. . -.. I . . ., . .. ... I I ' I Prepared by AMSRL-CP-TA, June 1993, wtlh assistance from AMSRL-OP-CI-AD and BRTRC Inc. For more detailed information on the facilities, refer to the ARL Unique Facility Brochure by AMSRL-CP-S 6 ,. • :Venicle Structures Recent global shifts are changing the Domestic Technology Program way that the Army research and develop Domestic technology transfer (OTT) is the ment (R&D) community does business. Our mechanism by which the R&D resources of the friends rely on us as peacekeepers and Army are coupled with those of private busi stabilizers, and we face low-or mid nesses, academia, and local/state intensity threats requiring quick-reaction governments for joint development of technolo responses anywhere in the world. The gies useful both to the Army and to the private Army R&D structure is already adjusting to sector. Your firm or university can leverage its these significant changes. technology expertise with Army resources The United States also must use Ameri through Cooperative Research and Develop can defense technology in new ways to ment Agreements (CRDAs) and Patent strengthen and expand our economy. We License Agreements (PLAs). The resulting must focus on improving our competitive synergy gives you the opportunity to achieve ness with the emerging regional goals that might not otherwise be realized. economies-leading to more technological innovations, greater investments in our infrastructure, and additional jobs for Americans. The Clinton administration has identified technology investment as the key to stimulating and sustaining long-term economic growth. The Army is ready to help the United States maintain its traditional role as the world leader in science and technology. The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is the major Army resource for basic and applied research. As the prime technology development force within the Army, ARL is at the forefront of the Army's response to the Clinton administration's defense conversion and dual-use initiatives. These initiatives are coordinated through the ARL Domestic Technology Transfer Office, which manages the efforts of the 10 technology directorates within ARL. The Army has demonstrated its commitment to technology transfer since well before the process was mandated by Congress. In 1971, 15 years before DTT became a formal program, the Army was among the founders of the Federal Laboratory Consortium, which united federal R&D organizations with the goal of seeking out and pursuing technology transfer opportunities. ARL has generated 54 CRDAs and 12 PLAs as of March 1993. ARL technology transfer efforts have affected the private sector in areas from manufacturing technology to the automobile industry, with technologies from quartz oscillators to phase-gradient microscopes. This brochure will introduce you to the ARL DTT program and describe where opportunities exist within each of our 10 technology directorates. On the following pages we describe the specific technology interests, resources, and available facilities of the directorates. At the back of the brochure you will learn how the ARL DTT program works and how you can participate. We hope that you will find a match between your interests and our capabilities, and that any resulting collaborative efforts will lead to a brighter economic future for the United States as a whole. ARL was created as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 91 Commission recommendation and subsequent Congressional and Presidential approval. This new organization was created from the seven laboratories that made up the U.S. Army Laboratory Command and selected additional technology base activities that resided in other research and development organizations within the Army. ARL consists of 12 directorates, include 10 technologyoriented directorates, located at several geographic sites throughout the country. The pages that follow describe the technology-oriented directorates individually. ARL operates a very active OTT program. Each ARL geographical location has at least one Office of Research and Technology Application (ORTA) staff member on site. If you can identify specific technology areas of interest at a given directorate, contact the listed ORTA staff member. If you need assistance in identifying the technology area itself, contact the OTT office at ARL's Corporate Center, listed below. ARL 's new facilities (due for completion by 1996) U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATIN: AMSRL-CP-TA 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi , MD 20783-1145 Phone : (301) 394-3098 , Fax : (301) 394-5818 The Army's premier computing and information science resources are managed and operated by the Advanced Computational and Information Sciences (ACIS) Directorate. This directorate is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD, and includes elements from the former Ballistic Research Laboratory as well as the .. • ,. • • • • • • • • • .;. • '! -• .·.·• -~ · '",;· ~ .-· ,...·.... ·.. former Army Institute for Research in Manage r. ......... ·: • . ''· . • .. • : • ~ oc• • · ment Information, Communications and .': ,~;?• . • ,;:;Computer Science (AIRMICCS), located in At ::¥i~?