When you think of a government research laboratory, open access probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. In the eyes of the US Army, that is a problem. A new effort is being launched to reengineer the path to innovation, and it may include you.
The technological affairs of a government’s military are perhaps one the most closely guarded secrets a country has. It is understandable, then, that access to government research facilities is highly regulated and limited. This has the unfortunate consequence of somewhat disconnecting government research from industry and university efforts. The Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL) Open Campus initiative is an effort to reconnect those three sectors.
According to a recent press release, the concept is as follows, “In order to foster the development of cutting-edge science and technology to further enhance the capabilities of our Soldiers on the battlefield, ARL is bringing together academia, industry, small business and government to address fundamental research opportunities through the Open Campus initiative.”
The initiative would make select facilities available to outside users. The advanced instrumentation and expertise benefits the business or university, and the collaboration and idea exchange benefits the Army. To maintain pace with the quickly evolving technological landscape, “ARL is piloting a new business model that will create a more efficient and effective defense laboratory that can be adaptive and responsive to the challenges of 21st century national security.”
There are seven primary areas of interest:
- Human Sciences
- Information Sciences
- Sciences for Lethality and Protection
- Sciences for Maneuver
- Computational Sciences
- Materials Sciences
- Assessment and Analysis
The Open Campus initiative will promote the flow of personnel and ideas both into and out of ARL. Visiting scientists may come to ARL, but government researchers will also act as guest researchers at collaborating institutions. Combining fresh and distinct experiences is hoped to enable rapid development of new technologies beneficial to the Army’s core strategies.
The program has just begun, but future expansion is planned. This year designated portions of ARL’s Adelphi Laboratory will open to academic and industry partners. In 2015 they plan to also include their Aberdeen Proving Ground location.
This outreach and collaboration effort is a good opportunity for industry and university researchers to partner with well-equipped and well-staffed laboratories. To find out what areas of research are available, check out their Open Campus Opportunities listings. They serve is wide range of computational and experimental disciplines, so chances are you’ll find some common ground.