IARPA invests in high-risk, high-payoff research with the goal of providing our nation with an overwhelming intelligence advantage.   Developing scientific breakthroughs that challenge the state of the art requires IARPA Program Managers (PMs) to take ideas from a place of “disbelief to doubt” before successfully launching an IARPA program.  As part of that development process, PMs must address a series of rigorous questions known as the “Heilmeier Questions” named after George Heilmeier, a pioneer in the research and development field. 

In Part 1 of this 2 part episode we sit down with former Office of Analysis Director Rob Rahmer to discuss his journey to IARPA, unpack the Heilmeier Questions and the role the play in IARPA research, and much more.