Participating Lab: Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE)

CAPE’s mission is to help the Department of Defense make hard choices. We do this by providing timely, insightful and unbiased analysis on resource allocation and cost estimation problems to deliver the optimum portfolio of military capabilities through the efficient and effective use of each taxpayer dollar. CAPE is DoD’s premier analysis organization, reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense. CAPE is analysis focused and uses the best available analytic tools and data developed by smart, motivated people from a diverse range of professionals with unique thoughts, perspectives and educational backgrounds. Our analysts are independent, impact oriented, and dedicated to contributing to the nation’s defense such as climate change, DoD’s nuclear arsenal, communications infrastructure, warfighter readiness, and cost estimates for future spending, such as projecting the cost of the next-gen bomber.

Lab Address:
Arlington, VA

Lab Website:
https://www.cape.osd.mil/

Relevant Disciplines

  • Data Analysis
  • Economics
  • Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Operations Research
  • Physics

Research Opportunities Available

Click on a research opportunity to see details.

CAPE Opp #1

Intelligence, Surveillance and Recognizance in Search and Rescue Missions

Research Opportunity Location:
Arlington, VA

Research Opportunity Description:
Intelligence, Surveillance and Recognizance (ISR) platforms can choose to search for or loiter to find individuals.  These choices affect how much fuel remains affect how much fuel remains, and platforms may not have adequate capabilities to complete the mission. The goal of this project is to develop mathematical models for quantifying which ISR platforms provide the best investment in terms of maximizing successful search and rescue missions. Some potential models include Markov decision processes, discrete event simulation, and differential games.

Research Opportunity Skill Set:

Mathematics, operations research, data science.

CAPE Opp #2

Defense Occupations

Research Opportunity Location:
Arlington County, Arlington, VA

Research Opportunity Description:
Work on using Bureau of Labor and Statistics data to answer questions about civilian recruitment or industrial base workforce for specific occupations and local areas.

Research Opportunity Skill Set:

Economics, data science, operations research

CAPE Opp #3

Practical Applications of Operations Research

Research Opportunity Location:
Arlington, VA

Research Opportunity Description:
At OSD CAPE you will apply your science, math, engineering, and technology skills to real-world problems related to the defense of the US and its allies. You will work alongside your mentor, an Operations Research Analyst, as well as other teammates to research one or more specific problems faced by DoD in its daily operations. Through this data-gathering process you will also work collaboratively to develop approaches to addressing the problem, and will present your findings and possible courses of action to DoD leadership. Through an internship at CAPE, you will gain a hands-on understanding of how some of the most complex problems facing our nation are tackled, all while building your technical and interpersonal skills and working together with other dedicated public servants.

Research Opportunity Skill Set:

Engineering, mathematics, operations research, data science, physics.