In-STeP: The Intelligence Science & Technology Partnership
“Although the IC’s technological edge has long been a source of strength, maintaining and increasing this advantage require us to look beyond the immediate horizon to ensure that we are postured to address developing threats and take on new opportunities as they arise.”
- Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, and Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Dr. Stacey Dixon
Strong, if often quiet, partnerships between the US private and public sectors remain the cornerstone of ensuring an overwhelming intelligence advantage for our nation’s decision makers and warfighters. ODNI’s Intelligence Science & Technology Partnership (In-STeP) is designed to empower the IC science and technology (S&T) enterprise and its partners to inform investment decisions by ensuring additional alignment and synergy in intelligence-related research efforts.
In-STeP Vision: Public- and private-sector S&T efforts aligned in support of intelligence needs.
In-STeP Mission: Enable senior IC leadership to effectively manage risk by anticipating mission needs, informing stakeholders of S&T-related developments, shaping S&T investments and efforts, strengthening integration, and leveraging partners and resources outside of the National Intelligence Program to solve problems of interest.
Purposefully inclusive, the In-STeP program casts a broad net. If a given technology, research effort, or idea advances the state of the art with respect to IC interests, the IC wants to know about it, regardless of origin. To seek out such game-changing advances, ODNI’s Science & Technology Group periodically releases Requests for Information (RFI). Prospective respondents can find the latest on SAM.gov.
The RFI’s release reflects ODNI’s commitment to ensuring that the IC’s S&T needs are communicated to external stakeholders so that current and prospective partners—from U.S. industry, academia, and across government—may better understand the IC’s often-unique S&T needs, and with that knowledge, tailor their efforts toward developing capabilities that ultimately solve intelligence challenges. RFI responses and engagement with partners through the In-STeP program are critical components of ODNI’s broader planning process for guiding IC investments in future S&T capabilities.
ODNI’s S&T Investment Planning Guidance—composed of the FY2022–2026 ODNI S&T Investment Landscape, the FY2022–FY2026 ODNI S&T Strategic Plan, and the FY2022–2026 ODNI S&T Strategic Investment Framework—collectively lays the foundation for better positioning the IC to advance our nation’s interests by anticipating and preparing for the demands of the future. These documents serve as a roadmap for advancing and sustaining a diverse and talented technical workforce, championing and advocating for S&T that is not only effective but will provide the IC with a competitive advantage, enhancing and creating enduring and purposeful partnerships with a range of non-traditional public and private partners, managing risk, and integrating expertise across a range of technical and mission-oriented disciplines. Additionally, these documents clarify how we will work together within the IC and alongside our partners to identify, champion, and catalyze investments to ensure our continued technological advantage through a whole-of-nation approach to innovation.
Inquiries about the In-STeP program and Investment Planning Guidance may be sent to S&This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..