| In the research presented here, I refocus the recent policy discourse on so-called 'transformative research' on a more holistic concept of 'transformative innovation'. The products are three independent but closely interrelated papers. First, drawing upon an extensive review of the literature, I develop the argument that Federal R&D intended to transform should be 'totally radical,' encompassing the totality of the innovative process required for actually radical outcomes, rather than potentially radical activities. Second, I look at how R&D efforts are organized to produce innovation at three federal programs with a track record of transformation (DARPA, ARPA-E, and ATP), and I develop an island+bridge model for describing and comparing the transformative nature of federal R&D efforts. Third, I use this model to investigate the central research division at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to understand how it is managed relative to transformative innovation, and what improvements could be made to this end. |
