Join the discussion about resourcing innovation and the future of research in acquisition at the Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS’s) 21st Annual Acquisition Research Symposium. View the full program and register online.
“For 21 years, the Acquisition Research Symposium has brought senior leaders from across the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense to Monterey, where their expertise directly intersects with the latest acquisition research being produced by scholars from around the world, including NPS faculty and students,” said retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, president of NPS.
Rondeau pointed to the critical need for acquisition research and acquisition professionals to prioritize innovation in every effort: “Make no mistake: we are in an innovation race,” Rondeau said. “Lowering barriers to collaboration accelerates learning, development and transition. Acquisition research must enable these critical success factors for us all to get better, from concept to capability, at greater speed and scale. That’s how we will win.”
Resourcing Innovation
Acquisition professionals and leaders from throughout the Department of Defense will convene in Monterey, Calif., on May 8-9 for the 21st Annual Acquisition Research Symposium, to present the latest information, research and discussions focusing on the symposium’s theme: resourcing innovation.
Learn more about the state of acquisition in the Navy and how the Navy is approaching research and new technologies from Nickolas H. Guertin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. Attendees will also receive updates on how William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, are collaborating with each other’s offices, the private sector and across the government to fund, develop and deliver both new technologies and essential warfighting tools such as ammunition.
Acquisition and PPBE Reform Panels
Engage in panel discussions featuring two notably high-profile topics in the acquisition world: talent management and the Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Reform. DAU President Jim Woolsey will moderate a panel, “Acquisition Workforce from the Service Directors, Acquisition Career/Talent Management” with Directors, Acquisition Career/Talent Management.
The symposium will also provide attendees with multiple opportunities to hear from members of the Commission on PPBE Reform. Dov S. Zakheim, Former Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer, Department of Defense, will moderate a discussion of the PPBE report and explore the latest progress on implementing their recommendations. Lara Sayer, Executive Director for the Commission on PPBE Reform, will lead a discussion on case studies of budgeting processes used by selected allied and partner nations. Finally, Elizabeth Bieri, Director of Research for the Commission on PPBE Reform, will present innovative ideas and insights from the PPBE report on improving program resources. Read the full PPBE report or the two-page overview to be prepared for the discussion.
Additional Event Highlights
Throughout the two-day event, attendees will be reminded of the many ways acquisition operates as an essential warfighting tool to design, develop, and deliver the latest technologies and capabilities to our operators in the field.
The event includes additional virtual sessions that may be of particular interest to acquisition professionals. These include a panel on the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, another on Innovative Contracting Approaches, and two panels exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on all aspects of the acquisition lifecycle.
A perennial highlight of the symposium is the in-person student research poster show. Warrior-scholars completing graduate degrees in the Department of Defense Management will discuss thesis projects that demonstrate how operationally driven research improves both defense outcomes as well as the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of these mid-career defense professionals. The 14 research projects explore such topics as trends in the use of other transactions authority, government influence on naval shipbuilding, autonomous and unmanned systems, satellite communications and implications of early vendor down-select in defense acquisition programs.
The event includes panels open to virtual attendees and is led by the Acquisition Research Program at NPS, in conjunction with the school’s Naval Warfare Studies Institute (NWSI). The Acquisition Research Program is supported by program sponsors Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (ASN RD&A) and Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS).
View the full program and register online. Learn how to receive Continuous Learning Points from the event.
About the Naval Postgraduate School, ARP and NWSI: The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the Naval service. Together, the Acquisition Research Program and Naval Warfare Studies Institute create interdisciplinary research, education, events, and opportunities like the symposium to support the NPS mission and improve the ability of the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense to deliver the best people, processes, and capabilities when and where they are needed.