Evolving NDAA Innovation Provisions in FY26 NDAA

Lawmakers Appear Ready to Pass Major Acquisition Reform for Military's Innovation Enterprise

By: Ida Bagus Made Widyadnya, Hanah Bloom, Elijah Weaver, Mathew Montiel

During 2025, two key pieces of defense acquisition reform legislation – the FoRGED (Fostering Reform and Government Efficiency in Defense) and SPEED (Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery) acts – made their way into Senate and House versions of the National Defense Authorization Act. Each bill contains numerous provisions that could have major consequences for the way that DoD does business. ETI reviewed each bill for provisions that are of particular relevance to emerging technologies in defense. Our high-level summary of each provision, with some interpretation of its potential ramifications, is presented below. Note that some, or all, of these provisions could change or be entirely removed from the final NDAA. 

8 Key Themes NDIA's Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference 2025

By: ETI Research Team

Over three days in August 2025, the NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference brought together senior leaders from government, industry, and academia for pressing conversations on challenges and opportunities facing the defense community.

In addition to breakout rooms, technology demonstrations, a global hackathon, and the exhibition floor, the conference also featured a robust set of keynote sessions. Across the dialogue, eight key themes stood out:

DoD Implements New Memorandum for Fundamental Research Security

By: Logan Whitehair

On January 7, 2026, the Department of Defense issued a memorandum establishing new, department-wide requirements for securing fundamental research that will affect universities and private firms. The memo introduced nine major policy changes that expand restrictions on eligible research partners, formalize risk review and auditing requirements, and centralize oversight of research security across the Department. In combination, these measures will replace ad hoc research security practices with a more standardized, enforceable, and increasingly data-driven compliance regime. The universities and firms that understand these requirements and modify appropriate processes will be best positioned to sustain DoD research partnerships in the future.