Managing for High-Quality Science and Engineering at the NNSA National
Security Laboratories
Committee to Review the Quality of the Management and of the Science and Engineering Research at the Department of Energy’s National Security Laboratories—Phase I
Laboratory Assessments Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the authoring board responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. DE-DT0001744, TO#7 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Energy. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
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COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE QUALITY OF THE MANAGEMENT AND OF THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S NATIONAL SECURITY LABORATORIES—PHASE 1
CHARLES SHANK, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Co-Chair
C. KUMAR N. PATEL, Pranalytica, Inc., Co-Chair
JOHN F. AHEARNE, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
W. WARNER BURKE, Teachers College, Columbia University
CHARLES CURTIS, Center for Strategic and International Studies
JILL DAHLBURG, Naval Research Laboratory
RAYMOND JEANLOZ, University of California, Berkeley
SALLIE KELLER, University of Waterloo
JOHN H. MARBURGER III, Stony Brook University1
JAMES MCGRODDY, IBM Corporation
ROBERT ROSNER, University of Chicago
MAXINE SAVITZ, Honeywell, Inc. (retired)
ROBERT SELDEN, Independent Consultant, Los Alamos, New Mexico
MICHAEL TURNER, University of Chicago
Staff
ALAN SHAW, Study Director
RICHARD ROWBERG, Deputy Director, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
JAMES McGEE, Director, Laboratory Assessments Board
SCOTT WEIDMAN, Director, Board on Mathematical Sciences and their Applications
LIZA HAMILTON, Administrative Coordinator
ROSE NEUGROSCHEL, Research Associate
KATIE HINES, Senior Program Assistant
_______________________________
1 Deceased, July 28, 2011.
LABORATORY ASSESSMENT BOARD
JOHN W. LYONS, U.S. Army Research Laboratory (Retired), Chair
CLAUDE R. CANIZARES, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ROSS B. COROTIS, University of Colorado, Boulder
JOSEPH S. FRANCISCO, Purdue University
C. WILLIAM GEAR, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HENRY J. HATCH, U.S. Army (Retired)
LOUIS J. LANZEROTTI, New Jersey Institute of Technology
ELSA REICHMANIS, Georgia Institute of Technology
LYLE H. SCHWARTZ, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Retired)
CHARLES V. SHANK, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
DWIGHT C. STREIT, University of California, Los Angeles
Senior Staff
JAMES McGEE, Director
ARUL MOZHI, Senior Program Officer
CY BUTNER, Senior Program Officer
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Arden Bement (NAE), Purdue University,
Patricia Culligan, Columbia University,
Will Happer (NAS), Princeton University,
Siegfried Hecker (NAE), Stanford University,
Thomas Kuech (NAE), University of Wisconsin,
Cherry Murray (NAS/NAE), Harvard University,
William Nellis, Harvard University,
William C. Ostendorff, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Michael Telson, General Atomics, and
James Trainham (NAE), RTI International.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Stephen Robinson (NAE), University of Wisconsin. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring board and the institution.
Contents
3 RESEARCH BASE AND EVOLUTION OF THE MISSION
Evolution of the NNSA National Security Laboratories’ Mission
Science and Engineering Supporting the Mission
Laboratory Directed Research and Development
The Effect of Operational Formality on Experimental Work at the Laboratories
5 MANAGEMENT OF S&E AT THE LABORATORIES
A Governance Charter for an Interagency Council on the Strategic Capability of DOE National Laboratories as National Security Assets
B Presenters and Speakers at Committee Meetings
C Review of Relevant Studies and Reports, 1995-2010
D The Structure of the Management Organizations that Govern the NNSA National Security Laboratories
E What the Laboratories’ Management and Operations (M&O) Contracts Say About the Conduct and Evaluation of Science and Engineering
F The Investment/Value Returned Framework for Management of S&E