C

Summary of Potential Improvements to the DoD Institutes’ Offerings

The following is a combined list of potential improvements to the Department of Defense (DoD) institutes’ offerings that were captured during the workshop breakout II exercise, organized by “Keep Doing, “Start Doing,” and “Stop Doing.” The summary includes input from each of the stakeholder groups (institutes, DoD organizations, industry, academia, and other organizations) working independently during the breakout II “keep, stop, start doing” evaluation of the current institutes’ offerings as defined in Appendix B. To accurately assess the “Stop Doing” suggestions, it is imperative to first review the “Keep Doing” suggestions and offering rankings in Chapter 2 and Appendix B as there are conflicting opinions for some of the “Stop Doing” entries.

Disclaimer: The specific potential improvements under “Keep Doing,” “Start Doing,” and “Stop Doing” were identified by individual workshop participants or small groups of a few individuals and should not be construed as consensus statements of any particular complete stakeholder group (e.g., DoD, institutes, academia, etc.), the workshop participants as a whole, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Specifically, suggestions from the institutes are self-assessments. Suggestions from the other stakeholder groups are from the perspective of their specific group. No attempt has been made to prioritize or synthesize the suggestions from the five stakeholder groups for each of the 20 offerings.

OFFERING 1: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) ROADMAPS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Technology roadmaps that leverage diverse perspectives and expertise, eliminating or reducing investment redundancy and the need for each company to start from scratch [Institutes]
• Keep roadmapping with better engagement with DoD roadmaps [DoD]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Establish institutes as “honest brokers” for technology [DoD]
• Industry-led oversight/governance and technology R&D roadmapping leading to strategic investments and sustainability [Industry]
• Utilize technology roadmaps to organize project calls and fund projects that reduce risk of adoption of technology [Industry]
• Roadmap development [Academia]

Start Doing

• Align roadmapping schedules with DoD key program life cycles [Institutes]
• Coordinate roadmaps across institutes to meet core DoD objectives [Institutes]
• Engage with maintenance and sustainment operations in roadmap [DoD]
• Leverage ongoing lower technology readiness level (TRL) projects (from the National Science Foundation and/or science and technology) as feeders to institutes [Industry]
• Couple technology roadmaps with education and workforce development roadmaps and supply chain roadmaps [Industry]
• Utilize DoD needs and requirements to feed roadmaps and define and prioritize projects [Industry]
• Benchmark and adopt practices identified in U.S. Manufacturing Council’s “Shaping Future of [National Manufacturing Institute] NMI Best Practices for NMI Success” (2016) [Industry]
• Clarify areas of distinction and areas of collaboration among institutes [Others]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 2: MEMBER-DRIVEN R&D PROJECTS—SHARED COST, RISK, AND RESULTS (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY [IP])

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Member-driven R&D that eliminates duplicative investments and risk of “falling behind” [Institutes]
• Continue funding member-driven R&D to maintain ecosystem [DoD]
• Continue to support product and IP creation [DoD]
• Utilize technology roadmaps to organize project calls and fund projects that reduce risk of adoption of technology [Industry]
• Continue to focus on precompetitive R&D projects with clear metrics and accountability [Industry]
• R&D projects, but with better performance metrics and accountability [Others]

Start Doing

• Focus on lower-level TRLs/manufacturing readiness levels (MRLs) with seed money leading to new technologies [Institutes]
• Concerted effort to accelerate project successes [Institutes]
• Translate project outcomes to be more usable [DoD]
• Focus on lower TRLs to lead technology [DoD]
• Create and improve business models by looking at new acquisition instruments [DoD]
• Execute quick projects to demonstrate speed of response to meet DoD need [DoD]
• Benchmark and adopt practices identified in U.S. Manufacturing Council’s “Shaping Future of NMI Best Practices for NMI Success” (2016) [Industry]
• Require all institute-funded projects to include a well-defined transition plan to ensure capabilities in place to enable commercialization [Industry]
• Support broader engagement of supply chain members [Industry]
• IP policy that encourages commercialization [Industry]
• Establish an IP council comprised of representatives from government, industry, and academia to collaboratively define mutually acceptable IP terms and conditions for the institute [Industry]
• Connection to contracted R&D customers, clearinghouse for opportunities [Others]

Stop Doing

• Eliminate cost-share requirement [DoD]

• Stop funding redundant work that is going on at DoD laboratories [DoD]
• Minimize administrative reporting and meetings [DoD]
• Competitive project calls that require industry to incur significant bid and proposal costs [Industry]
• Funding lower TRL projects [Industry]
• Reduce or stop project cost share, which is challenging for academia and not sustainable [Academia]

