ARPA

The Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA, is the primary research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). ARPA pursues high risk research ideas to help maintain the technological superiority of the United States. The Internet grew out of ARPAnet, an experimental network developed in the late sixties to link universities and high-tech defense contractors.

URLs:

• ARPA: Advanced Research Projects Agency

Detail:

In addition to the Development Office, ARPA includes Technical and Support offices. ARPA documents describe each of these offices as follows:

Technical Offices

DSO

The Defense Sciences Office mission is to identify the most portentous new ideas within the basic science and engineering community and develop those ideas into new DoD capabilities

ETO

The Electronics Technology Office focuses on electronics technology to produce smaller, lighter, and more mobile information systems.

ISO

The Information Systems Office provides technologies and systems to allow the commander dominant battlefield awareness and superb force management.

ITO

The Information Technology Office advances the frontier of computing systems, information technology, and software to insure that DoD has the technologies needed for the future.

STO

The Sensor Technology Office investigates applications of advanced sensor technology in civil and strategic environments, as well as technology to counter military threats in the tactical environment.

TTO

The Tactical Technology Office engages in high-risk, high-payoff advanced military research, emphasizing the "system" and "subsystem" approach to the development of air, land and naval systems technologies.

TRP

The Technology Reinvestment Project is a unique "virtual" organization that spreads across all ARPA Technical Offices; the Military Services; the Departments of Commerce, Energy and Transportation; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Science Foundation. Its central mission is to stimulate a merging of Defense and commercial industrial bases to assure DoD access to critical Defense-related technologies at a cost kept low due to a simultaneous commercial interest.

ARPA Support Offices

COMP

Office of the Comptroller is the nucleus of "corporate" fiscal activities and prepares and submits the consolidated annual Agency budget, and also manages the planning, programming, and budgeting system process. COMP develops and implements the proper procedures and controls for program execution, maintains adequate program accountability documentation, provides for liaison with the General Accounting Office and the DoD Inspector General on audit activities, and serves as the Congressional focal point for the Agency. COMP also maintains a management information system to support ARPA requirements for accurate and timely fiscal, contractual, and programmatic information services.

CMO

The Contracts Management Office (CMO) plans, negotiates, and awards contracts, grants, and agreements for select new-start technology projects and for consortium and other cooperative projects where innovative contractual arrangements may be desired.

GC

The General Counsel (GC) supervises the Freedom of Information (FOI) and Privacy Act programs within the Agency, assists in the negotiation of Cooperative Agreements, monitors the Ethics and Procurement Integrity programs, and provides legal advice and counsel to the Agency's management.

OASB

The Office of Administration and Small Business (OASB) plans, develops, and coordinates the administrative service functions of the Agency. This office supervises records management, personnel functions, technical information programs, and the ARPA Potential Contractor Program; and serves as the liaison between the technical offices and the ARPA Agents. OASB also implements the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Program and serves as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Administrator.

S&IO

The Security and Intelligence Office (S&IO) plans, executes, and directs the information, personnel, industrial and physical security programs at ARPA and at specified contractor sites. This includes Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), Special Access Programs (SAP), declassification management activities, security classification management program, and the Communications Security Program (COMSEC). S&IO also formulates and implements security policy and procedures at ARPA and represents ARPA on security matters with external organizations.