~~ lanta, GA. · · ~ -~ ACIS is responsible for planning, designing, managing, and operating the global computing, An example of communications, software, and information systems assets of molecular modeling ARL. Specific research applications using advanced computer architectures are examined for their potential to improve ARL and Army computing capabilities. ACIS has already established a supercomputer initiative that encourages the use of its unique computing assets by outside organizations at little or no charge. This program provides an ideal opportunity for industry and academia to benefit from and build upon ACIS resources and research. Other ACIS technologies available for transfer include the application of artificial intelligence to engine diagnostics, software development methods for productivity enhancements, virtual factory and virtual prototyping, interfacing with Special facilities KSR-1 Massively Parallel Processor Cray-2 Supercomputer Cray X-MP/48 Vector Processor Touchstone Gamma Machine Army High Performance Computing Research Center KSR-1 Massively Parallel Processor U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATIN: AMSRL-CP-TA Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5066 Phone: (410) 278-6955, Fax: (410) 278-5820 Laser/Aerosol Diagnostic Lab The Battlefield Enviromnent (BE) Directorate, at the White Sands Missile Range, NM, is the successor to the Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory. BE provides the Army with atmospheric modeling and simulation capabilities, including model validation and verification. Also provided is the capability for developing and improving advanced sensor and weapon systems and components, which are increasingly vulnerable to environmental effects. BE develops both atmospheric characterization techniques to quantify these effects and methodologies to mitigate and exploit them. Other important BE research areas include battlefield atmospheric modeling and simulation/visualization techniques, acoustical propagation, and atmospheric sensing. BE is developing a 3-D predictive microscale/planetary boundary layer model to assess transport and diffusion of air pollution constituents and atmospheric aerosol concentrations. Technology transfer opportunities include spectroscopic identification and tomographic mapping of atmospheric pollutants; a mobile atmospheric profiler system; a small portable FM / CW radar for fine structure measurements of the lower atmosphere; and technology for continuously monitoring soil moisture and hazardous waste sensors. Special facilities Lased/Aerosol Diagnostic Lab 5600 Square Mile Instrumented Range Atmospheric Profiler Complex Aerosol Fluorescence Lab Long-Path Absorption/Spectroscopy Lab Portable Optical Simulation Lab Weather Measurement Acoustic Meteorology Testbed Facility System Technology Exploitation Weather Testbed U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATTN: AMSRL-CP-TA White Sands Missile Range , NM 88002-5501 Phone : (505) 678-3608, Fax: (505) 678-2432 The Electronics and Power Sources Directorate (EPSD), located at Fort Monmouth, NJ, succeeds the former Electronics Technology and Devices Laboratory as the Army leader in basic research for electronics and power sources. This directorate is structured around 10 fully staffed and equipped "Technology Centers of Excellence," which ensure that Army electronics research remains at the cutting edge in areas such as magnetics, rnicrofabrication, frequency control, and pulsed power. EPSD' s principal objective is to de velop and improve electronics technologies and devices to ensure that Army systems maintain the technological advantage on the battlefield. EPSD person nel apply their extensive skills and resources to maintaining a relevant electronics technology base, resolving chronic system problems, and assessing the utility of future systems. /on sputtering EPSD has established long-standing collaborations with deposition system for flat panel displays industry, sponsoring over 30 consortia and other cooperations. The directorate maintains an "open laboratory" policy which encourages use of EPSD's facilities and resources by industry and academia. In the area of technology transfer, EPSD is currently participating in more than 20 active CRDA efforts and 9 PLAs with industry and academia. This broad outreach underscores the degree of commihnent that EPSD and ARL have made to involv ing the private sector and academia in Army R&D. Ongoing technology transfer efforts exist in virtually every technical area in which EPSD participates. Special facilities: Display Technology Center Ultralithography Center Frequency Control and Acoustic Ultralithography Center Signal Processing Facility Pulsed Power Center Nanoelectronic Fabrication Facility U.S . Army Research Laboratory Advanced Microanalysis Center ATTN: AMSRL-CP-TA Fort Monmouth, NJ 07703-5601 Phone: (908) 544-4666 , Fax : (908) 544-4306 The formation of the Human Research and Engineering Directorate (HRED) from the former Human Engineering Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Institute combines the Army's human factors and Manpower and Personnel Integration (MA PRINT) resources at APG, MD. HRED research directly impacts the soldier by developing technologies that improve how humans interact with Army systems while mitigating adverse effects from threat systems. This valuable research