OFFERING 3: CONTRACTED DOD CUSTOMER R&D PROJECTS WITH COST SHARE

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Contracted DoD customer R&D projects with cost share that eliminates challenge of capability sourcing and sole investment cost [Institutes]
• Innovative approaches to R&D projects generated by nontraditional partnerships [Institutes]
• Continue to support product and IP creation [DoD]
• Continue to support DoD directed projects [DoD]
• Utilize technology roadmaps to organize project calls and fund projects that reduce risk of adoption of technology [Industry]
• Continue to focus on precompetitive R&D projects with clear metrics and accountability [Industry]
• Drive the development and coordination of technology standards roadmaps in order to speed transition to manufacturing and certifications [Industry]

Start Doing

• Fund concerted effort to accelerate project successes [Institutes]
• Translate project outcomes to be more usable [DoD]
• Focus on lower TRLs to lead technology [DoD]
• Create and improve business models by looking at new acquisition instruments [DoD]
• Execute quick projects to demonstrate speed of response to meet DoD need [DoD]
• Benchmark and adopt practices identified in U.S. Manufacturing Council’s “Shaping Future of NMI Best Practices for NMI Success” (2016) [Industry]
• Require all institute-funded projects to include a well-defined transition plan to ensure capabilities in place to enable commercialization [Industry]
• Support broader engagement of supply chain members [Industry]
• IP policy that encourages commercialization [Industry]

• Establish an IP council comprised of representatives from government, industry, and academia to collaboratively define mutually acceptable IP terms and conditions for the institute [Industry]
• Develop common cost-share/in-kind guidelines across institutes [Industry]
• Allow institute members to contract directly with the institute rather than requiring subcontracting with each other on projects [Industry]
• Project calls should be better aligned with the expertise, capabilities, and priorities of academia [Academia]
• Streamline cost accounting for cost share, use Small Business Innovation Research accounting standards [Others]

Stop Doing

• Eliminate cost-share requirement [DoD]
• Stop funding redundant work that is going on at DoD laboratories [DoD]
• Minimize administrative reporting and meetings [DoD]
• Reduce or stop project cost share, which is challenging for academia and not sustainable [Academia]
• Stop contributing to bureaucratic drag [Academia]

OFFERING 4: CONTRACTED CUSTOMER R&D PROJECTS WITH NO COST SHARE

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Contracted DoD R&D projects with no cost share at reduced cost and risk and compress time to market [Institutes]
• Continue to support product and IP creation [DoD]
• Continue to support DoD directed projects [DoD]
• Utilize technology roadmaps to organize project calls and fund projects that reduce risk of adoption of technology [Industry]
• Continue to focus on precompetitive R&D projects with clear metrics and accountability [Industry]

Start Doing

• Concerted effort to accelerate project successes [Institutes]
• Translate project outcomes to be more usable [DoD]
• Focus on lower TRLs to lead technology [DoD]
• Create and improve business models by looking at new acquisition instruments [DoD]

• Execute quick projects to demonstrate speed of response to meet DoD need [DoD]
• Benchmark and adopt practices identified in U.S. Manufacturing Council’s “Shaping Future of NMI Best Practices for NMI Success” (2016) [Industry]
• Require all institute-funded projects to include a well-defined transition plan to ensure capabilities in place to enable commercialization [Industry]
• Support broader engagement of supply chain members [Industry]
• IP policy that encourages commercialization [Industry]
• Establish an IP council comprised of representatives from government, industry, and academia to collaboratively define mutually acceptable IP terms and conditions for the institute [Industry]
• Seek Other Transaction Authority/Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request/Contract, Cost Plus Fixed Fee opportunities [Industry]
• Project calls should be better aligned with the expertise, capabilities, and priorities of academia [Academia]

Stop Doing

• Stop funding redundant work that is going on at DoD laboratories [DoD]
• Minimize administrative reporting and meetings [DoD]
• Stop contributing to bureaucratic drag [Academia]

OFFERING 5: TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS ROADMAPS AND COORDINATION

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Standards coordination and adoption, eliminating confusion and wasted effort [Institutes]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Roadmap development [Academia]
• Standards development [Others]

Start Doing

• Benchmark and adopt practices identified in U.S. Manufacturing Council’s “Shaping Future of NMI Best Practices for NMI Success” (2016) [Industry]
• Standards and material databases are critical to technology development and diffusion; however, mission-oriented agencies do not sponsor such projects. The academic group believes that development of standards or materials databases can be a unique value proposition for the DoD Manufacturing USA institutes. [Academia]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 6: TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING SERVICES

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Technical consulting, including sharing expert knowledge in order to accelerate adoption [Institutes]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Engage with equipment suppliers to ensure that institute remains state of the art [DoD]

Start Doing

• Provide services, methods, and tools to de-risk new technologies that address huge barriers to adoption [Institutes]
• Market rapid prototyping services to small and medium-size companies [Institutes]
• Evaluate new methodologies for technology transition [DoD]
• Communicate to industry what services are available. Most are unaware. [Industry]
• License methodologies to private sector consulting organizations [Others]

