3.2 Funding Breakthrough Research: Promises and Challenges of the “ARPA Model”

A government agency focused on accelerating technological breakthroughs for military applications.

An agency with a similar structure to DARPA, focusing on transformative technologies for intelligence activities.

An agency focusing on accelerating scientific breakthroughs for energy and sustainability.

An agency focused on developing advanced technologies for national security and homeland security.

An organization within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that has adopted similar principles to DARPA.

An agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that works to develop advanced medical solutions.

A funding model used by agencies like DARPA and ARPA-E that emphasizes rapid innovation and risk-taking.

The use of strict timelines and milestones for evaluating projects, with the possibility of termination if goals are not met.

The ARPA model emphasizes a rapid and iterative approach to technological innovation, prioritizing risk-taking and unconventional solutions. It aims to push the boundaries of scientific exploration and technological advancement.

The ARPA model promotes a 'lean and agile' structure, allowing for quick decision-making and adaptability to emerging challenges and opportunities. This streamlined approach facilitates a culture of innovation and rapid response to changing circumstances.

Program managers within the ARPA model act as connectors, fostering collaboration between diverse teams and researchers across various fields. They bridge gaps, build networks, and facilitate the sharing of expertise, driving innovation through collective efforts.

The ARPA model incorporates strict timelines and milestones for projects, ensuring accountability and progress. Projects that fail to meet established benchmarks are subject to termination, motivating researchers to achieve tangible outcomes within defined timeframes.

The ARPA model actively seeks out and embraces risky projects with the potential for high impact. It recognizes that groundbreaking innovations often arise from unconventional ideas, and encourages exploration beyond established boundaries.

The ARPA model, exemplified by agencies like DARPA and ARPA-E, emphasizes the importance of 'proof of concept' in research. This requires demonstrating the feasibility and viability of an idea, paving the way for further development and implementation.

The ARPA model encourages the development of technologies that are not only innovative, but also practical and applicable to real-world challenges. This ensures that research efforts translate into meaningful solutions that address tangible problems.

The ARPA model leverages partnerships with industry and other research institutions to enhance innovation and accelerate the development of new technologies. This collaborative approach allows agencies to tap into diverse expertise and resources.

Research is inherently uncertain because it's impossible to predict outcomes and the application of research is also uncertain.

Peer review is a common method for assessing research proposals, where experts evaluate the technical merit of a project.

The ARPA Model emphasizes quick innovation and risk-taking by allowing program directors to select projects based on their own expertise, rather than solely relying on peer reviews.

To address the potential bias against novelty in peer reviews, the ARPA Model allows program directors to exercise their judgment when selecting funded projects.

ARPA-E, while inspired by the ARPA Model, incorporates external peer reviews as informational input due to increased political scrutiny. This shows a compromise between rapid innovation and transparency.

In the ARPA-E project selection process, average review scores are not the sole deciding factor. Project directors select projects based on their own expertise across the whole distribution of review scores.

A funding program's objectives can influence the way it evaluates projects, even if there are common criteria like scientific merit or applicability.

Selection criteria in funding programs often include scientific merit, which focuses on the quality of the proposed research, and applicability, which considers the potential benefits of the research.

An approach to organizing research that focuses on a specific technology-related mission with clear, measurable goals.

The concept that adopting one element of the ARPA model increases the effectiveness of other elements, creating a synergy for rapid innovation.

The idea that research areas suitable for the ARPA Model have a defined mission, focus on specific types of research, and operate within a well-defined innovation system.

Research conducted without a predetermined practical application, focusing on fundamental scientific understanding.

A research approach that focuses on transforming technologies into practical, real-world applications with clear societal or economic outcomes.

The interconnected system of individuals, organizations, and processes involved in creating, developing, and implementing new technologies.

Research that aims to advance the understanding of a specific scientific field, often with the potential for future technological applications.

This model is susceptible to issues with accountability since staff members are given a great deal of autonomy and may not be adequately held responsible for the impact of their decisions.

The ARPA model relies heavily on the talent and expertise of individual program directors and staff, as they have significant influence on the direction and success of research projects.

The ARPA model prioritizes funding a diverse range of performers, including large companies, universities, startups, and national laboratories. This helps ensure a multifaceted approach to innovation.

One key challenge of the ARPA model is the difficulty in measuring its impact on the market and environment in the short term, as some projects may take decades to show tangible results.

The ARPA model empowers program directors to craft programs and select projects with minimal oversight, allowing for flexibility and adaptability. This approach can be beneficial but also carries risks.

The ARPA model emphasizes working with various performers, including startups, large firms, and academic institutions. It recognizes the value of diverse approaches and incentives.

While the ARPA model strives for quick innovation, it also recognizes the need for patience. Some transformative projects may require long-term, sustained support.

ARPA agencies like DARPA and ARPA-E have room for improvement in how they evaluate research projects. This involves changing things like how long program directors stay in their roles, how often projects are reviewed, how long projects last, and how much money they receive.

Different approaches to managing research and development lead to different outcomes in terms of innovation. For example, using the ARPA model can lead to breakthroughs in nascent technologies.

The ARPA model focuses on mission-oriented research on new and emerging technologies. It's part of a broader innovation system that also includes support for early-stage research and later-stage development.

ARPA-like organizations are not a replacement for other sources of funding for research and development. They work alongside other efforts to create a diverse and comprehensive innovation system.

The ARPA model encourages program directors to make funding decisions based on their own expertise. This helps to reduce potential bias against novel research ideas, which may be overlooked in traditional peer review processes.

ARPA-E, while inspired by the ARPA model, incorporates external peer reviews as an informational input due to increased political scrutiny. This shows a balance between swift innovation and transparency.

Even though funding programs often share common evaluation criteria like scientific merit and applicability, their specific objectives can influence their selection process.