Priorities for GEOINT Research at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2006) / Chapter Skim
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5 The Research Infrastructure at NGA
5 The Research Infrastructure at NGA
Pages 65-72
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From page 65... ...
These have evolved considerably over the last two decades, with the terrorist attacks of September 11th creating an additional impetus, leading to a paradigm shift in the technology foundations necessary to fulfill NGA's mission. NGA's emphasis of operations has moved from imagery collection and map production (i.e., imagery intelligence; mapping, charting, and geodesy)
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From page 66... ...
In the opinion of the committee, the current level of research support is barely sufficient for the first, let alone the second. Nevertheless, NGA has the potential to build on its existing research model to respond to this critical national need, should the nation decide that such a priority is indeed at the heart of the national interest and award support concurrent with that need.
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From page 67... ...
support mechanisms used by NGA and described in Chapter 2 has led NGA to the leadership position worldwide in geospatial technologies and capabilities. After reviewing the wide variety of research funding mechanisms, the committee felt that the strongest aspect is NGA's ability to leverage commercial interests and to collaborate with private-sector organizations and national laboratories to rapidly develop new geospatial technologies.
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From page 68... ...
dilute research efforts being directed from the top as national priorities. While such a standing R&D coordination body could provide some sort of high-level peer oversight, peer review is nevertheless essential to the future quality of NGA research programs, however they are funded.
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From page 69... ...
Despite the perception that lack of peer review is due to security concerns, virtually none of the NGA investigators to whom the committee spoke felt limited in their ability to publish or openly discuss their research as a consequence of receiving funds from NGA. RECOMMENDATION 13: Establish peer review processes when ever possible in order to enhance the effectiveness of the research proposal process.
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From page 70... ...
There would be significant benefits from closely matching NARP projects and scientists with specific NGA programs, and from promoting and disseminating scientific results within NGA in general. This is a complex task, involving the entire collaborative of groups involved in NGA research.
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From page 71... ...
A computing and information architecture is the suite of hardware and software components for a particular task, plus the human infrastructure and knowledge base needed for their effective use, including the data models implemented and the paradigm, theory, or ontology embodied. Based on interviews with NARP principal investigators and the committee's knowledge of the NGA research process, it appears that the next-generation target architecture is not clearly defined or promoted by NGA to its R&D community, nor is a baseline architecture defined by NGA for use by its R&D community.
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From page 72... ...
This has the consequences of loss of benefit from strands of research being actively addressed by external research groups, underappreciation of the research directions and potential future architectural developments of allies, and given a shortage of first-rate geospatial research expertise globally, loss of an intellectual contribution from leading research groups that could accelerate NGA's research time scales. The committee noted several instances in which minor problems resulting directly from the ability or inability to share information and techniques became sufficient to restrict the scope or execution of research.
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