Conduct and purchase defense-relevant research and development
Conduct basic, applied and advanced research and development internally, through military departments, by contract, or by agreement with another federal agency.
Contracts & purchases
Goal pathway
Develop a technology
Explore research, experimentation, prizes, intellectual property and research workforce tools.
Explore relevant tools
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Fund external R&D through grants and cooperative agreements
Provide assistance for defense-relevant research; use a cooperative agreement when substantial federal involvement is expected, and a grant when it is not.
Grants & cooperative agreementsCooperation & exchanges
Negotiate research OTs, cost sharing and contingent repayments
Use research transactions outside procurement contracts, grants and cooperative agreements; negotiate advances and repayment clauses that credit designated research-support accounts.
Other transactions
Prototype technology, processes and business arrangements with flexible OTs
Carry out directly defense-relevant prototypes, including proofs of concept, business processes, reverse engineering for obsolescence, commercial-technology pilots and agile development.
Other transactions
Buy experimental products, services, demonstrations and prototypes
Purchase or modify purchases, domestically or abroad, of experimental/test demonstrations, prototypes, products, supplies, parts, auxiliary services and design for defense development.
Other statutory tools
Award cash, noncash, contract or agreement prizes for defense innovation
Competitively reward research, technology, prototypes and transition-improving management practices; accept outside funds or nonmonetary prize contributions.
Contracts & purchasesPrizes
From operational need to commercial prototype and production
- COCOM or Service states the problem and identifies an operational/production sponsor.
- Research or prototype through the appropriate statutory mechanism; involve DIU, DARPA, a Service laboratory or acquisition organization where relevant.
- Document participation, competition, prototype scope and approval conditions.
- Use a lawful follow-on production route if its statutory requirements are met; otherwise select another acquisition route.
- Fund and approve testing, integration, data/IP needs, deployment and sustainment separately as required.
A successful demonstration is not by itself a funded production program.
Five independent checks
Legal powerSource and conditions recorded
EligibilityProject-specific check needed
Available fundsBalances not verified
DelegationValid signature authority must be checked
ExecutionOffice capacity and approvals must be checked
These are questions to resolve, not a sequence of approvals or an automatic readiness score.