Jerry Petersen
Federally funded research and development centers, or FFRDCs, function “as the glue” binding the achievements of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, which drive significant advances in U.S. society, according to Mark Peters, president and CEO of MITRE and a 2025 Wash100 Award winner.
Benefits to US Citizens
Peters said in an opinion column published on The Washington Times that despite being originally created to support the war effort during World War II, FFRDCs have since expanded their work beyond the defense sector to support various government agencies. MITRE itself, which operates FFRDCs on behalf of government agency sponsors, has launched multiple initiatives that benefit U.S. citizens daily.
MITRE’s contributions include support for the implementation of the No Surprises Act, which seeks to ensure that patients seeking medical care are not surprised by unforeseen costs after receiving treatment; the creation of the ATT&CK framework, which is now being used for information sharing regarding cyberattacks and cybersecurity research; and the identification and distribution to U.S. warfighters of off-the-shelf counter-improvised explosive device tools.
Partners in Progress
Peters also said his organization is excited about the attention being given to key national strategic priorities like artificial intelligence and quantum computing as part of the broader discourse on achieving greater government efficiency. Concerning these topics, Peters said MITRE is eager “to be partners in progress, as we have for nearly a century of service to the American people.”
