§ 4142. Extramural acquisition innovation and research activities

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(a)Establishment.— The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, shall establish and maintain extramural acquisition innovation and research activities as described in subsection (c), which shall include an acquisition research organization within a civilian college or university that is not owned or operated by the Federal Government that is established to provide and maintain essential research and development capabilities through a long-term strategic relationship with the Department of Defense.

(b)Goals.— The goal of any activity conducted pursuant to this section shall be to provide academic analyses and policy alternatives for innovation in defense acquisition policies and practices to policymakers in the Federal Government by using a variety of means intended to widely disseminate research findings from such an activity, in addition to executing demonstration and pilot programs of innovative acquisition policies and practices.

(c)Activities.— The activities described in this subsection are as follows:

(1)Research on past and current defense acquisition policies and practices, commercial and international best practices, and the application of new technologies and analytical capabilities to improve acquisition policies and practices.

(2)Pilot programs to prototype and demonstrate new acquisition practices for potential transition to wider use in the Department of Defense.

(3)Establishment of data repositories and development of analytical capabilities, in coordination with the Chief Data Officer of the Department of Defense, to enable researchers and acquisition professionals to access and analyze historical data sets to support research and new policy and practice development.

(4)Executive education to—

(A)support acquisition workforce development, including for early career, mid-career, and senior leaders; and

(B)provide appropriate education on acquisition issues to non-acquisition professionals.

(5)On an ongoing basis, a review of the implementation of recommendations contained in relevant Department of Defense and private sector studies on acquisition policies and practices, including—

(A)for recommendations for the enactment of legislation, identify the extent to which the recommendations have been enacted into law by Congress;

(B)for recommendations for the issuance of regulations, identify the extent to which the recommendations have been adopted through the issuance or revision of regulations;

(C)for recommendations for revisions to policies and procedures in the executive branch, identify the extent to which the recommendations have been adopted through issuance of an appropriate implementing directive or other form of guidance; and

(D)for recommendations for the resources required to implement recommendations contained in relevant Department of Defense and private sector studies on acquisition policies and practices.

(6)Engagement with researchers and acquisition professionals in the Department of Defense, as appropriate.

(d)Funding.— Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may use amounts available in the Defense Acquisition Workforce and Development Account to carry out the requirements of this section.

(e)Annual Report.— Not later than September 30, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the congressional defense committees a report describing the activities conducted under this section during the previous year.