content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549
  
  
                                   FORM 8-K
  
  
                                CURRENT REPORT
                Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
                             Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 9, 2002
  
  
                              SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
  
  
           Maryland                  0-14465                52-1188993
        (State or other           (Commision file         (IRS employer
        jurisdiction of               number)           identification no.)
         incorporation)
  
  
  
                      23 Hudson Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
                     (Address of principal executive offices)
  
  
                                (410) 266-5556
               (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  
  
                                      N/A
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ITEM 5. - OTHER EVENTS
  
  On December 9, 2002, Sonex Research,  Inc. (the "Company")  posted the following
  news  announcement  on  its  website   (www.sonexresearch.com)  and  issued  the
  announcement over the wire services:
  
  
  
                   	SONEX RECEIVES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SUBCONTRACT
                 TO TEST AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL APPLICATION
  
  
  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND,  December 9, 2002 - SONEX  RESEARCH,  INC.  (OTC BB: SONX)
  announced  today that it has been  awarded a $458,862  subcontract  under a U.S.
  Department of Energy (DOE), Small Business  Innovation  Research (SBIR) Program,
  Phase II prime contract to Compact Membrane Systems,  Inc. (CMS), of Wilmington,
  Delaware.  Sonex will be evaluating its patented piston-based,  Sonex Combustion
  System (SCS) emissions  reduction  technology in an advanced  automotive  diesel
  engine in combination with a polymer membrane technology being developed by CMS.
  
  CEO and  co-founder  Dr.  Andrew A. Pouring  stated  "Arrangements  to secure an
  appropriate engine for the testing should be completed in a few weeks. We expect
  the  engine to be one that has been used in a joint  government  and  automobile
  industry program. Once we receive the engine, we anticipate releasing additional
  details  about the  project.  Initial  work  under the  subcontract  is  already
  underway,  as Sonex has just  received  some engine  spare  parts and  necessary
  equipment to prepare a test cell to house the engine."
  
  CMS is developing its polymer  membrane  technology for the addition of nitrogen
  enriched air (NEA) to the diesel engine combustion  process as an alternative to
  the use of exhaust gas recirculation  (EGR) as a means to reduce the in-cylinder
  production  of oxides of nitrogen  (NOx).  If  successful,  the CMS method could
  provide the benefits of EGR with reduced risk to engine wear,  with reduced heat
  load for cooling  (EGR),  without the burden of additional  hardware and without
  significant impact on the turbo- charger.  In the past, the introduction of high
  levels of EGR to reduce NOx emissions has been shown to  substantially  increase
  the production of soot/particulate  emissions. SCS piston designs, however, have
  shown the ability to reduce diesel engine soot/particulate emissions.
  
  In 2001 the DOE awarded an SBIR Phase I prime  contract to CMS to determine  the
  feasibility  of combining SCS piston  technology  with the CMS polymer  membrane
  technology, and a subcontract was issued to Sonex. Phase I testing was conducted
  on the Sonex laboratory,  single-cylinder,  normally aspirated,  direct injected
  (DI) diesel  engine.  Results  showed that the NEA polymer  membrane and the SCS
  piston in the single-cylinder engine,  supercharged by Sonex, have the potential
  for significant reduction of NOx without increasing soot/particulate emissions.
  
  The aim of the current SBIR Phase II contract  award to CMS,  and the  resultant
  subcontract to Sonex, is to transfer the Phase I single-cylinder  results to the
  multi-cylinder  engine.  Dr.  Pouring  added,  "Early stages of the project will
  focus on the emissions  reduction  capabilities  of the SCS piston on its own to
  provide data for evaluation by DOE and commercial interests.  Subsequent testing
  will take place in combination with the NEA membrane.
  
  Sonex also reported that of the $458,862 subcontract total,  $100,000 represents
  the Sonex  cost-sharing  portion,  including the value of the  contribution by a
  third party of the multi-cylinder automotive diesel engine.
  
  
  Contact:   Sonex  Research,   Inc.:   George  Ponticas,   410-266-5556,   email:
  sonex@erols.com,   website:   www.sonexresearch.com;   Investor  Relations:  The
  Scottsdale Group, Susan Ladue, 781-292-1050, email: info@thescottsdalegroup.com,
  website: www.thescottsdalegroup.com.
  
