Federally Funded R&D Centers: Issues Relating to the Management of DoD-Sponsored Centers.
Abstract
This report identifies issues that the General Accounting Office (GAO) believes merit closer attention as Congress and the Department of Defense (DOD) seek to resolve concerns relating to the management and use of DOD'S federally funded research and development centers (FFRDC). GAO also discusses information from our March 1996 testimony on recent DOD actions to improve the management of FFRDCs. FFRDCs were first established during World War II to meet specialized or unique research and development needs that could not be readily satisfied by government personnel (due to limits on federal salaries and hiring) or commercial contractors. Additional and expanded requirements for specialized services led to increases not only in the size but also in the number of FFRDCs, which peaked at 74 in 1969. Today, 8 agencies, including DOD, fund 39 FFRDCs that are operated by universities, nonprofit organizations, or industrial firms under long-term contracts. Provisions of the Competition in Contracting Act authorize agencies to award these contracts noncompetitively. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) within the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) establishes Governmentwide policy on the use and management of FFRDCs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA312095
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office