WASHINGTON, D.C. — "We spent a lot of effort and energy on doing that lab review with an eye towards — now that we do have a single [chief technology office led by CTO and Under Secretary of Defense for R&E Emil Michael] — how can we make all these pieces work together better, deliver more impact, and also pursue things quickly?" Jewell said. Emil Michael serves as the Chief Technology Officer and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

The assessment team issued an enterprise-wide data call for the review. The assessment included more than 200 data submissions. The assessment team visited 30 distinct sites for the review. The 30 visited sites comprised 33% of University Affiliated Research Centers, 30% of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, and 30% of Department of Defense laboratories.

The assessment team garnered input from an independent panel of experts convened through the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. "There’s almost 90 distinct entities that we were able to identify" in the review, Jewell said. Jewell oversees the Department of Defense's in-house laboratories, federally funded research and development centers, and university affiliated research centers.

Jewell previously served as a professor at Purdue University. He previously served as a research scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory. The Senate confirmed Jewell's nomination for his role in December 2025.

Why It Matters

The Defense Research Enterprise Review presents 14 data-informed recommendations for multiple government components. The report warns that without a swift and sustained reversal of workforce policies, the Pentagon's innovation engine is at risk of stalling. Officials noted that the department’s capability-to-development timelines face predictable obsolescence as commercial tech advancements occur faster than government procurement cycles.

The reduction in Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory workforce represented approximately 14 percent of the total STRL workforce DOD-wide. The Defense Research Enterprise Review referred to much of the workforce loss as indiscriminate and not shaped by lab directors. The report cited decreasing morale of employees and a decline in expert staff as consequences of workforce policies.

Timeline

On March 14, 2025, the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board issued a Notice of Federal Advisory Committee Meeting. The previous Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Federal Register Notice, Vol. 90, No. 12154, published on Friday March 14, 2025, is hereby withdrawn. The Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Meeting to be held on March 27-28, 2025 is canceled.

The Senate confirmed Joseph Jewell's nomination for his role in December 2025. On January 31, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum to reshape the U.S. defense innovation ecosystem. The memorandum instructed Joseph Jewell's team to conduct a 90-day assessment evaluating the current capabilities and future trajectory of the Department of Defense's research enterprise. The Department of Government Efficiency was less active in 2026.

What's New

Research titled "The Department of Defense's Posture for Artificial Intelligence: Assessment and Recommendations for Improvement" was published in 2021. The Defense Research Enterprise Review, produced by the Defense Department’s Research and Engineering undersecretariat, presents 14 data-informed recommendations aimed at improving coordination and impact across the defense research enterprise.

How Sources Differ

The Defense Research Enterprise Review states that the Defense Department's Research and Engineering undersecretariat produced the 68-page Defense Research Enterprise Review. Other reporting indicates the Defense Research Enterprise Review, produced by the Defense Department’s Research and Engineering undersecretariat, presents 14 data-informed recommendations aimed at improving coordination and impact across the defense research enterprise.

Another source states the Defense Research Enterprise Review, produced by the Defense Department’s Research and Engineering undersecretariat, presents 14 data-informed recommendations aimed at improving coordination and impact across the defense research enterprise.

Reporting indicates the Defense Research Enterprise Review, produced by the Defense Department’s Research and Engineering undersecretariat, presents 14 data-informed recommendations aimed at improving coordination and impact across the defense research enterprise. A Department of Defense memorandum states the memorandum instructed Joseph Jewell's team to conduct a 90-day assessment evaluating the current capabilities and future trajectory of the Department of Defense's research enterprise.

One account states the Defense Research Enterprise Review, produced by the Defense Department’s Research and Engineering undersecretariat, presents 14 data-informed recommendations aimed at improving coordination and impact across the defense research enterprise. The Defense Research Enterprise Review itself refers to much of the workforce loss as indiscriminate and not shaped by lab directors.