Interagency Laboratory Use:
Current Practices and Recurring Problems
PSAD-79-97: Published: Sep 4, 1979. Publicly Released: Sep 4, 1979.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
A review of contracting between Federal agencies for laboratory research and development tasks examined the extent and types of interagency laboratory use, the advantages of such arrangements, and the constraints and management problems which accompany interagency work.
Interagency laboratory work is one means to efficiently and effectively use the Government's research and development resources. There is no Government-wide policy or coordinating mechanism which specifically addresses contracting by one Federal agency with the laboratories of another. Rather, the missions, policies, practices, and capabilities of each agency require, encourage, or limit the nature and extent of interagency laboratory use. While interagency laboratory work occurs for a number of reasons and offers many advantages, concerns about relevance of work to a laboratory's mission and limits on available personnel can restrict the type or extent of interagency laboratory use. Interagency work is also accompanied by its own management problems. However, this review did not disclose any Government-wide problem with the ability of agencies to have research performed at other agencies' laboratories, indicating that, overall, cross-agency research needs can be satisfactorily handled. Nevertheless, the problems and constraints require continuous and aggressive attention by agency managers.
Dec 21, 2020
Science & Tech Spotlight:
Tracing the Source of Chemical WeaponsGAO-21-271SP: Published: Dec 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 21, 2020.
Dec 17, 2020
-
Federal Research:
Agencies Need to Enhance Policies to Address Foreign InfluenceGAO-21-130: Published: Dec 17, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 2020.
Dec 7, 2020
-
Science & Tech Spotlight:
Air Quality SensorsGAO-21-189SP: Published: Dec 7, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 7, 2020.
Nov 30, 2020
-
Artificial Intelligence in Health Care:
Benefits and Challenges of Technologies to Augment Patient CareGAO-21-7SP: Published: Nov 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 30, 2020.
Nov 20, 2020
-
Biomedical Research:
NIH Should Publicly Report More Information about the Licensing of Its Intellectual PropertyGAO-21-52: Published: Oct 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 20, 2020.
Sep 3, 2020
-
Defense Science and Technology:
Opportunities to Better Integrate Industry Independent Research and Development into DOD PlanningGAO-20-578: Published: Sep 3, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 3, 2020.
Aug 31, 2020
-
Science & Tech Spotlight:
Consumer Electronics RecyclingGAO-20-712SP: Published: Aug 31, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 31, 2020.
Aug 11, 2020
-
Facial Recognition Technology:
Privacy and Accuracy Issues Related to Commercial UsesGAO-20-522: Published: Jul 13, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 11, 2020.
Jul 30, 2020
-
Covid-19:
Data Quality and Considerations for Modeling and AnalysisGAO-20-635SP: Published: Jul 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2020.
Jul 28, 2020
-
Science & Tech Spotlight:
Contact Tracing AppsGAO-20-666SP: Published: Jul 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here
Explore our Key Issues on Science and Technology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Climate Change Funding and Management
- Climate Change Response
- DOD Weapon Systems Acquisition - High Risk Issue
- Ensuring the Effective Protection of Technologies Critical to U.S. National Security Interests - High Risk Issue
- Federal Research Oversight
- Financial Technology
- Managing Federal Lands and Waters
- Mitigating Gaps in Weather Satellite Data
- Nuclear Weapons and Forces Sustainment and Modernization
- Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Security of Radioactive Materials
- Understanding Climate Change
- Water Quality and Protection
- Wireless Broadband Spectrum Management
Explore our other Key Issues here
