Independent Research and Independent Exploratory Development Programs: FY89 Annual Report

Abstract

Abstract : The Acting Technical Director encourages scientists and engineers at the Navy Personnel Research and Development Center (NPRDC) to generate new and innovative proposals to promote scientific and technological growth in the organization and the development of knowledge and technology of interest to the Navy. Support for this provided by discretionary funding furnished by the Independent Research (IR) and Independent Exploratory Development (IED) programs of the Office of Naval Research and Office of Naval Technology. These programs support initial research and development of interest to the Navy with emphasis on the NPRDC mission areas of the acquisition, training, and effective utilization of personnel. Funds are provided to the Technical Directors of Navy Laboratories to support innovative and promising research and development outside the procedures required under normal funding authorization. The funds are to encourage creative efforts important to mission accomplishment. They enable promising researchers to spend a portion of their time on examining the feasibility of self-generated new ideas and scientific advances. They can provide important and rapid test of promising new technology and can help fill gaps in the research and development program. This may involve preliminary work on speculative solutions too risky to be funded from existing programs.