Science and Technology at GAO
Posted on May 18, 2016
Readers of the WatchBlog know that GAO is more than financial audits. Our mission has grown over the years to include performance audits, bid protest adjudication, and other professional services for Congress.
And the federal government has also changed. From large IT projects to NASA’s space launch systems, government programs have increasingly encompassed more science and technology issues.
Today’s WatchBlog shares what the U.S. Comptroller General has done to build our in-house science and technology expertise.
Our Center for Science, Technology, and Engineering
GAO’s Center for Science, Technology, and Engineering houses our workforce of science and technology professionals. This includes people with backgrounds in physical sciences, engineering, biological sciences, IT, and operations research. Our Chief Scientist and Chief Technologist lead this Center.
Leading technology assessments
Our science and tech professionals have produced more than a dozen technology assessments. These assessments provide balanced analyses of the impact of technological innovations on
- society,
- the environment, and
- the economy.
- A chemist provided key chemistry-related insights for our report on ocean acidification,
- An engineer provided key technology insights for our report on the safety aspects of vehicle-to-vehicle technologies, and
- A team of operations research analysts have written best practices guides for cost and schedule and routinely apply them to advanced space systems, such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
- Questions on the content of this post? Contact Tim Persons at personst@gao.gov or Naba Barkakati at barkakatin@gao.gov.
- Comments on GAO’s WatchBlog? Contact blog@gao.gov.