University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) are research organizations within a university or college that are established to provide or maintain essential engineering, research, and/or development capabilities through a long-term, strategic relationship with the Department of Defense (DOD). As a UARC, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) maintains areas of expertise that are identified as UARC core competencies. GTRI must provide this expertise in support of its mission to support the DoD.
The Army Futures Command / Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) / Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) (formally AMRDEC) is the Primary Sponsor for the GTRI UARC efforts as a UARC. The Army Contracting Command Redstone (ACC-R) provides contracting support to CCDC AvMC. ACC-R awarded the CCDC GTRI UARC to provide a mechanism for funding GTRI’s efforts. The GTRI CCDC UARC Program Office provides contract management.
CCDC AvMC and ACC-R:
- Support the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) by providing UARC program oversight, and developing mechanisms and programs to efficiently bring GTRI’s capabilities to the DoD and other federal agencies.
- Provide contract management and specific administrative guidance to the GTRI UARC.
- Serve as the focal point for organizations requiring GTRI engineering capabilities through this UARC contract vehicle.
- Provide GTRI UARC users with a central point of contact for this UARC program.
The original DoD-sponsored UARC laboratories evolved from World War II era research programs, and they proved to be very effective in executing national security research initiatives. This capability continues today, with UARCs operating as strategic partners with their DoD sponsors, serving in the public interest, managed through an approved UARC Management Plan, and combining technical excellence with objectivity. They serve as subject matter experts that function as independent, trusted advisors and honest brokers, answerable only to their DoD customers.
The ASD(R&E) approves and designates the research organizations as UARCs and formally designates a DoD Primary Sponsor for each UARC to assist in policy and contractual oversight. UARCs are established to develop and maintain government-defined research, development or engineering capabilities designated as essential and to provide those essential capabilities to DoD through a long-term strategic relationship.