  
  About CMS
  
  Compact  Membrane  Systems,  Inc. (CMS) is a high  technology  membrane  company
  providing a family of high productivity, fluorinated polymeric membranes for gas
  separation  and the associated  production of nitrogen and oxygen  enriched air.
  CMS hollow fiber membrane modules, sized to process engine intake air, are small
  enough to fit in mobile engine  compartments.  Their chemical nature allows them
  to maintain performance over extended periods of time while located in the harsh
  engine  environment.  CMS  working  in  conjunction  with major  industrial  gas
  companies is positioned to customize  prototype  membrane systems for engine use
  and subsequently  supply commercial  modules.  More information about CMS can be
  found on the Internet at www.compactmembrane.com.
  
  Contact:  Compact Membrane Systems,  Inc., Stuart Nemser,  302-999-7996,  email:
  snemser@compactmembrane.com.
  
  
  ABOUT SONEX
  
  Sonex  Research,  Inc.,  a leader  in the  field of  combustion  technology,  is
  developing its patented Sonex Combustion  System (SCS)  piston-based  technology
  for in-cylinder  control of ignition and  combustion,  designed to increase fuel
  mileage and reduce  emissions  of internal  combustion  engines.  Sonex plans to
  complete development, commercialize and market its SCS Stratified Charge Radical
  Ignition  (SCRI)  combustion  process to the automotive  industry in response to
  forthcoming  increases in national  vehicle fuel mileage  standards.  Presently,
  high mileage, roomy and safe five-passenger  automobiles using gasoline,  direct
  injected (GDI) engines are sold only in Japan and Europe due to high  emissions.
  Sonex intends to conclusively  demonstrate that SCS-SCRI will enable GDI engined
  vehicles to achieve 50 mpg (highway) while meeting emissions standards to permit
  sale in the U.S. as a viable,  near-term  alternative to  longer-term  solutions
  such as  improvements  in hybrid  propulsion  systems  or years of  further  R&D
  required for fuel cell technology to become practical.
  
  Additionally, independent third-party testing has confirmed the potential of the
  SCS application for DI diesel engines to reduce harmful soot in-cylinder without
  increasing   fuel   consumption.   Sonex  is  pursuing   joint   marketing   and
  commercialization  programs  for the  SCS low  soot  technology  with  committed
  industrial partners.
  
  Other SCS designs are being used to convert gasoline engines of various sizes to
  operate on safer,  diesel-type  "heavy fuels" for use in military and commercial
  applications  requiring  light  weight and safe  handling  and  storage of fuel.
  Examples include UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles)
  such as those used by U.S.  defense forces in  Afghanistan,  as well as outboard
  engines, small watercraft used as targets, and generator sets.
  
  
  CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
  
  "Forward-looking"  statements  contained  in this  announcement,  as well as all
  publicly disseminated material about the Company, are made pursuant to the "safe
  harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act. Such statements are
  based  on  current  expectations,  estimates,  projections  and  assumptions  by
  management  with respect to matters  such as  commercial  acceptance  of the SCS
  technology, the impact of competition,  and the Company's financial condition or
  results of  operations.  Readers  are  cautioned  that such  statements  are not
  guarantees of future  performance and involve risks and uncertainties that could
  cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from those  expressed  in any such
  forward-looking statements.  Additional information regarding the risks faced by
  Sonex is provided in the  Company's  periodic  filings with the  Securities  and
  Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". Such filings are available
  upon request from the Company or online in the EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
  
  
                                   ###
  
  
  
  SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
  registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  
  December 9, 2002
  
  SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
  Registrant
  
  /s/ George E. Ponticas
  ----------------------
  George E. Ponticas
  Chief Financial Officer
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metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SONEX RESEARCH INC", "cik": "0000723312", "assigned-sic": "8731", "irs-number": "521188993", "state-of-incorporation": "MD", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-14465", "film-number": "02851810"}, "business-address": {"street1": "23 HUDSON ST", "city": "ANNAPOLIS", "state": "MD", "zip": "21401", "phone": "4102665556"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "23 HUDSON STREET", "city": "ANNAPOLIS", "state": "MD", "zip": "21401"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                                   FORM 8-K
  
