Integrated Approach to the Selection Process of Independent Research andDevelopment Projects

摘要

An active independent research and development (IR and D) program is acontributing factor to the U.S. military's reputation for technologically superior weapon systems and combat support equipment. This thesis examines the current selection process of IR and D projects at Naval Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT and E) Centers and develops a recommendation to tailor the selection process to the characteristics of the project under consideration. The U.S. Navy divides its IR and D projects into two categories, independent research (IR) and independent exploratory development (IED). This thesis recommends that a scoring method be used to select IR projects and an economic method be used to select IED projects. The thesis concludes by discussing future issues that will impact the IR and D programs.