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Library > Fact Sheets > Air Force Independent Research & Development Program
AIR FORCE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Posted 5/3/2012
Printable Fact Sheet
Click here for UPCOMING IR&D EVENTS
Managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio, the Air Force (AF) Independent Research and Development (IR&D) program is focused on continually improving the two-way communication between AF and Industry, with special emphasis on characterizing the type, the degree and the timing of this two-way dialogue to provide our warfighters the needed capabilities to combat global war on terrorism and other threats to our national security.
By Department of Defense (DoD) and AF standards, IR&D is defined as research and development (R&D) efforts neither sponsored by a government grant nor required in performing a contract. IR&D initiatives are funded independently by defense contractors, who must abide by certain Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense Contracting Audit Agency regulations.
In recent years, the AF IR&D Program has been significantly transformed and invigorated. With strong senior leadership support from the Office of the Undersecretary of the AF for Acquisition and the Headquarters AF Materiel Command, AFRL was empowered to develop a new process to effectively enhance the dialogue between AF and Industry. This AF-wide team comprised of experts from the AF major commands, the AF product centers, the test centers, the air logistics centers, and the laboratory, as well as Industry partners (through the Aerospace Industries Association. The resultant product was the AF/Industry IR&D Integration Framework used today.
This IR&D framework is comprised of a three-step process that morphs into workshops. Step 1 consists of the AF presenting, in a specific business enterprise setting (space, air armament, cyber/electronic systems, or aeronautical), a comprehensive summary of technology needs, AFRL responses to those needs and potential areas of opportunities that could be ripe for consideration and integrating of corporate IR&D initiatives. Industry is also afforded an opportunity in a private setting, to ask questions based on what the AF team presented. Moreover, AFRL also addresses long term views of Capability-Based Science & Technology strategies.
The Step 2 workshop of the IR&D framework serves as an enabler for Industry to present their IR&D initiatives relevant to what they heard and saw in the Step 1 workshop. In this venue, our industry partners present their IR&D strategies and initiatives, from near-, mid- and long-term perspectives. The idea in this setting is to have the AF/Industry team engage in areas of significant import relevant to discussing operational/warfighter and R&D needs. After these two workshop engagements comes the third step - the assessment and alignment phase. The focus here is the vetting of data and technology concepts that have potential for application considerations and that would impact short and long term investment strategies for both AF and Industry. In late 2007, this reinvigorated AF IR&D approach has made significant progress in achieving its intent. The lessons learned from these AF/Industry workshops are used to continually improve subsequent AF/Industry IR&D collaboration.
For additional information on AF IR&D initiatives, please contact Mr. Giovanni Pagan. VOICE: (937) 656-9176, FAX: (937) 255-2219.
Fact Sheet Point of Contact
88 Air Base Wing Public Affairs
5215 Thurlow St., Bldg 70, Area C
WPAFB, OH 45433-5543
937-522-3252
(Updated May 2012)
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