The Office of Naval Research (ONR) supports naval engineering science and technology development programs to enable the Navy to build and operate an effective and capable fleet. This mission requires ONR to define research goals and themes, support innovative and high-quality research, and ensure the continuing availability of the necessary human capital. ONR also needs to ensure that the results of its research are useful in the design of advanced naval warships for the future. The current ONR naval engineering program faces serious limitations regarding its ability to provide an adequate supply of the creative talent and knowledge base as well as to manage the broad-based, total ship systems research programs that the Navy needs. To address these problems, ONR asked the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council (NRC) to investigate and evaluate alternative approaches for organizing and managing cooperative research programs in naval engineering. ONR stressed the need for an approach to research that promotes innovation, incorporates total systems concepts in naval engineering, and involves all stakeholders in the decision-making process. ONR believes that such programs would attract talented researchers and enable stakeholders (government, industry, academia) to collaborate and guide the research process. This study is intended to provide ONR with a basis for evaluating available cooperative research organizational options and selecting the most effective approach to meet its goals. To respond to the ONR request, TRB convened the Committee on Options for Naval Engineering Cooperative Research. The committee received extensive presentations from experts in government, academia, and industry with a variety of perspectives on cooperative research organizations. After the presentations, the committee undertook an analytical examination of the goals, objectives, and attributes of successful and effective research organizational models. The committee was not asked to make formal recommendations and thus limited its evaluation to examining the advantages and disadvantages of selected organizational models. This final report represents a synthesis of information gathered by the committee, along with its analyses drawing on committee members’ relevant expertise and experience. The committee first evaluated the basic organizational concepts inherent in the current system, which employs the individual investigator approach, as well as three selected models that provide a venue for cooperative research. It then identified the advantages and disadvantages of each model. Finally, it commented on features in each model that satisfy. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting