Chem-Bio directorate shifting research dollars toward 'focused innovative technology'.

• Author: Jean, Grace V.
• Position: Chem-Bio

The main criticism of any defense research and development program is that it often takes too long for the science to turn into a solution to help troops on the battlefield.

The problem is particularly pronounced in the realm of chemical and biological defense. Despite investing billions of dollars in efforts to protect warriors from hazardous agents, the Pentagon's arsenal to detect and overcome potential exposure to traditional and nontraditional agents is still limited.

The days of being able to throw money at different research initiatives to help solve the problem are over. Now the Defense Threat Reduction Agency has to be more selective in how it pursues and funds science and technology programs, said Alan S. Rudolph, director of the chemical and biological technologies directorate at DTRA.

"Our biggest challenge is focusing on hard problems and charting roadmaps to delivering real capability and product to deal with those hard problems," he told National Defense in an interview at the agency's headquarters in Fort Belvoir, Va. "We can't just do more with less. We're going to have to make some hard choices."

Those decisions have to be made in the context of a tough economic climate where skeptics question the investment in defending against a threat that might never come to pass.

"We can't be comfortable in how long it takes to put a contract on the street, and so we really do need to create that urgency," said Rudolph.

"We will be judged after the next event, whether it's a nuclear, chemical or biological one. How prepared were we?"

In order to be ready for the worst-case scenario, the directorate has sought broad research and innovation efforts through an antiquated, years-long process used by many government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. The system must change as budgets grow tighter, Rudolph said.

"We're in the process of transforming that process to be a little bit more proactive about creating a focus, creating a programmatic interest and going out and exciting and engaging a community to work with us against that challenge," Rudolph said.

The directorate is developing a new method to tap scientists for research projects. Called "focused innovative technology" programs, or FIT, the idea is for science and technology managers to propose ideas for projects that will compete internally for funding. The managers then will run focus groups, speak with research communities to generate interest and ideas and...