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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89621-89622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26267]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID: DoD-2024-OS-0118]

Personnel Demonstration Project at the Defense Health Agency, 
Research and Development Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory 
(STRL)

AGENCY: Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering 
(USD(R&E)), Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This serves as notice of the proposed adoption of an STRL 
personnel demonstration project plan and additional flexibilities by 
the Defense Health Agency, Research and Development (DHA R&D), a DoD 
STRL. DHA R&D is an STRL comprised of medical research organizations 
that were formerly components of Military Department organizations, 
including the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command 
(USAMRDC), a successor to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material 
Command (USAMRMC). The DHA R&D proposes to adopt the personnel 
demonstration project plan of the USAMRDC at the Federal Register issue 
of March 3, 1998. In addition, DHA R&D proposes to adopt certain 
personnel flexibilities available to all DoD STRLs.

DATES: This proposal may not be implemented until a 30-day comment 
period is provided, comments addressed, and a final Federal Register 
notice published. To be considered, written comments must be submitted 
on or before December 13, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant to the 
Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, 
Regulatory Directorate, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Attn: Mailbox 24, Suite 
05F16, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name, docket 
number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy 
for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to 
make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, 
including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
     DHA R&D STRL: Linda Krout, 301-619-7276, 
[email protected].
     Office of Under Secretary of Defense (Research and 
Engineering), DoD Laboratories, Defense Research Enterprise: Julia 
Parakkat, 703-625-5768, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 4121 of title 10, United 
States Code (U.S.C.), the Secretary of Defense is authorized to conduct 
personnel demonstration projects at laboratories designated as DoD 
STRLs. DoD STRLs must have an approved personnel demonstration project 
plan published in an FRN and fulfill any collective bargaining 
obligations before implementing the demonstration project or adopting 
the flexibilities available to other DoD STRL demonstration projects. 
In implementing this plan, DHA R&D will establish internal operating 
procedures as appropriate.

1. Background

    A personnel demonstration project was implemented at the USAMRMC in 
accordance with the plan at 63 FR 10440 (March 3, 1998). In 2019, the 
USAMRMC was redesignated as the USAMRDC and the personnel demonstration 
project notice at 63 FR 10440 was updated through a minor modification 
on August 30, 2019, to reflect this change. On May 5, 2024,

[[Page 89622]]

following the transfer of USAMRDC components to DHA R&D, the Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Foundations 
designated DHA R&D as a DoD STRL. DHA R&D has implemented the USAMRDC 
personnel demonstration project authorities for the DHA R&D components 
that were formerly subordinate components of USAMRDC. This notice 
proposes to implement the personnel demonstration project for all DHA 
R&D components by adopting the USAMRDC personnel demonstration project 
plan and other flexibilities available to all DoD STRLs.
    The purpose of the demonstration project is to demonstrate that the 
effectiveness of DoD organizations can be enhanced by allowing greater 
managerial control over personnel functions and, at the same time, 
expand the opportunities available to employees through a more 
responsive and flexible personnel system.

2. DHA R&D Personnel Demonstration Project Plan

    The demonstration project will cover approximately 1,224 DHA R&D 
positions. Approximately 59 percent of covered positions are at the 
following DHA R&D organizations located at Fort Detrick, Maryland: 
Medical Research and Development, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology 
Research, Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease, Medical 
Research Acquisition Activity, and Medical Materiel Development 
Activity. The remaining positions are at the following sites: Medical 
Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Aberdeen Proving Ground, 
Maryland; Walter Reed Institute of Research, Forest Glen, Silver 
Spring, Maryland; Institute of Surgical Research and the Burn Center 
Directorate, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The majority of these 
positions transferred to DHA R&D from USAMRDC. DHA R&D has successfully 
implemented the USAMRDC personnel demonstration project authorities for 
DHA R&D components that were formerly subordinate organizations of 
USAMRDC. Based on experience gained and following careful 
consideration, DHA R&D has determined to conduct a personnel 
demonstration project for all DHA R&D components by adopting the 
USAMRDC personnel demonstration project plan and other flexibilities 
available to all DoD STRLs.
    The DHA R&D will adopt the USAMRDC Personnel Demonstration Project 
plan outlined in 63 FR 10440 (March 3, 1998), including the following 
modifications approved pursuant to DoD Instruction 3201.05: minor 
modification to administrative occupational family, DJ 03 and 04 band 
structure of occupational series 1102 only (February 3, 2011); minor 
modification to pay for performance payment timeframe (January 5, 
2018); minor modification to participating occupational series 
(November 28, 2022). Upon implementation of this personnel 
demonstration project, DHA R&D will also adopt the following 
flexibilities that are available to all DoD STRLs:

 89 FR 44648 (May 21, 2024)
 88 FR 10874 (February 22, 2023)
 87 FR 72462 (November 25, 2022)
 87 FR 58334 (September 26, 2022)
 87 FR 40200 (July 6, 2022)
 85 FR 78829 (December 7, 2020)
 85 FR 5639 (January 31, 2020)
 82 FR 43339 (September 15, 2017)
 82 FR 29280 (June 28, 2017)
 79 FR 43722 (July 28, 2014)
 78 FR 29335 (May 20, 2013)

    Dated: November 7, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-26267 Filed 11-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P
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