                                CURRENT REPORT
                Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
                             Exchange Act of 1934
  
       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 9, 2002
  
                              SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in Charter)
  
           Maryland                  0-14465                52-1188993
        (State or other           (Commision file         (IRS employer
        jurisdiction of               number)           identification no.)
         incorporation)
  
                      23 Hudson Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
                     (Address of principal executive offices)
  
                                (410) 266-5556
               (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
  
                                      N/A
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  ITEM 5. - OTHER EVENTS
  
  On December 9, 2002, Sonex Research,  Inc. (the "Company")  posted the following
  news  announcement  on  its  website   (www.sonexresearch.com)  and  issued  the
  announcement over the wire services:
  
                   	SONEX RECEIVES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SUBCONTRACT
                 TO TEST AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL APPLICATION
  
  ANNAPOLIS,  MARYLAND,  December 9, 2002 - SONEX  RESEARCH,  INC.  (OTC BB: SONX)
  announced  today that it has been  awarded a $458,862  subcontract  under a U.S.
  Department of Energy (DOE), Small Business  Innovation  Research (SBIR) Program,
  Phase II prime contract to Compact Membrane Systems,  Inc. (CMS), of Wilmington,
  Delaware.  Sonex will be evaluating its patented piston-based,  Sonex Combustion
  System (SCS) emissions  reduction  technology in an advanced  automotive  diesel
  engine in combination with a polymer membrane technology being developed by CMS.
  
  CEO and  co-founder  Dr.  Andrew A. Pouring  stated  "Arrangements  to secure an
  appropriate engine for the testing should be completed in a few weeks. We expect
  the  engine to be one that has been used in a joint  government  and  automobile
  industry program. Once we receive the engine, we anticipate releasing additional
  details  about the  project.  Initial  work  under the  subcontract  is  already
  underway,  as Sonex has just  received  some engine  spare  parts and  necessary
  equipment to prepare a test cell to house the engine."
  
  CMS is developing its polymer  membrane  technology for the addition of nitrogen
  enriched air (NEA) to the diesel engine combustion  process as an alternative to
  the use of exhaust gas recirculation  (EGR) as a means to reduce the in-cylinder
  production  of oxides of nitrogen  (NOx).  If  successful,  the CMS method could
  provide the benefits of EGR with reduced risk to engine wear,  with reduced heat
  load for cooling  (EGR),  without the burden of additional  hardware and without
  significant impact on the turbo- charger.  In the past, the introduction of high
  levels of EGR to reduce NOx emissions has been shown to  substantially  increase
  the production of soot/particulate  emissions. SCS piston designs, however, have
  shown the ability to reduce diesel engine soot/particulate emissions.
  
  In 2001 the DOE awarded an SBIR Phase I prime  contract to CMS to determine  the
  feasibility  of combining SCS piston  technology  with the CMS polymer  membrane
  technology, and a subcontract was issued to Sonex. Phase I testing was conducted
  on the Sonex laboratory,  single-cylinder,  normally aspirated,  direct injected
  (DI) diesel  engine.  Results  showed that the NEA polymer  membrane and the SCS
  piston in the single-cylinder engine,  supercharged by Sonex, have the potential
  for significant reduction of NOx without increasing soot/particulate emissions.
  
  The aim of the current SBIR Phase II contract  award to CMS,  and the  resultant
  subcontract to Sonex, is to transfer the Phase I single-cylinder  results to the
  multi-cylinder  engine.  Dr.  Pouring  added,  "Early stages of the project will
  focus on the emissions  reduction  capabilities  of the SCS piston on its own to
  provide data for evaluation by DOE and commercial interests.  Subsequent testing
  will take place in combination with the NEA membrane.
  
  Sonex also reported that of the $458,862 subcontract total,  $100,000 represents
  the Sonex  cost-sharing  portion,  including the value of the  contribution by a
  third party of the multi-cylinder automotive diesel engine.
  
