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Evaluating Research Efficiency in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2008) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix G: OMB's Research and Development Program Investment Criteria
Pages 113-118

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From page 113...
... . 2 To assist agencies with significant research programs, additional instructions were added to the PART Guidance and titled the "Research and Development Program Investment Criteria." The R&D Investment Criteria are found in Appendix C of the PART instructions.
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From page 114...
... The R&D investment criteria have several potential benefits: • Use of the criteria allows policy makers to make decisions about programs based on information beyond anecdotes, prior-year funding levels, and lobbying of special interests. • A dedicated effort to improve the process for budgeting, selecting, and managing R&D programs is helping to increase the return on taxpayer investment and the productivity of the Federal R&D portfolio.
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From page 115...
... Programs Must Have Complete Plans, With Clear Goals and Priorities Programs must provide complete plans, which include explicit statements of: • specific issues motivating the program; • broad goals and more specific tasks meant to address the issues; • priorities among goals and activities within the program; • human and capital resources anticipated; and • intended program outcomes, against which success may later be assessed. Programs Must Articulate the Potential Public Benefits of the Program Programs must identify potential benefits, including added benefits beyond those of any similar efforts that have been or are being funded by the government or others.
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From page 116...
... Programs Allocating Funds Through Means Other Than a Competitive, Merit-based Process Must Justify Funding Methods and Document How Quality is Maintained Programs must clearly describe how much of the requested funding will be broadly competitive based on merit, providing compelling justifications for R&D funding allocated through other means. (See OMB Circular A-11 for definitions of competitive merit review and other means of allocating Federal research funding.)
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From page 117...
... At the same time, taking risks and working toward difficult-to-attain goals are important aspects of good research management, especially for basic research. The intent of the investment criteria is not to drive basic research programs to pursue less risky research that has a greater chance of success.
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From page 118...
... 2007. Research and development program investment criteria.
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