subjects, such as: time and space manipulation; near speed-of-light navigation; interstellar communication; the religious implications of finding life on other planets; creating medical facilities in space; and what items should be taken on starships.

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at , or subscribe to . Her e-mail address is .