  Contact:   Sonex  Research,   Inc.:   George  Ponticas,   410-266-5556,   email:
  sonex@erols.com,   website:   www.sonexresearch.com;   Investor  Relations:  The
  Scottsdale Group, Susan Ladue, 781-292-1050, email: info@thescottsdalegroup.com,
  website: www.thescottsdalegroup.com.
  
  About CMS
  
  Compact  Membrane  Systems,  Inc. (CMS) is a high  technology  membrane  company
  providing a family of high productivity, fluorinated polymeric membranes for gas
  separation  and the associated  production of nitrogen and oxygen  enriched air.
  CMS hollow fiber membrane modules, sized to process engine intake air, are small
  enough to fit in mobile engine  compartments.  Their chemical nature allows them
  to maintain performance over extended periods of time while located in the harsh
  engine  environment.  CMS  working  in  conjunction  with major  industrial  gas
  companies is positioned to customize  prototype  membrane systems for engine use
  and subsequently  supply commercial  modules.  More information about CMS can be
  found on the Internet at www.compactmembrane.com.
  
  Contact:  Compact Membrane Systems,  Inc., Stuart Nemser,  302-999-7996,  email:
  snemser@compactmembrane.com.
  
  ABOUT SONEX
  
  Sonex  Research,  Inc.,  a leader  in the  field of  combustion  technology,  is
  developing its patented Sonex Combustion  System (SCS)  piston-based  technology
  for in-cylinder  control of ignition and  combustion,  designed to increase fuel
  mileage and reduce  emissions  of internal  combustion  engines.  Sonex plans to
  complete development, commercialize and market its SCS Stratified Charge Radical
  Ignition  (SCRI)  combustion  process to the automotive  industry in response to
  forthcoming  increases in national  vehicle fuel mileage  standards.  Presently,
  high mileage, roomy and safe five-passenger  automobiles using gasoline,  direct
  injected (GDI) engines are sold only in Japan and Europe due to high  emissions.
  Sonex intends to conclusively  demonstrate that SCS-SCRI will enable GDI engined
  vehicles to achieve 50 mpg (highway) while meeting emissions standards to permit
  sale in the U.S. as a viable,  near-term  alternative to  longer-term  solutions
  such as  improvements  in hybrid  propulsion  systems  or years of  further  R&D
  required for fuel cell technology to become practical.
  
  Additionally, independent third-party testing has confirmed the potential of the
  SCS application for DI diesel engines to reduce harmful soot in-cylinder without
  increasing   fuel   consumption.   Sonex  is  pursuing   joint   marketing   and
  commercialization  programs  for the  SCS low  soot  technology  with  committed
  industrial partners.
  
  Other SCS designs are being used to convert gasoline engines of various sizes to
  operate on safer,  diesel-type  "heavy fuels" for use in military and commercial
  applications  requiring  light  weight and safe  handling  and  storage of fuel.
  Examples include UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles)
  such as those used by U.S.  defense forces in  Afghanistan,  as well as outboard
  engines, small watercraft used as targets, and generator sets.
  
  CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
  
  "Forward-looking"  statements  contained  in this  announcement,  as well as all
  publicly disseminated material about the Company, are made pursuant to the "safe
  harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act. Such statements are
  based  on  current  expectations,  estimates,  projections  and  assumptions  by
  management  with respect to matters  such as  commercial  acceptance  of the SCS
  technology, the impact of competition,  and the Company's financial condition or
  results of  operations.  Readers  are  cautioned  that such  statements  are not
  guarantees of future  performance and involve risks and uncertainties that could
  cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from those  expressed  in any such
  forward-looking statements.  Additional information regarding the risks faced by
  Sonex is provided in the  Company's  periodic  filings with the  Securities  and
  Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". Such filings are available
  upon request from the Company or online in the EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.
  
                                   ###
  
  SIGNATURES
  
  Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
  registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
  undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  December 9, 2002
  
  SONEX RESEARCH, INC.
  Registrant
  
  /s/ George E. Ponticas
  ----------------------
  George E. Ponticas
  Chief Financial Officer