COORDINATION OF LIFE SCIENCES R.D.T.G.E. ACTIVITIES BETWEEN (DELETED) WITH ATTACHMENT TITLED "CLASSIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION (DELETED) OF (DELETED) LIFE SCIENCES REQUIREMENTS AND PROJECTS DATED 28 DEC 1965

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00179068
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: January 21, 2025
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: December 27, 1965

27-Z4-camber 1965
stbjectt Coordination of Life Sciences R.D.T.A.Z. Activities
Between
TO: Chiefs, --1
� Action capita's, Responsible Staff Personnel.
A. Ceneral Conside�retionl
1. The ldoes not have a Life Sciences Research, Development,
Test and Evaluation Program in the traditional and strict sense
of the word since its -I objectives do not specify, per
� se, diecreto Life Sciences requirements. Instead, the major .
projects initiated in. I are directed toward the achievement of
an advanced capability within a rather critical and
narrcw future time frame. In those projects which contain a
human operator responsible for a vital on-line function in the
System control loop, then adequate considerations must be given
to, and provIsione made for, his viability performance and
survival. Supporting Life Sciences activities therefore become
primarily directed efforts toward a specific systems requirement
or problem, using wherever possible, existing knowledge and
available technology for successful application thereto.
�11.
2. In order to meet this heavy responsibility for achieving a
raticnal advantage within a specific time period,
must of necessity concentrate its limited personnel (and funds)
upon 1 Personnel available for so-called full time,
overall R & D activities are severely limited and there in no
individual available to plan. direct and manage a Life Sciences
R � & D program. To overcome this deficiency has made full and
excellent use of its Industrial, Academic and Government collaborator
coworkers and consultants, depending heavily upon a few highly
competent. Uey individuals to make single point and final
decisions. In the light of past significant and major contributions
to the ration's stake at the international bargaining tables,
it would appear that (organization and modus operandi has
much to commend it, however unconventional it may Appear to the
purists.
B. Pant ^nd cnrreant Li fm noimnoos Coordination Activitino.
1. As pointed out above, the baeic working premiseunderlying
�'efforts is to add a proven and advanced
capability to the National Inventory, using only existing
knowledge and technology uniquely integrated into a new syetems
concept. For thie reason, formal documentation of its plans
and implementation activities do not exist in traditional format
used by a & D agencies. The orientation is pointed entirely
(and properly) toward the � , realization and utilization
with the supporting evidence being found in the documented results;
of the . ireadiness activities and inspections. Thus,
only the end resulta and products of Life Sciences
efforts are found in the official . jdocumenta and even these
are not always identified as such. Of fundamental and primary*
importance is that the advanced . system is brought
orraine within the time required and the details of how each
stbsystam (including the human operator) met its individual
)requirements is somewhat academic, albeit of some
potential hiatorical value.
2. The lack of formalized 1420 Sciences 11,61; D documentation
within lactivities has not as yet posed any particular hardship
on the end results. In addition to the access to governmental
Life Sciences a al D laboratories and personnel, \enjoys a
benevolent partnerehip with an Academic and Industrial complex
representing all fronts of science and technology. Competition
in the�Life Sciences field being what it is today ... with both
DOD and NASA. holding ample largesse for the winners ... practically
guarantees an (=pert and currant industrial cognizance of
significant progress and advances in the overall field.
Therefore many new approaches are successfully followed to
irealization with little evidence in the record of
the ideation and ingenuity involved. It is perhaps this one
factor of industrial cognizance of existing Life Sciences research
and-development activities which has been moat important in
attaining the required Life Sciences objectives.
3. Since the re-organization of - lwith
managing the Life Sciences portion of the total R & D program,
we lhave been holding periodic informal coordinating con...
ferences with him and his staff. These particular exercises
have proven extremely valuable to our 1L1fo Sciences efforts
and and objectives. On several occasions ihas ex-
panded the scope of existing R & D projects under his cognizance
to more directly focus on a current unresolved \pzoblem.
