Federally funded research and development center

Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) conduct research for the federal government. They are administered by universities and corporations.

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Critics have complained that FFRDCs provide fertile grounds for activities that inappropriately mix public funds and private interests. Critics see favoritism when FFRDCs receive large contracts without competitive bidding. Critics have also pointed to the interflow of personnel between government agencies, FFRDCs, and companies that work for FFRDCs. Critics say there is a revolving door between these entities and they decry ?interlocking directorships? that arise (such as when a former Secretary of Defense took board positions at RAND and General Dynamics Corp.)50 This latter charge is especially troubling because FFRDCs are supposed to be expertise-based organizations that are to impartially oversee the use of federal funds that are to advance a governmental purpose.

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The great strength of FFRDCs appears to lie in their flexibility to assemble teams of technical experts on a project basis. High on the list of positive results supporters claim for FFRDCs is their ability to promote technology transfers between the governmental and private sectors. The knowledge base created by the agencies? use of FFRDCs often serves as a foundation for commercially relevant efforts in the private sector. The U.S., many contend, is not as effective as other nations in taking the results of basic research and transforming them into commercially viable products to be sold in world markets. FFRDCs are intended to promote and facilitate this transfer and development process. Technology transfer, however, is subject to many interpretations and is not without controversy.

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Well-known ones include:

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• Institute for Defense Analyses Studies and Analyses Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by Institute for Defense Analyses, for US Department of Defense, Office of the Secty of Defense
• National Defense Research Institute, administered by, RAND Corporation, for US Department of Defense, Office of the Secty of Defense
• C3I Federally Funded Research & Development Center, administered by MITRE, for US Department of Defense, Office of the Secty of Defense
• Institute for Defense Analyses Communications and Computing Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by Institute for Defense Analyses, for US Department of Defense, National Security Agency
• Center for Naval Analyses, administered by The CNA Corporation, for US Department of Defense, Department of the Navy
• Lincoln Laboratory, administered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for US Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force
• Aerospace Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by The Aerospace Corporation, for US Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force
• Project Air Force, administered by RAND Corporation, for US Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force
• Software Engineering Institute, administered by Carnegie Mellon University, for US Department of Defense, Department of the Army
• Arroyo Center, administered by RAND Corporation, for US Department of Defense, Department of the Army
• Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, administered by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, for US Department of Energy
• Sandia National Laboratories, administered by Sandia Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, for US Department of Energy
• Savannah River Technology Center, administered by Westinghouse Savannah River Co, for US Department of Energy
• Ames Laboratory, administered by Iowa State University of Science and Technology, for US Department of Energy
• Argonne National Laboratory, administered by University of Chicago, for US Department of Energy
• Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, administered by University of California, for US Department of Energy
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, administered by Universities Research Association, Inc, for US Department of Energy
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, administered by University of California, for US Department of Energy
• Los Alamos National Laboratory, administered by University of California, for US Department of Energy
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, administered by Princeton University, for US Department of Energy
• Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, administered by Stanford University, for US Department of Energy
• Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, administered by Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc, for US Department of Energy
• Brookhaven National Laboratory, administered by Brookhaven Science Associates, Inc, for US Department of Energy
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory, administered by Midwest Research Institute; Battelle Memorial Institute; Bechtel National, Inc, for US Department of Energy
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory, administered by UT-Battelle, LLC, for US Department of Energy
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, administered by Battelle Memorial Institute, for US Department of Energy
• National Cancer Institute, administered by Science Applications International Corp; Charles River Laboratories, Inc; Data Management Services, Inc; Wilson Information Services, Inc for US Department of Health and Human Services, US National Institutes of Health
• Homeland Security Institute, administered by Analytic Services, Inc for United States Office of Homeland Security, Under Secretary for Science and Technology)
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory, administered by California Institute of Technology, for National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, administered by Cornell University, for the US National Science Foundation
• National Center for Atmospheric Research, administered by University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, for the US National Science Foundation
• National Optical Astronomy Observatories, administered by Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc, for the US National Science Foundation
• National Radio Astronomy Observatory, administered by Associated Universities, Inc, for the US National Science Foundation
• Science and Technology Policy Institute, administered by Institute for Defense Analyses, for the US National Science Foundation
• Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, administered by Southwest Research Institute, for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Center for Advanced Aviation System Development, administered by MITRE. for the US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration
• IRS Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by MITRE, Center for Enterprise Modernization, for the US Department of Treasury, US Internal Revenue Service
 
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