Build research capacity in eligible states through DEPSCoR
Competitively fund university research, instrumentation and graduate assistance, and facilitate laboratory collaboration in eligible states and territories.
Other statutory tools
ACQ-27 / Workforce and expertise
Offer enhanced pay for critical laboratory technology positions
Set elevated basic pay for narrowly defined high-end STRL research/technology and acquisition experts to recruit or retain exceptional personnel.
At a glance
Mission goalDevelop a technology
Possible toolACQ-27 · Other statutory tools
Legal basis10 U.S.C. §4094
Responsible rolesPlanning · funds · approval · execution
Authority holder: Secretary of Defense program; Service acquisition executive or military-department Secretary approves applicable pay
Other statutory tools
Mechanism tags describe the source text; they do not expand the authority.
Availability and verification
Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.
Requirements and limits
Eligibility & prerequisites
- Extremely high expertise and critical research/technology mission; use only to recruit/retain exceptionally qualified person.
Limits & exclusions
- Normally not more than 5 positions per military department, with statutory allocation-transfer option.
- Position term less than 5 years.
Funding conditions
- Available personnel appropriations; service approval of program and compensation.
Who contributes what
Need & planning
- Laboratory director
Resources
- Military-department/laboratory personnel budget
Approval
- Service acquisition executive; Service Secretary for pay above 150% of Executive Schedule Level I
Execution
- Laboratory HR/appointing officials
Partners & review
- USD(R&E) for approved transfer of allocations among Services
Office profile
Office links are editorial matches to the original role text, not verified delegations. Composite labels and unmatched actors are preserved.
Coordination pathway
Lab critical-role case → Service acquisition executive approval → Secretary if pay threshold exceeded → funded appointment.
Actor and execution-role sources
Legal basis
- 10 U.S.C. §4094Primary statutory text; primary GovInfo baseline and amendment audit identified in research narrative.
What this research establishes
Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedThe record states funding rules and conditions; no program amount is attributed to this action.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProgram-specificRecorded executing role: Laboratory HR/appointing officials. Use the responsible program’s process.
Confidence: High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.
Currentness: GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation.
Review scope: Original research target October 2, 2026; no record-specific last-review date supplied. Publication is not legal-currentness certification.