17 July 2019
MITRE Response
6yMITRE takes our commitment to the public interest very seriously, and we are proud of the unique work we perform to solve complex problems for our government sponsors.
Federal Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are subject to governance and oversight by sponsoring agencies and their oversight bodies. Pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), before MITRE receives any work from its sponsor a determination must be made regarding whether the situation or the work requires the unique attributes of an FFRDC. This process is intended to make sure agencies do not use FFRDCs in situations where the use of a commercial contractor or SETA is more appropriate. This decision process is reviewed at intervals by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and many sponsoring agency Inspectors General (IGs).
There are often misunderstandings about the FFRDC model and how operators such as MITRE can work in different ways with the federal government. There are three types of FFRDCs: (a) Studies and Analysis (S&A); (b) Research and Development (R&D); and (c) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Centers. These are designated by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and they help to define the scope of the FFRDC. Much of MITRE’s work is operating SE&I Centers, which means that MITRE’s work may involve supporting implementation. Our charter prohibits MITRE from competing for commercial contracts. We may only compete for the opportunity to operate FFRDCs.