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The Discovery Logic business offers solutions that change the behavior of organizations,
that at times extend beyond technical answers to impact public policy.
For example, our work on the Loan Repayment Programs of the NIH has added a new dimension
to the funding agency’s understanding of its programs, impact and importance. The purpose of providing
loan repayment to researchers in biomedical areas is to bring more scientists to focus on doing research
in critical areas – a significant need, according to many studies. Yet until the involvement of our business, there was little hard evidence that the program had the desired effect. With this evidence in hand,
the NIH and others can make knowledgeable decisions about loan repayment policy that could not be made before.
Similarly, the Discovery Logic business is well positioned to contribute to the mandated evaluation of publicly
funded research programs. Both the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and the Office of
Management and Budget’s Program Assessment and Rating Tool (PART) require regular evaluations of research
programs in terms of results and performance. Research-intensive federal agencies, such as NIH, the Department
of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency, have struggled to comply with
both measures. We is well positioned to improve such evaluations and simultaneously the standards
of objectivity and thoroughness.
The company is also able to help R&D organizations understand where to invest research dollars for greatest
effectiveness – a question of enormous importance for an agency or company with multi-billion-dollar research
budgets. More accurate planning and evaluation can help industry and Congress understand how priorities are set,
how expenditures pay off, and what the outputs of research have been.
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