USJFCOM Signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with SAIC

US Joint Forces Command, NORFOLK: U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) today to take on some of the difficult and emerging challenges joint warfighters face in the urban environment. 
 
A CRADA represents a non-Federal Acquisition Regulation legal agreement between USJFCOM and one or more non-government parties, such as private industry and academia. CRADAs offer both parties an opportunity to use each other's resources when conducting mutually beneficial research and development (R&D). 
 
USJFCOM Deputy Commander Army Lt. Gen. John R. “Bob” Wood said the agreement shows how important it is to work closely with industry. “I think it's an important step in our expanding relationship with industry and partnering with them to solve the joint problems that we face.” 
 
The CRADA between USJFCOM and SAIC is a three-year cooperative agreement, with two one-year options, focused on the research and development of employing entity-based modeling and simulation (M&S) tools as a standing concept assessment capability and will address the full spectrum of emerging challenges that face the joint warfighter according to command officials. 
 
“What an opportunity for us to literally leverage your dollars and then as a result of doing that, the things that they are developing, they're going to get it closer to what we need because they are partnering with us. It's really a win-win situation,” said Dr. Russ Richards, who heads the USJFCOM Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA). 
 
As part of the agreement, USJFCOM and SAIC will provide each other with scientific staffing and other personnel as needed. In addition, they will offer each other experience, lessons learned, materials and equipment, including the hardware and software needed to conduct the assessments and lab space. 
 
“It helps us to be a better partner with U.S. Joint Forces Command and it allows us to collaborate closer to understand the joint requirements,” said George Singley, president of SAIC's engineering, training and logistics group. 
 
The agreement with SAIC is the third USJFCOM has entered since the Office of the Secretary of Defense delegated technology transfer authority (TTA) to the command last year. 
 
TTA allows the government to share costs, facilities and exchange personnel by entering into research and development agreements with private companies, academic institutions, and other non-federal agencies. This provides the government use of the intellectual property while protecting the rights of the company to guard its patents. 
 
USJFCOM uses TTA to speed the research and development process. The results from academic, industrial, national and international research laboratories can be developed into integrated capabilities for the joint warfighter quicker. 
 
TTA gives USJFCOM many of the same authorities national laboratories use to structure partnerships with industry and academia to exchange personnel and technical data, make technology assessments and collaborate on research and development efforts. 
 
In return, USJFCOM provides resources such as personnel, facilities, equipment, information, modeling and simulation tools and venues. This creates an opportunity for both USJFCOM and the ndustry or academic partner.