is used to enhance the operational characteristics of Army systems. HRED executes a broad-based program of basic research and technology development with the objective of optimizing soldier performance and soldierI machine interfaces for maximum effectiveness. Extensive research in human perceptual, cognitive, and psychomotor performance builds the framework for human factors and MANPRINT advances, which help improve the effective ness of fielded and developmental systems. "Jack"-human figure performance model Special facilities: Indoor/Outdoor Robotics and Automation Research and Test Facility Small Arms Range Mobility/ Portability Course U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATTN: AMSRL· CP·TA Aberdeen Proving Ground , MD 21 005·5066 Phone: (410) 278· 5028 , Fax: (410) 278·5820 The Army has established a reputation for excellence in materials technology through the Materials Directorate (MD) and its predecessor, the Materials Technology Laboratory. MD is currently located in Watertown, MA, providing ready access to world-famous academic, research, and engineering resources available in the Boston area. Although MD is scheduled to be relocated to Aberdeen, MD, in 1995, the close relationships that the directorate has forged with the country's elite universities and private businesses will continue. MD is the lead Army research organization for materials research, focusing in the following areas: lightweight structural materials, environmental durability, high-temperature materials, processing science and manufacturing technology, armor and armament materials, and multifunctional materials. MD-developed technologies affect virtually every system being developed or fielded by the Army today. MD advises and assists systems developers, provides a forum for scientific information exchange, and provides failure analyses for assorted Army materiel. Special facilities: Materials Processing Facility ion Beam Modification Facility Materials Characterization Facility Automated Materials Testing/ Life Prediction Accelerated Weathering Chambers Dynamic Properties-Shock/Impact Facility High-Temperature Autoclave for research in the processing of composites Facility U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATTN : AMSRL-MA-T Watertown , MA 02172-0001 Phone : (617) 923-5396, Fax: (617) 923-5477 The Sensors, Signatures, Signal and Information Processing Directorate (S310) is located at Adelphi, MD, and is made up of several elements of the former Harry Diamond Laboratories, as well as portions of the CECOM Night Vision and ElectroOptics Directorate and the Ballistic Research Laboratory. S3ID provides technology development support to a w ide array of Army elements and non-Army organizations, such as the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Robotics Program. This directorate's goal is to ensure that Army systems are able to acquire, locate, identify, Ultra-wideband SyntheticAperture Radar and engage targets in combat environments. S31 is the princi pal developer of sensor and signal / data-processing technologies, and supports automated data fusion and infor mation distribution in real time. S31 will maintain the previous responsibilities of the Harry Diamond Laboratories in fuze development and production support until those responsibili ties transfer to other Army organizations in 1994 and 1995. S31 research is expected to provide commercial opportunities in a variety of areas. Research in proximity fuzing, for example, has potential application in collision-avoidance sensors. Medical sensors and imagers are two other technologies where S31 research (in this case in acoustics and photonics) can be applied in the commercial sector. Special facilities: Ultra-Wideband Radar Testbed Optical Processing Laboratory Automatic Target Recognition (AT R} Lab EO and RF Fuzing Assessment Facilities Rapid Prototyping Facility U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATIN: AMSRL-CP-TA 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi, MD 20783-1145 Phone: (301) 394-2952 , Fax: (301) 394-5818 The Survivability /Lethality Analysis Directorate (SLAD) represents the combination of three previously separate Army Laboratory Command (LABCOM) components that have led Army survivability, lethality, and vulnerability (SLV) research. This directorate is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, where the Ballistic Vulnerability / Lethality Division succeeds relevant elements of the Ballistic Research Laboratory. The Electronic Warfare Division (EWD) at White Sands Missile Range, NM, previously known as the Vulnerability Assessment Laboratory, specializes in electronic warfare assessments. The Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Effects Division in the APG-Edgewood, MD area was formed from portions of the former Harry Diamond Laboratories and the U.S. Army Chemical Research, Development and Engineering Center. SLAD responsibilities are to evalua te the SLV of Army systems against the full spectrum of battlefield threats. Field and laboratory assessments of electronic warfare threats are EWD's responsibility. The remaining divisions of SLAD conduct extensive simulations and investigations of system SLV performance against conventional ballistic, Vulnerability Modeling nuclear, chemical, and biological