On other occasions he has initiated and funded R & D projects
at our specific request in order to fill in noticeable gaps in
our own program.
C. jruturm :cslens
-
�--
1. The past history of 1projects and resultant . I
amply attests the fact that practically no advanced system
capability ever becomes obsolete or dead.-ended. Constant im-
provements are made from newly discovered knowledge and technology
to further augment the 'envelope of the total system
and these must be equally paced by improvements in the performance
and survivability of the human component. in addition to these
extrapolated systems improvements, there are numerous completely
new Iconcepts which are being evaluated by the
jR & D staff. In some of these latter cases, the decision to
proceed into a feasibility and preliminary design study might
partially rest upon our ability to give reasonable assurance
regarding the integrity of the human component. Therefore, if we
in the life Sciences are to give timely and valid answers to
problem areas presented in both the above cases, it is obviously
mandatory that we maintain a constant vigilance for significant
advances and potential breakthroughs in our own field.
2. These aforementioned objectives can be better not by ex.-
pending the cognizance of on these significant advances ,
through a more formalized and scheduled use of
Life_Siences staff in. In order to properly utilize these
additional scientific and technological overseers, it is necespary
to provide them with information of greater depth and detail
on 'Life Sciences requirements and programs than can be
communicated during an informal oral discussion. Therefore,
through mutual agreement betweeen the Chief. /along
with and staff, the following plan of action -
will be implemented in 19661
a. initial written documentation on current -1
Life Sciences activitier will be presented to
land staff on 22 December 1965. At this
meeting, those projects which require further
-assistance from 12.12e Sciences will be noted for
more detailed ,discussion and/or consideration.
b. On or about 17 January 1966_a coordinating conference
will be held between. . \during which time
the above-mantioned Life Sciences requirements and
problem areas will be discussed and evaluated in detail.
The product of this coordination exercise will be the
initiation of new areas of Life Sciences R.D.T.SI.E activities,
through mutual concurrence, toward quicker and better
resolution of the problem areas. Further, it has been
agreed that future similar exercises) will be scheduled
at no greater intervals than once every six months.
4'
28 December 1965 .
AND
ATIOlerr.
OP I L.1717. SCI,MTCL'S LISQUITIP.MENTS AND 1.5ROX7CmiS
Pertinent material concerning Life Sciences It.D.T.Ei.E activities
are contained in the following forms:
a. Prime and sub-contractor reports.
b. Minutes of 'Suppliers' meetings.
C. Consultant's status reports.
d. Monthly Senior Plight Surgeon reports.
e. Commander's Monthly and Special reports.
2. Classification used for purposes of 28 December 1965 conference
has been somewhat arbitrarily chosen, i.e.,
a. Biomedical Sciences
b. Behavioural Sciences
c. Biotechnology and Applications
Consultant used this breakdown in order to provide some facility
in matching areas of interest and activity with current projects
in the Life Sciences being sponsored by DOD and NASA.
3. IConsultant solicits guidance from ) Life Sciences Director
and staff on the following points concerning documentation in
order to adequately prepare for the next meeting in
mid-January 1966:
a. Is there any advantage to !Life Sciences staff to have
'projects extrapolated onto the DD form 1498? If ea,
they could be used only for internal coordination within
the Agency.
b. !Life Sciences programs can be aligned to specific
:ayatems within some security constraints.
if such would provide any advantage to future coordination
procedures.
-2-
c. With mutual concurrence on those project areas
specified for more detailed review in January, 1966.
further agreemente should be reached on the type
and amount of information desired.
Some reasonable projections into the 1968-70 time period
can be made on the basis of current ladvanced
planning exercises. Therefore, the Consultant's
recommendations would be to develop this projection
of Life Sciences jreguiraments for consideration
at the time of the next coordination meeting.
411
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