Stop Doing

• Technical consulting not grounded in real-world use cases [Institutes]
• Competing with private sector consulting services [Others]

OFFERING 7: RAPID PROTOTYPING/PRE-PRODUCTION SERVICES

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Conduct rapid prototyping and manage IP in a cost-effective manner [Institutes]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Engage with equipment suppliers to ensure that institute remains state of the art [DoD]
• Technology maturation and rapid prototyping capability [Academia]

Start Doing

• Provide verification and validation data required for bank loans [Institutes]
• Create list of certified suppliers that can provide prototyping services [Industry]
• Emphasize speed to market for prototyping services [Others]

Stop Doing

• Rapid prototyping and preproduction services is a waste of time and money [Institutes]
• Stop competing with members and supply base by providing prototype services; rather, serve as matchmaker to those with certified services [Industry]

OFFERING 8: USE OF INSTITUTE EQUIPMENT

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Neutral place to use institute equipment for demonstrations, process development, and testing [Institutes]
• Continue encouraging equipment supplies to place newest manufacturing equipment in institutes [Institutes]
• Engage with equipment suppliers to ensure that institute remains state of the art [DoD]
• Provide access to unique equipment [Industry]
• Technology maturation and rapid prototyping capability [Academia]
• Shared use of DoD Manufacturing USA institute equipment and facilities [Academia]
• Shared use of institute equipment but with guaranteed time slots [Others]

Start Doing

• Communicate to industry what is available. Most are unaware. [Industry]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 9: UPDATES ON STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Workshops for members (government, industry, and academia) and nonmembers on manufacturing and application topics [Institutes]
• Serve as thought leaders and disseminate information to new stakeholders [Institutes]
• Promote dialogue and synergies between different disciplines and eliminate unwanted sales-focused discussions [Institutes]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Establish institutes as “honest brokers” for technology [DoD]
• Engage with equipment suppliers to ensure that institute remains state of the art [DoD]
• Utilize webinars to provide updates on state-of-the art technology and institute programs [Industry]

Start Doing

• Utilize Manufacturing USA newsletter with links to institute newsletters to expand communications reach and impact [Industry]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 10: TECHNICAL PAPERS AND PUBLICATIONS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Serve as thought leaders and disseminate information to new stakeholders [Institutes]
• Quarterly and annual project reports [Institutes]
• Establish institutes as “honest brokers” for technology [DoD]
• Continue to document institute status and successes through quarterly and annual reports [DoD]
• Maintain outreach to members and nonmembers through workshops [DoD]

Start Doing

• Publish project milestones and outcomes more broadly to raise awareness of institute expertise [Institutes]
• Communicate far, wide, and often—publicize successes [Industry]
• Communicate far, wide, and often—publicize successes [Others]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 11: DATA COORDINATION AND DISSEMINATION

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Report process time and cost, reducing barriers to information access [Institutes]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Establish institutes as “honest brokers” for technology [DoD]
• Maintain outreach to members and nonmembers through workshops [DoD]
• Create and implement robust databases (i.e., leverage NextFlex best practices) [Industry]

Start Doing

• Rapidly translate project outcome to be more usable [Institutes]
• Expand data sharing from members for increased institute membership value [Institutes]
• Standards and material databases are critical to technology development and diffusion; however, mission-oriented agencies do not sponsor such projects. The academic group believes that development of standards or materials databases can be a unique value proposition for the DoD Manufacturing USA institutes. [Academia]

Stop Doing

• Holding back information that in many cases is not proprietary [Institutes]
• Stop IP leakage to international competition [Academia]

OFFERING 12: NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES AMONGST INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, AND GOVERNMENT MEMBERS AND OTHER DOD INSTITUTES

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Promote dialogue and synergies between different disciplines and eliminate unwanted sales-focused discussions [Institutes]
• Match start-ups with large companies, creating new business opportunities [Institutes]
• Continue to share knowledge and data with stakeholders [DoD]
• Establish institutes as “honest brokers” for technology [DoD]
• Maintain outreach to members and nonmembers through workshops [DoD]
• Continue to enable connection to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) [DoD]
• Leverage partnerships, esp. supply chains [Academia]

Start Doing

• More DoD engagement at networking events [Institutes]
• Evaluate new methodologies for technology transition [DoD]
• Create networking events for DoD engagement [DoD]
• Communicate value and success of institutes more broadly across DoD [DoD]
• Coordinate across institutes to meet DoD mission [DoD]
• Improve cross-institute collaboration, implement cross-institute Grand Challenge [Industry]
• Promote commonalities in funding and contracting mechanisms across institutes [Industry]
• Improved mechanisms for university faculty are needed for them to team up with industry practitioners and researchers [Academia]
• Most faculty would like to work on cross-institute programs, but the current models do not support or promote cross-institute collaboration; leverage partnerships, especially supply chains [Academia]
• Improve cross-institute collaboration, implement cross-institute Grand Challenge [Others]
• Promote commonalities in funding and contracting mechanisms across institutes [Others]

