History of the Acquisition Research Program at NPS

Established in 2003, ARP delivers warfighter-focused acquisition research that informs and improves acquisition policy and practice. ARP research connects military and civilian acquisition professionals, policymakers in DoD and Congress, industry, and acquisition researchers from a range of federal and independent institutions. At NPS, ARP supports 60-80 graduate student research projects each year.

Every year, ARP increases its effectiveness in the acquisition community. ARP’s first annual symposium showcased 8 papers and had 53 attendees. The latest symposium transformed into a virtual event, with over 80 papers and nearly 1,000 participants from around the globe representing all military services, government, industry, academia, and the NPS community.

In 2021, Keith Snider, founding principal investigator of ARP, presented the history of ARP and the ongoing journey of supporting acquisition research as part of the 18th Annual Acquisition Research Symposium. Read his presentation: