This is the time of year when the rhythms of the summer kick in. Many of you are planning a late-summer getaway, I’m coming off three week’s immersion in the Tour de France, and those starting school in the Fall are shopping for supplies. In addition to all that, it’s a busy time in the SERDP and ESTCP Office. This is the time of the year that we are putting the final touches on the FY-17 program for both programs.

We have just finished the final selections in all four Program Areas for SERDP FY-17 projects and are putting together the agendas for the September and October Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meetings. Notification letters to Principal Investigators (PIs) will be going out soon. As was the case last year, potential budget cuts have forced us to put a number of worthy projects on hold. We’ll work hard to resolve this late in the calendar year. We have an exciting group of projects ready to start next year and we look forward to their presentations to the SAB.

In ESTCP, we are in the middle of the selection process. The Technical Committees have chosen the full proposals to request and the PIs are at work on them. We will receive the proposals in the first part of August. The selection meetings at which the PIs present their ESTCP proposals are scheduled for September and the first week in October in time for starting the contracting process once our budget is finalized and funds are available for distribution.

Once we get both programs settled, we’ll take a break at the end of August and then plunge back into work after Labor Day.