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| As director of ARPA in the 1970’s George H. Heilmeier developed a set of questions that he expected every proposal for a new research program to answer. He referred to them as the "Heilmeier Catechism". These questions still survive at DARPA and provide high level guidance for what information a proposal should provide. It's important to answer these questions for any individual research project, both for yourself and for communicating to others what you hope to accomplish. These questions are: | As director of ARPA in the 1970’s George H. Heilmeier developed a set of questions that he expected every proposal for a new research program to answer. He referred to them as the "Heilmeier Catechism". These questions still survive at DARPA and provide high level guidance for what information a proposal should provide. It's important to answer these questions for any individual research project, both for yourself and for communicating to others what you hope to accomplish. These questions are: |
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| 1. What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon. What is the problem? Why is it hard? | - What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon. What is the problem? Why is it hard? |
| 2. How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice? | - How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice? |
| 3. What's new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? | - What's new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? |
| 4. Who cares? | - Who cares? |
| 5. If you're successful, what difference will it make? What impact will success have? How will it be measured? | - If you're successful, what difference will it make? What impact will success have? How will it be measured? |
| 6. What are the risks and the payoffs? | - What are the risks and the payoffs? |
| 7. How much will it cost? | - How much will it cost? |
| 8. How long will it take? | - How long will it take? |
| 9. What are the midterm and final "exams" to check for success? How will progress be measured? | - What are the midterm and final "exams" to check for success? How will progress be measured? |
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| The IEEE Spectrum magazine published a profile of Dr. Heilmeier in the June 1994 issue: "George H. Heilmeier" by Joshua Shapiro IEEE Spectrum, Volume 31, Issue 6, June 1994, Pages 56 - 59. DOI 10.1109/6.284787 | The IEEE Spectrum magazine published a profile of Dr. Heilmeier in the June 1994 issue: "George H. Heilmeier" by Joshua Shapiro IEEE Spectrum, Volume 31, Issue 6, June 1994, Pages 56 - 59. DOI 10.1109/6.284787 |
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| see also: [[you and your research]] | see also: "you and [[your research]]" |
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