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DDRE(R&T) 2020 Year in Review

The Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology Debuts their Inaugural “Year-in-Review"

March 4, 2021

Release #21-001

Today, the Acting Director of Defense Research & Engineering for Research & Technology (DDRE(R&T)) released the first edition of the , “R&T Year-in-Review.” The reviewwhich highlights the Department of Defense (DoD) Science and Technology (S&T) Enterprise’s positive impact on innovation and national security..

Some of R&T’s major accomplishments in 2020 include:

  • Establishing BioIndustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE), the ninth Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII), through an $87 million, seven-year award to accelerate the Department’s biotechnology modernization.
  • Mobilizing a wide spectrum of unique resources from the network of DoD-sponsored manufacturing innovation institutes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the Nation’s health and defense needs through additive manufacturing and digital solutions.
  • Expanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and future workforce capability with more than $31 million awarded to 12 educational and industry partners over a three-year period as part of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP).
  • Growing opportunities for small businesses by hosting the first DoD Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Symposium and deploying the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) to bolster participation and competition.

“While year 2020 has undoubtedly posed unprecedented challenges around the world, we have been unrelenting in the fight to keep our Nation strong and safe,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, Performing the Duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (DUSD(R&E)). “As we look forward to the new year, I hope to build upon our successes while cultivating an even stronger S&T base for the DoD.”

To view the Year-in-Review, please click here.


DDRE(R&T) widens the nation’s technological lead by spearheading DoD’s research and development portfolio; harnessing the creativity and ingenuity of the national security innovation base; and driving policy to ensure and protect DoD’s innovation advantage. Learn more at www.rt.cto.mil/ or follow us on Twitter: @DoDCTO.

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense,
Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
3030 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3030