1. Department of Defense Basic Research
West Virginia University
Dr. Robin Staffin
Director for Basic Research
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
July 2, 2014

2. Key Elements of Defense Strategic Guidance
The military will be smaller and leaner, but it will be agile, flexible, ready and technologically advanced.
Rebalance our global posture and presence to emphasize Asia-Pacific regions.
Build innovative partnerships and strengthen key alliances and partnerships elsewhere in the world.
Ensure that we can quickly confront and defeat aggression from any adversary – anytime, anywhere.
Protect and prioritize key investments in technology and new capabilities, as well as our capacity to grow, adapt and mobilize as needed.

3. Defense Research and Engineering Strategy
“Protect and prioritize key investments in technology and new capabilities, as well as our capacity to grow, adapt and mobilize as needed.”
-SECDEF, January 2012 Strategic Guidance
Technology Needs
1. Mitigate new and emerging threat capabilities
Cyber Electronic Warfare
Counter Space - Counter-WMD
2. Affordably enable new or extended capabilities in existing military systems
Systems Engineering Modeling and Simulation
Prototyping Developmental Test & Evaluation
Interoperability - Power & Energy
3. Develop technology surprise through science and engineering
Autonomy Data-to-Decisions
Human Systems - Hypersonic
Quantum
Cyber / Electronic Warfare
Engineering / M & S
Capability Prototyping
Protection & Sustainment
Advanced Machine Intelligence
Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD)

4. DOD Basic Research: the Early Foundations of Progress
Nuclear weapons
Radar
Proximity fuse
Sonar
Jet engine
LORAN
Digital computer
ICBM
Transistor
Laser technology
Nuclear propulsion
Digital comm.
Satellite comm.
Integrated circuits
Phased-array radar
Defense networks
Airborne surv.
MIRV
Airborne GMTI/SAR
Stealth
Strategic CMs
IR search and track
Space track network
C2 networks
GPS
UAVs
Night vision
Personal computing
Counter-stealth
BMD hit-to-kill
Wideband networks
Web protocols
Precision munitions
Solid state radar
Advanced robotics
Speech recognition
GIG
Armed UAVs
Optical SATCOM
Data mining
Advanced seekers
Decision support

5. Why Basic Research at DOD
Why Basic Research at DOD? (from the DSB Task Force Report on Basic Research)
Basic research probes the limits of today’s technologies and discovers new phenomena and know‐how that ultimately lead to future technologies.
Basic research funding attracts some of the most creative minds to fields of critical DOD interest.
Basic research funding creates a knowledgeable workforce by training students in fields of critical DOD interest.
Basic research provides a broad perspective to prevent capability surprise by fostering a community of U.S. experts who are accessible to DoD, and who follow global progress in both relevant areas, as well as those that may not seem relevant — until they are.

6. Five Examples of DOD Basic Research Leading to Game Changers
Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) System
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Microwave Electronics
Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM)
Stealth Technology
Kalman Filter
Reference: Defense Science Board Task Force, p10

7. DOD Basic Research 2015 PBR

8. DOD Basic Research by Component FY15 President’s Budget Request

9. DoD Basic Research is 6% of Overall Federal Agency Support

10. DoD Dominates Share of Federal Basic Research in Certain Fields
SOURCE: FY 08 obligations from “Federal Funds for Research and Development” survey data on NSF WebCASPAR system

11. Basic Research Program
6 High Priority S&T areas for DoD
Metamaterials and Plasmonics
Quantum Information Science
Cognitive Neuroscience
Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
Synthetic Biology
Understanding Human and Social Behavior
Within the broader set of sciences critical
to DoD
Trends in basic research are identified and judged through a variety of interactions, including:
Publications, university site visits, conference attendance
Future Directions Workshops (identifying emerging areas for investment and International Centers of Excellence for collaborative opportunities)
Engage expert panels (JASONs, National Academy of Sciences, etc…)
Understanding and creating the cutting edge

12. Five Elements for Defense Basic Research Strategy
Goal: Create conditions for basic research investments capable of creating high-payoff, transformative scientific breakthroughs for DoD
Provide Scientific Leadership for the DoD Basic Research enterprise
Foster DoD Connections between DoD BR Performers and the DoD Community
Maximize the Discovery Potential of the Defense Research Business Environment
Programs and Program Policy
Defense Basic Research
Ensure Coherence and Balance of the DoD Basic Research Portfolio
Attract the Nation’s Best S&Es to contribute to and lead DoD research 12