LEADERSHIP

Dr. Michael Griffin

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Dr. Michael D. Griffin is the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He is the Department’s Chief Technology Officer, and is responsible for the research, development, and prototyping activities across the DoD enterprise and is mandated with ensuring technological superiority for the Department of Defense.

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Dr. Lisa J. Porter

Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Dr. Lisa Porter is the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (DUSD(R&E)), and with the USD(R&E), is responsible for the research, development, and prototyping activities across the DoD enterprise. In addition, the USD and DUSD oversee the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the DoD Laboratory and Engineering Center enterprise, and the Under Secretariat staff focused on developing advanced technology and capability for the U.S. military.

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Research and Engineering Enterprise

Office of the Director of Defense
Research and Engineering for Research and Technology

Dr. JihFen Lei Acting Director

Office Of The Director Of Defense
Research And Engineering For
Modernization

Dr. Mark Lewis Director

Office of the Director of Defense
Research and Engineering for Advanced Capabilities

Mr. Jim Faist Director

"As the Department’s R&E enterprise continues to identify and harvest technologies suitable for transition to our force, we aim to remain ever vigilant of potential and emerging threats."

- Dr. Michael D. Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, before the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Technology Transfer and the Valley of Death, second session, 116th Congress, April 18, 2018.

Principal Deputy Directors

DDRE(R&T)

TBD Principal Deputy Director

DDRE(M)

TBD Principal Deputy Director

DDRE(AC)

Terry Emmert, Deputies Assisstant Secretary of Defense, (Materiel Readiness), poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 17, 2016. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King/Released)

Mr. Terry Emmert Principal Deputy Director

"...it is worth commenting briefly about the state of the United States’ global competitive posture. It is important that we take the long view and play to our strengths, which include our culture of innovation, our free market principles, our entrepreneurial spirit, and the rule of law. Greatness is achieved not by cheating or stealing, or by focusing on holding others back, but rather by continually pushing to excel, running faster, and simply being better than everyone else."

-Dr. Lisa J. Porter, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, source, article "The U.S. Defense Department’s New Thinking on Microelectronics Security. October 2019, Author: Dr. Lisa J. Porter

Deputy Directors

DDRE(R&T)

Robert E. Irie, Director, Maintaining Technology Advantage, Washington Headquarters Services, Department of Defense, poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Feb., 6, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King)

Dr. Robert E. Irie Acting Deputy Director

Strategic Technology Protection & Exploitation

Dr. Jihfen Lei Deputy Director

Research, Technology & Laboratories

DDRE(AC)

Dr. Sandra Magnus Deputy Director

Engineering

Timothy Dare, Deputy Director, Developmental Test Evaluation and Prototyping, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering Advanced Capabilities) poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Apr. 9 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King)

Mr. Timothy Dare Deputy Director

Developmental Test, Evaluation & Prototyping

"We are implementing a strategic approach to modernization that includes an awareness of existing and potential gaps; an understanding of emerging threats; knowledge of state - of - the - art commercial, academic, and government research; as well as a clear understanding of competing needs for limited resources. "

Technical Directors

Dr. Joe Evans Technical Director

Dr. Jill Crisman Technical Director

Artificial Intelligence

DDRE(M) Assistant Directors

Mr. Wayne Nickols Assistant Director

Autonomy

Dr. Michelle Rozo Assistant Director

Biotechnology

Dr. Daniel Ragsdale Assistant Director

Cyber

Dr. James Trebes Acting Assistant Director

Directed Energy

Dr. Michael Zatman Assistant Director

FNC3

Mr. Mike White Assistant Director

Hypersonics

Ms. Nicole Petta Assistant Director

Microelectronics

Dr. Paul Lopata Assistant Director

Quantum Science

TBD Assistant Director

Space

Research and Engineering Agencies

Several agencies crucial to the national research and development enterprise fall within the R&E enterprise: Missile Defense Agency, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Strategic Capabilities Office, Defense Innovation Unit, Strategic Intelligence Analysis Cell, and the new Space Development Agency.