This report describes: funding and staff size of the Federally Funded R&D Centers (FFRDC); extent of subcontracted FFRDC work; structure of the parent organizations; missions, core competencies, and capabilities of the FFRDC's sponsors' criteria for defining core work; and sponsors' oversight mechanisms and responsibilities. Overall funding for DoD's FFRDC's increased by about 23%, from almost $1.4 billion in FY 1985 to a peak of approximately $1.7 billion in FY 1990. Since FY 1990, funding for DoD's FFRDC's has decreased by almost 26% to about $1.3 billion in FY 1995.

Distributed to some depository libraries in microfiche.

In 2006, the fed. gov¿t. spent $13 billion -- 14% of its R&D expenditures -- to enable 38 federally funded R&D centers (FFRDCs) to meet special research needs. FFRDCs -- including laboratories, studies and analyses centers, and systems engineering centers -- conduct research in military space programs, nanotechnology, microelectronics, nuclear warfare, and biodefense countermeasures, among other areas. This report identifies: (1) how fed. agencies contract with organizations operating FFRDCs; and (2) agency oversight processes used to ensure that FFRDCs are well-managed. The author reviewed documents and interviewed officials from 8 FFRDCs sponsored by the DoD, DoE, HHS, and DHS. Includes recommend. Illus.