Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL) Personnel Management Demonstration Project, Department of the Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

AFRL will implement a flexible term appointment and a flexible extended temporary promotion authority for its Scientific and Professional Positions (ST) and Senior Scientific Technical Manager (SSTM) incumbents. The need for ST and SSTM positions in particular technology areas diminishes as the emerging technology becomes more established over time and a set of trained scientists and engineers are groomed to support the new core technical competency. AFRL needs this flexibility to better manage its ST and SSTM cadre in order to ensure critical technologies are led by high-caliber ST and SSTM incumbents. The extended probationary period currently authorized for AFRL Science and Engineering (S&E) provides a longer period to evaluate an individual's ability to adequately contribute to the AFRL mission and coincides with the extensive Research and Development (R&D) process. That same evaluation period is needed for the SSTM cadre.