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Subjacti Coordination of Lifo Scioncos R.D.T.&.B. Activities Between 1

To: Chiefs, Action copica: Reoponsible Staff Personnel.

A. Ceneral Considerations

1. Theldoes not have a Lifo Sciences Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Program in the traditional and strict sense of the word aince its objectives do not specify, per se, discreto Life Sciences requiremants. Instoad, the major projects initiated in  lare directed toward the achiavement of an advanced capobility within a rather critical and narrcw future time fsome. In those projects which contain a human operator responsible for a vital on-line function in the Syotom control loop. thon adequate considerations muat be given to, and provisiona made for. his viability performance and survival. Supporting Life Scicnces activitics therefore beccme primarily dirccted ofzorts tosard a specific syateas requirement or problem, using wherever possible, existing knowledge and available technology for successful application thareto.

2. In order to meet this heavy responsibility for achieving a National (advantage vithin a specific tine period, must of neceasity concentzate its liaited personnel (and funds) upon Personnel available for so-called full time, overall R & D activitica are severely limited and there is no individual available to plan, diroct and manage a Lire Sciences R & D program, To overcome this deficiency Thas made full and excellont use of its Industrial, Acadeaic and Government collaborator co-uorkers and consultants, dopending heavily upon a fow highly competent, key individuals to make singlo point and final decisions. In the light of past significant and major contributiona to the Uation's atake at the intornational bergaining tablao, it would appear that organization and modus operandi has much to commond it, howover unconventional it may appear to the purists.

27 December 1965

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B. Paat ond Curront Lifo Scionccs Coordination activitioa.

l. As pointed ont atove, the basic working premise underlying efforts is to add a proven and advanced 1
capability to the National Inventory, dsing only exiating
knowlodgo and technology uniquely integrated into a new syotems concept. For this reason, formai documentation of its plans and implementation activitias do not exist in troditional format used by R & D agoncies. The ozientation is pointed entiraly (and properly) toward the realisation and utilization with the aupporting gvidence being found in the docurented regults of tha ireadiness activitios and inspections. Thus. only the end rosults and products of Life Scioncoa R.D.T.&.B. efforts are found in the official documenta and avon theso aro not alvays identified as auch. Of fundamontal and primary 1 inportance is that the advancod system is brought on-line within the time zequired and the dotails of how each subsystem (including the human operator) zet its individual
roguircments is somowhat academie, alreit of some potential historical value.

2. The lack of foraalised Liso Soiences R & D docwaentation within lactivities has not as yet posed any particular bardship on tho end reaults. In addition to the acceas to governmental Life Sciences R & D laboratorios and personnel,enjoys a benevolent partnerohip with an Acadenic and Industrial complex reprcsenting all fronts of sciance and technology. Competition in the Life Sciencos fiold boing vhat it is today - with both DOD and NASA holding ampla largease for the winners - practically guaranteos an expert and curront industrial cognisance of significant progrsas and advances in the overall field. Thereforo many new approachas aro successfully folloved to

/roalization with littla evidence in the record of the idoation and ingenuity involved. It is perhape this one factor of industrial cognizanco of exiating Life Scienceg research and development activities which has been moot important in attaining the zequired Life Sciencos objectives.

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3. Since the rc-organization ofwith 1 managing the Life Scionces portion of the total R & D program. we
have been holding periodic informal coordinating conferences with hin and his staff. These particular exorcises have proven extremely valuable to ourlLifo Sciences efsorts and end objectives. On several occaaions
has expanded the scope of existing R & D projects under his cognizance to more directly focus on a current unresolved problon. On other occasions he has initiated and funded R & D projects at our specific request in order to fill in noticeable gays in our own progran.

C. Puture Plans

l. The past hiotory ofprojects and zesultant
amply attosta the fact that practically no advanced aystom
capability ever becomes cbaolete or dead-ended. Constant in
provements are made from newly discovered knowledge and technology
to further augment the envelope of the total systom
and theee must be equally paced by improvements in the performance
and survivability of the human component. In addition to these
extrapolated systems improvements, there are numcrous completely iconcepts which are beinn ovsluatas aa Leray evaluated by the

R & D staff. In eome of these latter cases, the deciaion to proceed into a feaaibility and preliminary design study might partially rost upon our ability to give reasonable assurance regarding the integrity of the human coaponent. Therefore, if we in the Life Sciences are to give timely and valid answers to problem areas presented in both the above cascs, it is obviously mandatory that we maintain a constant vigilance for significant advances and potontial breakthroughs in our own field.

2. These aforementioned objectivoa can bo bettor net by expanding the cognisance ofon these signisicant advances through a more foroalised and scheduled use of 1 Lizs siencea staff in In order to properly utilize these addizional acientific and technological overgeers, it is nocescary to provida them with information of groator depth and detail on Life Sciences requirements and programs than can ha communicated during an informal oral discusaion. Therefore.

.3.

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through mutual agreement hetveeen tho Chief, along with and staff. the following plan of action will be implcmented in 196s:

a. Initial written documentation on current Lifa Sciences activitiet will be prosented to land staff on 23 December l965. at this meeting, those projects which require further asoistance fzcmLife Scicnces will be noted for more detailed discussion and/or consideration.

b. Cn or ahout 17 January l966 a coordinating conference will bo held between during which time the abovo-mantioned Life Scionces requirenents and problom arcas will be discussed and evaluated in detoil. The prcduct of this coordination exercise will be the initiation of nss areas of Life Sciences R.D.T.a.E activities, through mutual concurrence, toward quicxer and better resolution of the problom aroas. Further, it has been agrecd that futuro sinilar exerciuea will be scheduled at no greator intorvals than once evory six months.

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CLASSIFICITION AND COCUENTATION

OFLIFE SCTENCES PEQUIDEMENTS AND PROJECTS

l. Partinent material concerning Life Sciences R.D.T.&.E activities are contained in the following forms:

a. Prime and sub-contractor reports.

b. Minutes of 'Suppliers'meetings.

c. Consultant'3 status reporta.

d. Monthly Senior Plight Surgeon reports.

e. Commander's Monthly and Special reports.

2. Classification used for purposes of 23 December l965 conference has been somewhat arbitrarily chosen, i.e..

a. Biomedical Sciences

b. Eehavioural Sciences

c. Biotechnolcgy and Applications

Consultant used this breakdown in order to provide some facility in matching areas of interest and activity with curzant projects in the Life Sciences being sponsored by DOD and BasA.

3.Consultant solicits guidance fromLifo Sciences Director and stafr on the following points concerning documentation in order to adeguately prepare for the next meetirg in id-January 1966:

a. Is there any advantage to Lifo Sciencea staff to have projects extrapolated onto the DD form 1498? If so, they could ke usod only for internal coordination within the Agency.

b. Life Scionces programs can be aligned to specific oystemg within some security conotraints. if such would provide any advantage to future coordination procedures.

28 Dacember 1965

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c. with mutual concurzence on those project areas specified for mora datailed review in January, l966, further agroements should be reached on the type and amount of information desired.

d. Some reasonable projections into the l368-70 time poriod can be made on the basis of current advanced planning exercisos. Therefore, the Consultant's recommendations would be to develop this projection of Life Sciencesrequiroments for consideration at the time of the noxt coordination meeting.