threats or targets. These three divisions are tasked with applying their simulation, investigation, and analysis capabilities to provide critical support to PMs, Independent Evaluators, and decision makers. The research performed by SLAD personnel offers a wide variety of commercial opportunities. For example, EWD resources can be applied to reduce the effects of electromagnetic fields on today' s sensitive electronic systems; in addition, work is starting in the detection and prevention of computer viruses. Special facilities: Test Range for Advanced Aerospace Vulnerability (TRAAV) Special Electromagnetic Interference Vulnerability Assessment Facility (SEM IVAF) "Big Crow" Electronic Warfare Flying Laboratory U.S. Army Research Laboratory Electro-Optical Vulnerability Assessment ATIN: AMSRL-CP-TA Facility and Flare-Dispensing Helicopter Aberdeen Proving Ground , MD 21005-5066 Phone: (410) 278-5028, Fax: (410) 278-5820 The Vehicle Propulsion Directorate (VPO) is co-located with facilities at the ASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, OH. Both organizations conduct advanced propulsion research and work together to leverage resources and investment. This symbiotic arrangement gives the Army access to 550 specialized research installations including engine and transmission stands, an altitude test facility, and an icing research tunnel. Before merging with ARL, VPD was part of the Army Aviation Systems Command and for the last 20 years has spearheaded the Army aviation community's research in rotorcraft and ground vehicle propulsion. As part of ARL, VPD maintains its responsibilities for basic research and ad vanced development of gas turbine engines and power transmission systams for rotor craft. VPD has also been designated as the lead ARL element for research in ground vehicle propulsion systems. This added Compound Cycle Engine mission is a former responsibility ofTACOM, but is not new to VPD. The host ASA facility has conducted extensive ground vehicle propulsion research. VPD has collaborated on ground vehicle research with NASA and other agencies in the past, and will use the extensive NASA facilities and personnel resources to meet this new responsibility. VPD actively seeks out opportunities for technology transfer in propulsion research. The directorate has joined NASA in an increasing number of CRDAs over recent years that allow industry to leverage its resources with VPD, as well as with NASA's facilities and research staff. Special facilities (NASA -owned): 300-5000-HP Transmission Stands Supersonic tunnel Engine Components Research Laboratory Cray Mainframes (2) Brush Seal Test Rig Propulsion Systems Laboratory Compressor Rigs (3) Icing Research Tunnel U.S. Army Research Laboratory Turbine Rigs (2) ATTN : AMSRL-VP-C (Brewer MS 49-7) High-Temperature Rigs 21000 Brookpark Road Combustor Rigs (4) Cleveland, OH 44135 Fatigue and Fracture Test Stands Phone: (216) 433-3304, Fax: (216) 433-8011 This component of ARL, originally a part of the Army Aviation Systems Command, is responsible for developing and advancing technologies in the areas of rotorcraft aerodynamics and airI ground vehicle structures. The Vehicle Structures Directorate (VSD) provides the Army with outstanding research facilities by virtue of its location at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. The ability to share these world-class NASA facilities affords the Army access to state-of-the-art wind tunnels, noise chambers, and other test equipment with only a nominal investment of Army resources. ARL looks to VSD as the principal source of design and prototype testing for a wide range of vehicles and components. VSD personnel use both Army-owned and NASA-owned equipment to provide rotorcraft crashworthiness testing and predictions. This directorate also conducts testing on a wide array of systems and components to determine their vibration and acoustic characteristics. VSD's fatigue and fracture testing capabilities have already provided valuable contributions in the design and development of metal and composite structures for applications in commercial air and ground vehicles. Wind Tunnel Test Facility Special facilities (NASA-owned): 250-ft Crash Tower Ane choic Noise Facilities Nondestructive Evaluation/Inspection Laboratories 50 Wind Tunnels (Wide Range of Sizes and Flow Rates) NASA Crash Test Facility U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATTN : AMSRL-CP-TA NASA Lang ley Research Center , Mail Stop 266 Hampton , VA 23681-0001 Phone : (804) 864-3966, Fax: (804) 864-3970 The recent ARL formation brought toge ther th e Army's technology resources for weapons research and lethality mechanisms to form the Weapons Technology Directorate (WTD). This direc torate combines the traditional ballistic components from the former Ballistic Research Laboratory at APG, MD, with the nucl ear and directed-energy expertise and research facilities at Adelphi, MD, and Woodbridge, VA. WTD focus es on enhancing the lethality and survivability of Army weapon systems. This directorate lea d s basic research and technology development efforts in conventional ballistic, nuclear, and directed-energy effects. Additional responsibilities include developing advanced projectile and propulsion concepts and flight modeling. The Low Observables