Office of Research and Technology Applications

The U.S. Joint Forces Command’s (USJFCOM) Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) is the focal point for the command’s Technology Transfer Authority (TTA). It oversees partnership agreements between the command and other organizations and identifies new technologies that will help fulfill warfighter requirements. By law, any government organization using TTA must have an ORTA.

The ORTA offers advice and assists with Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), intellectual property agreements, patent licensing agreements, personnel exchange and Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) projects.

Technology transfer allows the government and other parties to protect their rights while engaging in research and development. It also provides the government the use of intellectual property while protecting the rights of the company to guard its patents.

While USJFCOM is not a national laboratory, DoD recognizes that much of what the command does in its joint concept development and experimentation role has national laboratory-like implications and processes. The command immediately applies newly developed technologies and concepts to support the operational warfighter.

USJFCOM uses TTA to speed the research and development process. The goal is to quickly develop new ideas from academic, industrial, national and international research laboratories into integrated joint warfighting capabilities. One way USJFCOM uses TTA is by entering into CRADAs with private companies and other entities, which allow partners to share costs.

The objective of a CRADA is cooperative research that will enhance the mission of the command and benefit the other party. CRADAs define the individual responsibilities of each party and rights to intellectual property developed under the agreement.

Under federal law, the command can establish CRADAs with industrial organizations, industrial development organizations, non-profit organizations, universities, state and local governments. USJFCOM may provide personnel, facilities, and equipment to perform the cooperative research, but may not provide funds to support a CRADA. The other party may provide personnel, facilities, equipment, and funding.

The command has signed ten CRADAs with non-DoD organizations.