Dear Stakeholders,

In July 2018, the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) conducted a review of the technology research and development (R&D) and technical partnerships supported by our office. Thank you researchers and the entire peer review team for your participation. These annual peer reviews not only help us to evaluate and strengthen our portfolio of work, they also help us communicate our goals and objectives and lay the groundwork for how we are working to accomplish them.

This year, we debuted a reorganization of the peer review. We split reviewers into three subpanels across two tracks to give each subpanel an extended break after each set of presentations. This gave reviewers the opportunity to record and discuss their thoughts immediately following presentations while the information was still fresh in their minds. This overhaul of the peer review structure made the event more effective and efficient and enabled reviewers to provide more detailed feedback to the presenters and AMO leadership. I am encouraged by the positive feedback I received from reviewers about the new structure.

During this year’s peer review, we made a point to better explain the role of our Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP) in our decision making, and we asked presenters to clearly communicate how their program and project outcomes align with the opportunities and goals laid out in our MYPP and analysis work. In the future, we look forward to effectively conveying our analysis work at a more detailed level. We plan to publish the final AMO Peer Review report in the near future.

As we look ahead to the future, our programs and projects will continue to provide key support for the Administration’s R&D priorities, specifically in the areas of smart manufacturing, cybersecurity for manufacturing, supercomputing, and critical materials. A strong industrial base is crucial to our national security and global competitiveness. Strategic investments in early-stage R&D – in partnership with industry, national laboratories, and universities – can help bring revolutionary innovations to the manufacturing sector resulting in more high-quality jobs, better products, and a reduced energy footprint.

Again, thank you to the entire peer review team and research participants for helping AMO maximize the effectiveness of our resources to provide real results for the American people.

Sincerely,

Rob Ivester

Director

Advanced Manufacturing Office