Technology Office provides advanced concepts to improve the survivability of Army materiel. WTD ensures that our soldiers benefit from superior weaponry, which provides the edge in combat. While WTD research is focused primarily on supporting the soldier, several technology transfer initiatives have been undertaken in the areas of laser technology applications, optical phase-conjugate microscopy, computational fluid dynamics, and explosive synthesis of ceramics. Flame Research Facility Special facilities: Flame Research Facility Blast Range Explosive Mechanics Facility Transonic Range Advanced Terminal Ballistics Range Aurora Pulsed Radiation Facility Electromagnetic Pulse Simulators High-Pressure Test Rigs Large -Caliber Gun Facility Shock Tube Facility Aerodynamics Range Depleted Uranium Range High-Power Microwave Research Facility Triaxis Vibrator U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATIN: AMSRL-CP-TA Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5066 Phone: (410) 278-6955 , Fax: (410) 278-5820 We hope that the preceding descriptions have shown you which ARL directorates are doing work in your areas of interest. Now you need to know how we can work together on technologies of mutual interest. What follows is a brief description of the ARL DTI program and how it works. How Technology Transfer Began Technology transfer is a Congressionally mandated program that promotes the transfer of Armydeveloped technology and expertise to industry and academia. This growing program offers a wealth of opportunities for the private sector to exploit Army technology to improve America's competitiveness, spur economic growth, and create more manufacturing and high-technology jobs. The current technology transfer program is the result of two legislative actions that occurred in the 1980s. The Stevenson-Wydler Act of 1980 required all federal laboratories to incorporate technology transfer into their missions. This was viewed as an important first step towards expanding and improving the benefits received from federal R&D. It was not until the Technology Transfer Act of 1986 that the overall mechanisms for conducting technology transfer were formalized. This act also bestowed authority upon the heads of federal research organizations to enter into binding agreements with public and private organizations as well as academia. The ARL DTI program is a major component of the Army DTI program because of the vast and diverse resources that ARL possesses. This program has assimilated the organization begun tmder LABCOM before ARL's formation. Since 1986, the predecessors of the ARL teclmology directorates have sponsored an aggressive technology transfer program that boasts a large number of successful cooperative efforts with private firms and academia. ARL is well positioned to continue fulfilling the visions of a technologically competitive nation, a stronger economy, and greater opportunity for Americans locally and abroad. How Technology Transfer Works Three mechanisms exist that you can use to benefit from Army technology developments and resources: Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRDAs), Patent License Agreements (PLAs), and the Technical Assistance / Technology Outreach Program. You should investigate each of these options to determine which mechanism best suits your needs and goals. CRDAs are contracts in which you and the Army agree to work on a project of mutual interest and finite duration. The resulting intellectual property is shared jointly. You are free to exploit the results of this collaboration for all commercial uses, and the Army reserves license to use the technology for its own purposes. Both partners can contribute personnel, services, facilities, equipment, and other property to the effort; however, only the nonfederal partner is allowed to contribute funding. The advantage of this arrangement is that CRDAs are much easier to implement because no transfer of funds to the nonfederal partner is involved, even though the government can commit funds to the effort through acquisition of facilities and property. This allows easy access to ARL resources that you can use to enhance a technology and bring it to market, while avoiding the long lead times normally found in typical government con tractual processes. PLAsareagreements that allow nonfederalorganizations toenter into exclusive, partially exclusive, or nonexclusive licenses for the use of ARL-owned or-assigned patent applications, patents, or other in tellectual property (e.g., software, copyrights, etc) . The PLA offers you access to intellectual property already developed by the Army, saving you costly and time-consuming developmental research. Your resources can instead be used to apply ARL'sintellectual property to yourowncommercial purposes. The Teclmical Assistance and Teclmology Outreach portion of the DTT program makes ARL scientific and teclmical persmmel available tosta te and local governments, economic development organizations, and academia. ARLpersmmel sharetheirteclmicalexpertisewith you to facilitatesettingup focused technology transfer programs and to lay the fow1da tion for helping private ind us try profit from ARL research and teclmology. How the ARL Technology Transfer Program is Structured The ARL DTT program is a decentralized