Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) conduct research for the United States Government. They are administered in accordance with U.S Code of Federal Regulations, Title 48, Part 35, Section 35.017 by universities and corporations. A scientific method or process is considered fundamental to the scientific investigation and acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence. ... The government of the United States, established by the United States Constitution, is a federal republic of 50 states, a few territories and some protectorates. ...

Critics have complained that FFRDCs provide fertile grounds for activities that inappropriately mix public funds and private interests. Critics see favoritism when FFRDCs receive large contracts without competitive bidding. Critics have also pointed to the interflow of personnel between government agencies, FFRDCs, and companies that work for FFRDCs. Critics say there is a revolving door between these entities and they decry "interlocking directorships" that arise (such as when a former Secretary of Defense took board positions at RAND and General Dynamics Corp.) This latter charge is especially troubling because FFRDCs are supposed to be expertise-based organizations that are to impartially oversee the use of federal funds that are to advance a governmental purpose.

The great strength of FFRDCs appears to lie in their flexibility to assemble teams of technical experts on a project basis. High on the list of positive results supporters claim for FFRDCs is their ability to promote technology transfers between the governmental and private sectors. The knowledge base created by the agencies’ use of FFRDCs often serves as a foundation for commercially relevant efforts in the private sector. The U.S., many contend, is not as effective as other nations in taking the results of basic research and transforming them into commercially viable products to be sold in world markets. FFRDCs are intended to promote and facilitate this transfer and development process. Technology transfer, however, is subject to many interpretations and is not without controversy.

List of FFRDCs

There are 36 recognized FFRDC that are sponsored by the U.S. government. They are as follows:

Department of Defense

Main article: US Department of Defense

• Office of the Sectretary of Defense
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • Institute for Defense Analyses Studies and Analyses Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, VA
    • National Defense Research Institute, administered by, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
    • C3I Federally Funded Research & Development Center, administered by MITRE, Bedford, MA and McLean, VA
• National Security Agency
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • Institute for Defense Analyses Communications and Computing Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, VA
• Department of the Navy
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • Center for Naval Analyses, administered by The CNA Corporation, Alexandria, VA
• Department of the Air Force
  • Administered by universities and colleges
    • Lincoln Laboratory, administered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington, MA
    • Aerospace Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
    • Project Air Force, administered by RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
• Department of the Army
  • Administered by universities and colleges
    • Software Engineering Institute, administered by Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • Arroyo Center, administered by RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA

The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), concerned with the armed services and The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense... The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) focusing on defense issues. ... Alternate meanings: See RAND (disambiguation) The RAND Corporation is an American think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the U.S. military. ... A mitre. ... The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is the U.S. governments cryptologic organization. ... Seal The United States Department of the Navy was established by an Act of Congress on April 30, 1798, to provide administrative and technical support, and civilian leadership to the United States Navy. ... The Center for Naval Analyses is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for the Department of the U.S. Navy. ... The Center for Naval Analyses is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for the Department of the U.S. Navy. ... Categories: Stub | U.S. Dept. ... MIT Lincoln Laboratory, also known as Lincoln Lab, is a federally funded research and development center managed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and funded by the United States Department of Defense. ... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is a private coeducational research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. MIT has five schools and one college, containing 32 academic departments,[2] with a strong emphasis on theoretical, applied, and interdisciplinary scientific and technological research. ... The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit engineering and science organization headquartered in El Segundo, California. ... War Department may refer to the military establishments of several different countries: British War Department Confederate War Department United States Department of War, under the leadership of the United States Secretary of War (until 1947) See also: defense minister This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and operated by Carnegie Mellon University. ... Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...

Department of Energy

Main article: US Department of Energy

• Administered by Industrial Firms
  • Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, administered by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Idaho Falls, ID
  • Sandia National Laboratories, administered by Sandia Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, Albuquerque, NM
  • Savannah River Technology Center, administered by Westinghouse Savannah River Co, Aiken, SC
• Administered by universities and colleges
  • Ames Laboratory, administered by Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, IA
  • Argonne National Laboratory, administered by UChicago Argonne, LLC, Argonne, IL
  • Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, administered by University of California, Berkeley, CA
  • Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, administered by Universities Research Association, Inc, Batavia, IL
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, administered by University of California, Livermore, CA
  • Los Alamos National Laboratory, administered by Los Alamos National Security LLC, Los Alamos, NM
  • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, administered by Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
  • Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, administered by Stanford University, Stanford, CA
  • Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, administered by Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc, Newport News, VA
• Administered by other nonprofit institutions
  • Brookhaven National Laboratory, administered by Brookhaven Science Associates, Inc, Upton, Long Island, NY
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory, administered by Midwest Research Institute; Battelle Memorial Institute; Bechtel National, Inc, Golden, CO
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, administered by UT-Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, administered by Battelle Memorial Institute, Richland, WA

