In a notice published in the Federal Register on February 8 that will almost certainly be unpopular with contractors and their customers, DoD asked for comments on its consideration of adding a requirement to the DFARS that would “require offerors to describe in detail the nature and value of prospective IR&D projects on which the
While DOD’s August 26 white paper “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Independent Research and Development” explains that the intent of new requirements announced in the white paper is “not to reduce the independence of IR&D investment selection, nor to establish a bureaucratic requirement for government approval prior to initiating an IR&D project,” contactors have good reason
The Federal Circuit in its March 19, 2010 decision in ATK Thiokol, Inc. v. United States (.PDF), expanded the definition of allowable Independent Research and Development (IR&D) costs. Now, research and development costs are allowable as IR&D costs unless specifically required by the contract.
In ATK, the Federal Circuit addressed the “required in