2011-2012 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory

The charge of the Army Research Laboratory Technical Assessment Board (ARLTAB) is to provide biennial assessments of the scientific and technical quality of the research, development, and analysis programs at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

The ARLTAB is assisted by six panels, each of which focuses on the portion of the ARL program conducted by one of ARL's six directorates1.

When requested to do so by ARL, the ARLTAB also examines work that cuts across the directorates.

For example, during 2011-2012, ARL requested that the ARLTAB examine crosscutting work in the areas of autonomous systems and network science. The overall quality of ARL's technical staff and their work continues to be impressive.

Staff continue to demonstrate clear, passionate mindfulness of the importance of transitioning technology to support immediate and longer-term Army needs.

Their involvement with the wider scientific and engineering community continues to expand.

Such continued involvement and collaboration are fundamentally important for ARL's scientific and technical activities and need to include the essential elements of peer review and interaction through publications and travel to attend professional meetings, including international professional meetings.

In general, ARL is working very well within an appropriate research and development niche and has been demonstrating significant accomplishments, as exemplified in the following discussion, which also addresses opportunities and challenges. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Computational and Information Sciences Directorate and NetworkScience Enterprise3 Human Research and Engineering Directorate4 Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate5 Survivability/Lethality Analysis Directorate6 Vehicle Technology Directorate and Autonomous Systems Enterprise7 Weapons and Materials Research Directorate8 Crosscutting IssuesAppendixesAppendix A: Army Research Laboratory Organization ChartAppendix B: Membership of the Army Research Laboratory TechnicalAssessment Board and Its PanelsAppendix C: Assessment CriteriaAppendix D: Acronyms and Abbreviations