program that is coordinated through the ARL DTT Program Office located at the Adelphi Labora tory Center. Each of the 10 ARL technology directorates has an Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORT A), w hich actively seeks out technology transfer opportunities within its organization. As the foca l point for teclmology transfer activities at th e directorate, each ORTA acts as your liaison to its directorate's scientists, facilities, and research capabilities. ORTA personnel act as brokers, developing and promoting partnerships through outreach programs and facilitating effective technology transfer cooperative efforts. If you are interested in using ARL-sponsored technologies or R&D resources, you should begin your search with the ORTA at the directorate with which you w ish to work. The directorate summaries in this brochure should help you decide which directorates provide th e bes t ma tches for your organization. The ORTAs listed for each directorate will be able to answer any ques tions about th e DTT program at th eir directorates that are not answered by this brochure. If you are not sure where to start, but wish to learn more abo ut how to participate in the ARL DTT program, you may want to talk with the ARL DTT Program Office at the ARL Corpora te Center in Adelphi, MD. This office, part of the Advanced Concep ts and Plans Directorate, coordinates ORTA activities to ensure that the overall ARL program operates efficiently and within ARL, Army, and DoD guidelines. For general information about ARL technology tra nsfer, contact the ARL DTT Program Manager: R. Michael Claffy U.S. Army Research Lab oratory ATTN : AMSRL-CP-TA 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi , MD 20783-1145 Phone : (301 ) 394-3098 Fax: (301) 394-5818 Other Federal Programs Related to Technology Transfer The ARL DTT program collaborates with a number of other federal R&D programs that also work with the private sector. DTT aggressively seeks out opportunities with these other programs where the pooling of interests and resources will lead to better technology transfer efforts. These synergistic relationships have often provided greater benefits for ARL as well as industry and academia. Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) The FLC is an interagency network of federal R&D laboratories working together to identify technology transfer issues and link federal research efforts with potential users of developing technologies. The Army was one of the founding agencies that established the FLC in 1974 based on an existing informal structure originated within DoD. The FLC was later institutionalized and expanded in 1986 with passage of the Federal Technology Transfer Act. The ARL ORT A offices and other DTT personnel actively participate in the FLC and can refer you to appropriate sources of technology within the federal R&D community. Small Business Innovation Research The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, like DTT, is mandated by public law and intended to better involve America's small business community in meeting federal R&D requirements. One of the main objectives of the program is to provide small companies (less than 500 employees) with seed money to develop technologies of interest to the government. These firms have full rights to the technologies developed while they participate in the program, and maintain those rights for four years after the completion of the SBIR effort. Commercial market potential is of vital importance in this program, and companies are encouraged to transition their dual-use technologies and develop spin-offs, during their SBIR program effort, for their own benefit and profit. To date, the Army SBIR program has enjoyed great success in helping small firms develop and commercialize innovative technology applications. The Army's annual Phase III Success Book is a testimonial to this fact. The Army receives an excellent return on its investment and answers to its technological questions while tapping into the innovative resources of small firms that otherwise might not be involved in defense R&D, and at the same time helps these firms to realize commercial success from their efforts. Independent Research and Development Independent Research and Development (IR&D) efforts are planned and performed by private firms to enhance technical capabilities and facilities, advance promising technologies, or develop new products and processes. Companies fund their own IR&D activities, amounting to approximately $58 annually across industry. A firm can recover all or part of its IR&D costs, as well as any related bid and proposal costs, through indirect charges to resulting commercial and government contracts. To date, the Army IR&D program has fostered a number of high-profile successes, including many contributions to the Patrio t missile system. The Army works closely with industry to ensure that company research remains closely aligned with Army/ DoD future technology needs. This important feedback is provided through face-to-face technical interchanges and site visits allowing both sides to view facilities and observe operations. This exchange of knowledge also benefits the Army by enabling limited R&D funds to be concentrated on efforts that complement, not duplicate, industry activities.