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. ... The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is an 890 square mile (2,300 km²) complex located in the Idaho desert between the towns of Arco and Idaho Falls. ... It has been suggested that Sandia Base be merged into this article or section. ... Sandia National Laboratories is a major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratory with two locations, one in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the other in Livermore, California. ... Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ... Ames Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Ames, Iowa. ... Iowa State University (ISU) is a public land-grant university and space-grant university located in Ames, Iowa. ... Aerial photo of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. ... The Berkeley Lab is perched on a hill overlooking the Berkeley central campus and San Francisco Bay. ... The University of California (UC) is a public university system in the state of California. ... Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory located in Batavia near Chicago, Illinois is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics, operated for the Department of Energy by the Universities Research Association (URA). ... Aerial view of the lab and surrounding area. ... Los Alamos National Laboratory, aerial view from 1995. ... Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS LLC) is a limited liability company consisting of the University of California, Bechtel, BWX Technologies, and Washington Group International, which was awarded the 7-year management contract for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) by the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration... Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory for plasma physics and nuclear fusion science. ... Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey in the United States of America. ... The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. ... The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University (or simply Stanford), is a private university located approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and approximately 20 miles northwest of San José in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County. ... Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), commonly called Jefferson Lab (JLAB), is a U.S. national laboratory operated by Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) for the U.S. Department of Energy. ... Aerial view of Brookhaven National Laboratory. ... The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colorado, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy, is the United Statess primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. ... Midwest Research Institute (MRI) is an independent, not-for-profit, contract research organization based in Kansas City, MO. MRI was established in Kansas City in 1944 to provide research and development for industry. ... The Battelle Memorial Institute is a private, not-for-profit applied science and technology deveopment company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. ... Bechtel Corporation (Bechtel Group) is the largest civil engineering company in the world. ... A combination of federal, state and private funds is providing $300 million for the construction of 13 facilities on ORNLs new main campus. ... The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a one of nine United States Department of Energy multiprogram national laboratories. ...

Department of Health and Human Services

Main article: US Department of Health and Human Services

• National Institutes of Health
  • Administered by Industrial Firms
    • National Cancer Institute, administered by Science Applications International Corp; Charles River Laboratories, Inc; Data Management Services, Inc; Wilson Information Services, Inc, Frederick, MD

The United States Department of Health and Human Services, often abbreviated HHS, is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. ... The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for medical research. ... The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the United States federal governments principal agency for cancer research and training, and the first institute of the present-day National Institutes of Health. ...

Department of Homeland Security

Main article: United States Department of Homeland Security

• Under Secretary for Science and Technology
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • Homeland Security Institute, administered by Analytic Services, Inc, Arlington, VA

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), commonly known as Homeland Security, is a Cabinet department of the Federal Government of the United States with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the United States from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters. ...

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Main article: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Administered by universities and colleges
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory, administered by California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
  • Applied Physics Laboratory, administered by Johns Hopkins University.

NASA Logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in La Cañada Flintridge, near Los Angeles, California, USA, builds and operates unmanned spacecraft for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech)[1] is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), located in Laurel, Maryland, is a not-for-profit, university-affiliated research center employing 4,000 people. ... The Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. ...

National Science Foundation

Main article: US National Science Foundation

• Administered by universities and colleges
  • National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, administered by Cornell University, Arecibo, PR
  • National Center for Atmospheric Research, administered by University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO
  • National Optical Astronomy Observatories, administered by Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc, Tucson, AZ
  • National Radio Astronomy Observatory, administered by Associated Universities, Inc, Charlottesville, VA
• Administered by other nonprofit institutions
  • Science and Technology Policy Institute, administered by Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, VA

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent United States government agency responsible for supporting basic science research mainly by providing research funding. ... The Arecibo Observatory is located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico on the north coast of the island. ... Cornell redirects here. ... NCAR, Boulder, Colorado National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is a U.S.-based institute whose stated mission is: NCARs flagship Mesa Laboratory is located in the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, in a dramatic complex of buildings designed by architect I.M. Pei. ... UCAR is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1959 by research institutions with doctoral programs in the atmospheric and related sciences. ... The National Optical Astronomy Observatory consists of four observatories under one management structure: Kitt Peak National Observatory Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Gemini Observatory National Solar Observatory See also: List of observatories External link http://www. ... The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is an institution set up by the United States government for the purpose of radio astronomy. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Main article: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• Administered by other nonprofit institutions
  • Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, administered by Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX

NRC headquarters in Rockville, MD. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (or NRC) is a United States government agency that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act in 1974, and was first opened January 19, 1975. ... Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization. ...

Department of Transportation

US Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transport. ...

• Federal Aviation Administration
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • Center for Advanced Aviation System Development, administered by MITRE, McLean, VA

  FAA redirects here. ...

Department of the Treasury

US Department of Treasury The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the treasury of the United States government. ...

• US Internal Revenue Service
  • Administered by other nonprofit institutions
    • IRS Federally Funded Research and Development Center, administered by MITRE, Center for Enterprise Modernization, McLean, VA

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. ...

External links

• Congressional Research Service: 'The Quasi Government: Hybrid Organizations with Both Government and Private Sector Legal Characteristics'
• List of FFRDCs
• NSF Master List of FFRDCs