Federal research : opportunities exist to improve the management and oversight of federally funded research and development centers.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

United States. Government Accountability Office

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Institute for Defense Analyses.

United States. Department of Health and Human Services.

United States.

United States. Department of Homeland Security--Management.

United States. Department of Energy--Management.

United States. Department of Defense--Management.

United States. Department of Defense.

United States. Department of Energy.

United States. Department of Homeland Security.

Federal aid to research--United States.

Federal aid to research.

Science--Research grants--United States.

Science.

Research and development contracts, Government--United States--Evaluation.

Research and development contracts, Government.

Research institutes--United States.

Research institutes.

Military research--United States.

Military research.

Science--United States--Research grants.

Management.

Research and development contracts, Government--Evaluation.

Science--Research grants.

Physical Description:

ii, 47 pages : digital, PDF file

Other Title:

Opportunities exist to improve the management and oversight of federally funded research and development centers

Place of Publication:

[Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, [2008]

Summary:

In 2006, the federal government spent $13 billion -- 14 percent of its research and development (R & D) expenditures -- to enable 38 federally funded R & D centers (FFRDCs) to meet special research needs. FFRDCs -- including laboratories, studies and analyses centers, and systems engineering centers -- conduct research in military space programs, nanotechnology, microelectronics, nuclear warfare, and biodefense countermeasures, among other areas. GAO was asked to identify (1) how federal agencies contract with organizations operating FFRDCs and (2) agency oversight processes used to ensure that FFRDCs are well-managed. GAO's work is based on a review of documents and interviews with officials from eight FFRDCs sponsored by the departments of Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Homeland Security (DHS). To improve the effectiveness of FFRDCs, GAO recommends that (1) DHS and HHS revise their personal conflict-of-interest policies to specifically address FFRDC contractor employees in a position to influence research findings or agency decision making and (2) agencies create an ongoing forum to share best practices for FFRDC oversight. DHS, DOD, and DOE concurred with GAO's recommendations, while HHS concurred with the need to revise its policies and is considering a best practices forum for FFRDCs.

Notes:

Title from title screen (viewed Nov. 10, 2008).

"October 2008."

Includes bibliographical references.

"GAO-09-15."

OCLC:

270830274