{
  "id": "ACQ-26",
  "category": "Research workforce",
  "capability": "Recruit eminent experts with special appointment and pay flexibility",
  "summary": "Specified labs and agencies can appoint eminent scientific/engineering experts and, at OSC, finance/investment experts using tailored appointment, compensation and term rules.",
  "legal_basis": [
    {
      "citation": "10 U.S.C. §4092",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4092&num=0&edition=prelim",
      "kind": "statute",
      "note": "Primary statutory text; primary GovInfo baseline and amendment audit identified in research narrative."
    }
  ],
  "authority_holder": "Named officials: Secretary of Defense for designated labs; DARPA, DOT&E, SCO, DIU, NGA, SDA, USCYBERCOM, USD(R&E), OSC leaders",
  "actor_chain": {
    "planner": [
      "Named organization’s director and technical leadership"
    ],
    "resource_owner": [
      "Organization personnel budget"
    ],
    "approver": [
      "Named statutory program official"
    ],
    "executor": [
      "Organization HR and appointment authority"
    ],
    "partners": [
      "Specialist candidates; Service/component personnel and ethics offices"
    ]
  },
  "actor_sources": [
    {
      "title": "10 U.S.C. §4092 — statutory actor assignment",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4092&num=0&edition=prelim"
    }
  ],
  "requirements": [
    "Only listed organizations/fields, position counts and compensation rules.",
    "Normal term 4 years; specified extension up to 2 years when statutory conditions met."
  ],
  "limits": [
    "Not a general DoD exception for hiring any consultant.",
    "SDA provision sunsets 2030-12-31; joint-AI paragraph(a)(6) shows expired 2024-12-31 in audited baseline and is not represented as current."
  ],
  "funding": [
    "Organization budget must cover compensation; elevated statutory pay ceiling is not salary authorization for every position."
  ],
  "coordination_path": "Eligible director identifies expert role → HR validates statutory slots/term/pay → fiscal and ethics checks → appointment.",
  "availability": "Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.",
  "confidence": "High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.",
  "currentness": "GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation. FY26 amendment search found no extension of the expired joint-AI subauthority; verify before any reliance.",
  "family": "Workforce and expertise",
  "mechanisms": [
    "People & expertise"
  ],
  "goal_ids": [
    "develop-technology"
  ],
  "office_links": []
}