In it’s recently issued Future of Defense Task Force Report, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) emphasized, “[i]ncreased government investment in basic scientific research must be complemented by increased cooperation with the private sector to quickly adopt resulting technologies” (HASC, 2020; emphasis added).
America's Sea Land Air Military Research initiative (SLAMR) was born from the recognition our generation’s technical and technology race has already begun and requires a nationwide response. As former Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer described it, this is a “Sputnik moment.”
The Future of Defense Task Force Report affirms this perspective stating, “Winning this race requires a whole-of-nation approach where the distinct advantages of both America’s private and public sector are harnessed and synthesized.” (HASC, 2020; emphasis added)
Assisting partners thrive at the intersection of military, commercial, and academic research and development is at the core of SLAMR’s mission. That includes helping our U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Private Sector, and Academia partners harness national resources, including funding.
For example, an estimated $580 billion was invested nationally in 2018, according to the most recent data available from the National Science Foundation. The data are revealing and consequences significant. For example, Private Sector invests
- more in Applied Research than the entirety of the U.S. Government,
- approximately $368.5 billion, or 85%, in the Nation’s Development efforts (technology development, demonstration, etc.), and
- almost 70% of what the U.S. Government does in Basic Research.
Click 2018 National R&D Investments for information on whole-of-country investments in Basic Research, Applied Research, and Development.
To discover more about how America's SLAMR and Naval Postgraduate School are accelerating discovery, R&D, and delivery to Sailors, Marines, and other uniformed service personnel, Join the Exploration.
Source: U.S. House Armed Services Committee. (2020, September 23). Future of Defense Task Force Report.