Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) are used by federal laboratories to participate in collaborative efforts and partnerships with industry. Although not technically a research laboratory, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a federally funded research university that has developed an extensive sponsored program of Technology Transfer (T2) with the private sector. Cooperative research and development is often a two-way instrument whereby knowledge-generated value can flow in both directions. This thesis assesses that value from the perspective of the federal partner, based on the NPS case as a specialized academic and research institution. The research and analysis performed within the context of this thesis contributes to goals established in the NPS's "Technology Transfer Business Plan," which focuses on the measurement of outcomes and benefits resulting from CRADAs, one of the preferred and most widely used mechanisms in technology transfer within the Department of Defense, particularly at the NPS. The perspective chosen, in the direction from the nonfederal entity -- generally industry -- towards the federal partner, has not been researched and reported in the specialized literature as extensively as in the opposite direction.

A CRADA is an agreement between one or more Federal laboratories and one or more non-Federal parties to perform cooperative and mutually beneficial research and development (R and D). Under a CRADA, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) can provide personnel, services, facilities, equipment, or other resources with or without reimbursement. Non-Federal parties may provide funds, personnel, services, facilities, equipment, or other resources toward the conduct of specified research or development efforts.

The topic of this thesis is the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA), a method employed to transfer technology from Government owned, Government operated (GOGO) laboratories to private industry. The unique aspect of the CRDA is it provides an avenue for Government researchers to negotiate agreements with private industry without being ladened by numerous Government regulations, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), or its Department of Defense supplement, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement (DEFARS). The issue discussed during the research was whether a CRDA was a useful method to both expand the body of knowledge learned at Government laboratories to private industry and bring much needed funds to Government facilities and staff. The result of the study was an overall favorable opinion in the use of the CRDA, and a recommendation to expand future use of CRDA's in the environment of budget declines for Government agencies.