Use of Federal Acquisition Regulation. Part 12. Contracts for Applied Research

摘要

This report analyzes Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics attempts from 1997 to 2000 to justify the use of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12, 'Acquisition of Commercial Items', contracts for acquiring applied research. Applied research involves the scientific efforts to translate basic research into solutions for broadly defined military needs. The report also analyzes a Logistics Management Institute study, 'Using FAR Part 12 to Buy Commercial Services in Applied Research', August 1999. Further, the report discusses a Rapid Improvement Team that the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition Reform) chartered on March 20, 2000, to improve the involvement of commercial firms in the Government research and development process by piloting commercial-like (fixed-price) research and development relationships with a contractor and its technology venture companies.