Stop Doing

• DoD policy discouraging collaboration with non-DoD institutes [Others]

OFFERING 13: CREATION OF REGIONAL INSTITUTES/HUBS AND TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEMS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Continue to enable connection to SMEs [DoD]

Start Doing

• Serve as regional coordinating body for R&D and supply chain development to establish a larger technology ecosystem with state support mechanisms [Institutes]
• Some universities have unique capabilities and facilities; if properly leveraged and utilized, they can become the nuclei of regional economic development, which provides an incentive for state government to support participation in a DoD Manufacturing USA institute. [Academia]
• Expand education and workforce development (EWD) collaboration with regional educational institutions [Others]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 14: USE OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST) MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP (MEP) PROGRAM TO REACH SMES

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Use MEPs to address SME awareness and knowledge gaps [Institutes]

Start Doing

• Reinvent the MEP embed program aligned to institutes that have mature outcomes ready to be shared with SMEs; program needs better definition and timing [Institutes]
• Look for better model to engage NIST’s MEP network [DoD]
• Better visibility and use of NIST’s MEP is needed. Communicate MEP program value proposition to SMEs. [Industry]

Stop Doing

• The MEP embed program (unless evaluation shows its effectiveness can be improved) [Others]

OFFERING 15: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ROADMAPS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Roadmap development, leverage partnerships, especially supply chains [Academia]
• Skills certification standards, but with expanded roadmaps, common curricula, and better linkage to existing programs [Others]

Start Doing

• Structure a coordinated plan and integrated roadmap to take EWD activities to multiple stakeholders [Institutes]
• Form an industry lobby group for EWD [Institutes]
• For EWD initiatives, the DoD Manufacturing USA institutes should standardize delivery platforms for accelerated, cost-effective technology diffusion [Academia]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 16: INSTITUTE INTERNSHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Maintain workforce development effort of technicians and engineers through hands-on training [DoD]
• Create or expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities, leverage partnerships, especially supply chains [Academia]

Start Doing

• Expand visibility to industry and SMEs’ participation in internships and apprenticeships [Industry]
• The group from academia would like to see an increase of DoD Manufacturing USA institute internship positions for both undergraduate and graduate students. [Academia]
• Expand participation in internships and apprenticeships [Others]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 17: TECHNOLOGY HANDS-ON TRAINING AND ON-SITE COURSES (K-12, VETERANS, DOD, INDUSTRY)

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• Technology training that reduce the manufacturing skills gap and nonstandard approaches [Institutes]
• Maintain workforce development effort of technicians and engineers through hands-on training [DoD]

Start Doing

• Focus more heavily on workforce development and balance with education outreach [Institutes]
• Institutes should adopt the Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) model for EWD [Industry]
• Design for SMEs [Industry]
• For EWD initiatives, the DoD Manufacturing USA institutes should standardize delivery platforms for accelerated, cost-effective technology diffusion [Academia]
• Forge stronger linkages to existing education programs, avoid duplication [Others]
• Establish national skills certification, work with professional societies and educators [Others]

Stop Doing

• Stop showroom focus on equipment; rather, focus and utilize equipment for hands-on training and courses [Industry]

OFFERING 18: TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION ONLINE COURSES

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• No Entries—See Start and Stop Doing

Start Doing

• Short course on specific technologies including adoption process [Institutes]
• Online education focused on stackable credentials for specific technical standards [Industry]
• For EWD initiatives, the DoD Manufacturing USA institutes should standardize delivery platforms for accelerated, cost-effective technology diffusion [Academia]

• Online education focused on specific technical standards [Others]

Stop Doing

• Development of duplicative content in online courses available from others [Institutes]
• Competing with existing online education programs [Others]

OFFERING 19: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW COURSES FOR GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES AND LEADERS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• No Entries—See Start Doing

Start Doing

• Short course on specific technologies, including adoption process [Institutes]
• Increase key decision makers’ understanding of emerging technology [Institutes]
• Develop cross-institute overview for C-suite with clear return on investment [Industry]
• For EWD initiatives, the DoD Manufacturing USA institutes should standardize delivery platforms for accelerated, cost-effective technology diffusion [Academia]

Stop Doing

• None

OFFERING 20: JOB POSTINGS

(Listed by Stakeholder, No Priority Order)

Keep Doing

• No Entries—See Start and Stop Doing

Start Doing

• Centralized source to match talent to job opportunities [Institutes]

Stop Doing

• Job postings. There are better providers. [Industry]
• Job postings (done better by commercial systems) [Others]