title here bullet point jane a. alexander, phd technical consultant [email protected] doing r&d...
TRANSCRIPT
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Bullet point Jane A. Alexander, PhD
Technical Consultant
Doing R&D Business with the Federal Government
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Increasing your success rate getting Federal R&D support
Understand your client Federal agencies have distinctly different characters Different missions Different processes
Federal agencies are not charities Money is appropriated to them for specific purposes You will be more successful if you can explain why your
proposed R&D supports their mission
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Federal R&D Programs A program is led by a Program Manager (PM) A program will have:
Specific Technology Objectives aligned with customer needs which, if achieved, will have a significant operational impact
Plan to move from current level of technical maturity to a higher level (TRLs – Technology Readiness Levels)
A technical approach indicating how the objectives will be achieved
A program structure indicating how the PM has deployed resources (time, money, executors) to achieve the objectives
Deliverables Transition Strategy/Technology Development Path
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Federal R&D Process• Identify requirements • Develop program plan and allocate resources• Communicate plans and priorities to
technical community
• Posting Solicitations• Solicitation Process – White Papers• Submitting proposals
• Different programs demand different contract vehicles
• Flexibility used to match mission
• Programs tailored to meet unique conditions of objectives
• Active interaction with performers
Execution
Contract
Solicitation
Planning
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Creative Tension with the Program Manager
PM wants to leverage existing technology, others’ R&D
investment and market pull
PM wants the intellectual property strategy aligned with
transition plan, but will negotiate usually
PM’s job is to manage technical and programmatic risk and
WANTS YOU TO SUCCEED
The PM is a resource for you in accomplishing the
R&D and in transitioning to the government customer
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Mechanics of Proposing R&D
Find agencies with closest mission match Identify R&D element(s) within the agencies Look for existing R&D solicitations (Money already exists for
these efforts!) Do your homework (read website, workshop results, and any
presentations on your target program solicitation) Respond to solicitation carefully – meet all administrative
requirements and make sure your R&D matches the stated program needs
If no solicitation, contact R&D PM. Explain relevance to his/her mission. Be patient. Be persistent.
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Contracting Vehicles The Government has a range of contracting vehicles to
match programmatic needs and contractor character. Grants Contracts Cooperative agreements Other Transactions for Research or Prototypes
Allows government to deal with non-traditional contractors who have desirable technologies, but do not want to keep “Government books”
Must comply with “generally acceptable accounting principles”