Pentagon Drops Contract with JASON Science and Advisory Group

The U.S. Division of Protection (DOD) has severed its 60-year ties to a bunch of lecturers generally known as Jason, placing in jeopardy the group’s capacity to conduct research for the federal government on a spread of nationwide safety points.

JASON is an independent scientific advisory group that provides consulting services to the U.S. government on matters of defense science and technology. It was established in 1960.
JASON typically performs most of its work during an annual summer study, and has conducted studies under contract to the Department of Defense (frequently DARPA and the U.S. Navy), the Department of Energy, the U.S. Intelligence Community, and the FBI. Approximately half of the resulting JASON reports are unclassified.

Storied Jason science advisory group loses contract with Pentagon
By Jeffrey Mervis, Ann FinkbeinerApr. 9, 2019 , 7:25 PM

Jason, fashioned through the early years of the Chilly Conflict to offer the U.S. army with unbiased technical experience, consists of some 50 scientists who spend a part of their summer time chewing over such knotty issues as sustaining the viability of the nation’s nuclear stockpile and the technical facets of proposed weapons programs. Over the many years, different organizations have developed related capabilities. However Jason has maintained its repute for offering blunt and balanced recommendation to policymakers.


Representative Jim Cooper (D–TN) broke the news this afternoon during a hearing he was chairing in which he questioned the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in Washington, D.C., about the agency’s 2020 budget request. It was a tense exchange.

“Are you aware that the [Jason] contract has been summarily terminated by the Pentagon?” Cooper asked NNSA’s Lisa Gordon-Hagerty. “It’s my understanding that the Pentagon is doing something with the contract,” Gordon-Hagerty replied.

“Is that a euphemism for termination?” Cooper persisted. Gordon sidestepped the question, noting that Jason was currently conducting some studies for NNSA and adding that, “if there are some issues with contract management, we need to make sure that somebody handles them.”

Cooper could not be reached for comment after the hearing. But his questioning elicited praise for the group from Gordon-Hagerty.


Source: Science Mag: Read Full Article

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Below is the letter canceling contract