Expert Insights: S2MARTS Research with Guest Host Brooke Pyne

What is S²MARTS Research?

In this exclusive interview with S²MARTS Director, Brooke Pyne, we dive into the brand new OTA called S²MARTS Research. Brooke helps to cover the ins and outs of S²MARTS Research, discussing what makes the OTA so unique, how much membership costs, and much more. If you have next-generation technology or cutting-edge ideas, then S²MARTS Research is the place for you. Learn more by watching the full interview or reading the transcript below.

Transcript:

Introduction (00:15)

I actually come from a pretty diverse DOD background, I have a 17 year civilian internal to the Department of Navy. But during that time, I always kind of served within the S&T Innovation, the CTO realm, which is kind of the reason why working in OTA was a natural fit for me.

What is S²MARTS Research? (00:42)

So, let’s talk a little bit about S²MARTS Research, so we are very excited here at NSTXL to be able to add S²MARTS Research to the S²MARTS OT framework. So, what does S²MARTS Research stand for? It is associated directly with the 2371 authority, and that’s out of U.S. Code 10 2371 associated with basic and applied research within the OTA, which is a non-FAR-based vehicle to really support government DOD needs and requirements again in that basic applied and advanced research arena. So, they’re really focusing on getting to those state-of-the-art cutting-edge innovators to really respond to DOD needs and requirements.

What makes S²MARTS Research unique? (01:39)

So, what’s really unique about the framework here at S²MARTS is the fact that we actually contain two different authorities. So, most of the time when you have an OT framework, it is associated with either the 2371 authority that I just spoke of that is associated with S²MARTS Research or the 2371 or 2371b authority that is associated with the prototyping aspect of the OT legislation. Here at S²MARTS we actually have both authorities associated within the framework which provides a really unique opportunity for not just the government customers we’re supporting to really dive deep into their needs and requirements in those earlier stages and actually carry them through the prototyping aspect. But it’s really also unique for the innovators, the external community that we’re really trying to pull in to address the DOD needs or requirements to where they can be involved from the early stages all the way through to production.

How do you become a member of S²MARTS Research? (02:50)

Becoming a member of S²MARTS Research is really easy. Go out and visit S²MARTS and that’s S 2 M A R T S Dot org and click on our membership link. So, let’s talk about the costs associated with being a membership, a member, and how that kind of works here at NSTXL. Membership into S²MARTS Research is actually free, and that really is because we’re trying to get to those cutting-edge early innovators to really influence the DOD needs and requirements much earlier in the process. Now, if you kind of bleed over or if you cross-pollinate into either another OTA here at NSTXL, or into the S²MARTS 2371 B authority, then there will be a membership cost there. But that is at time of proposal. So, becoming a member at NSTXL level really gives you access to any and all of our OTAs. It gets you open communication with NSTXL on all of those opportunities, and we’re able to cross-pollinate innovators like yourself into all of those individual opportunities.

What is the difference between S²MARTS and S²MARTS research? (04:05)

The difference between S²MARTS and S²MARTS Research is they’re paired. They’re not really totally different. So, the framework around the S²MARTS OT, which is the hierarchy of the architecture on how we function within this OT really coordinates to the two different authorities. 2371, which is related to your research. 2371 b that is related to the prototyping side of the house, but within the S²MARTS vehicle, it just breaks down into both of those authorities and we also wanted to make sure that everybody kind of understood when we released something associated with 2371. Visually, you could see that difference, which is why we have a different logo for S²MARTS Research. But do understand that it’s all within the same framework, all within the same infrastructure, and we leverage both of those authorities together.

What are the benefits of being a member of NSTXL? (05:12)

The benefits of being a member of an NSTXL are actually plentiful. So, let’s talk about getting nontraditionals, which is the target of the OTA framework getting nontraditionals, small businesses, innovators that maybe don’t typically do business with the federal government, an opportunity to address DOD needs and requirements. So, by becoming a member of NSTXL, you are getting instantly a network of government-ready innovators, people that are doing business right now with the federal government, which is a great mentor, mentorship. We are helping supply you with resources with education, teaching you, and prepping you for that engagement with the federal government. So, it’s not just getting access to put in a proposal, you get so much more around that membership. You get teaming collisions, you get data right training, you get government accounting training, you get CMMC training. So, all of those things that you might need to get you fully prepped to engage, be ready to jump right in to provide those technical solutions to the federal government is what it is about being a member here at NSTXL.