Communication plays a vital role in advancing defense science and technology (S&T) innovation. Conveying the warfighting value of research builds the advocacy essential for new ideas. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson released our Navy’s “Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority,” emphasizing high-velocity learning to increase the pace of innovation—and learning is first a function of effective communication.

Lasting technological advantage demands that we continuously shrink the cycle of development and diffusion: a goal central to maintaining our maritime superiority. This requires understanding communication’s role in gaining informed support from stakeholders. Not surprisingly, the communication strategy at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is science-based and supports the objectives of the Naval S&T Strategy. ONR’s credibility is built upon trust. Communicating naval S&T, therefore, rather than hype or spin, is about our responsibility to convey truth and reality for informed decision-making. Lessons learned detailed here are as much about good leadership as they are skills for defense innovators.

– RADM Mat Winter, USN, Chief of Naval Research (CNR)