An Interview with SMI Advisor Dr. Thomas DiGiuseppeMay 6, 2010 
Dr. Thomas G. DiGiuseppe sat down to discuss his background and experience in over 25 years of work in the federal sector business development and government relations. What is your background? What led you to work in the defense industry? I have a technical background and after earning my Ph.D. in Chemical Physics I was awarded a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC. As part of the Chemistry Division at NRL, my research focused on solving problems directly related to the requirements of the U.S. Navy. Part of my research focused on developing techniques to detect hazardous chemicals on-board Navy ships to better protect our Sailors. That really peaked my interest in working in the defense industry and upon leaving NRL I joined a research and development firm working in the defense industry. How has your transition been from the public to the private sector? Having worked directly in a Navy laboratory I had the opportunity to also get exposure to the organizations that provided the funding necessary to conduct our research such as the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Understanding the funding mechanisms within the Department of Defense and the inner workings of government laboratories was of great value once I entered the private sector and began identifying opportunities to obtain research and development dollars from the Federal Government. This experience also helped me better understand how requirements are determined within the Government and what role private industry can play in responding to those requirements and help solve critical problems within DoD. What does your work as an Advisor to SMI involve and how have you been able to use your expertise to assist SMI clients? My role as an Advisor to SMI focuses on helping our clients secure government funding. I do that in a variety of ways including first by gaining an understanding the technology under development, exploring all potential applications of the technology and finally identifying Federal Agencies that have requirements that could be addressed by their technology. Then through my knowledge of Federal Agency programs and contacts throughout the Defense sector, I am able to identifty programs that could provide the funding necessary for our clients to further develop or apply their technology and products. Finally, I work with our clients to arrange briefings with potential customers and ultimately help them with preparing proposals to respond to specific funding opportunities. Do you foresee any challenges or opportunities in doing business with the federal government? In looking at the President's budget for next year, you can identify areas where there are clearly opportunities for companies that are developing certain technologies or are focusing on specific product platforms. There is also some interesting changes in the funding profiles for certain programs between the Research and Development and Procurement budgets. These changes provide us with clear opportunites to help our clients respond to these shifting priorities and address key technical requirements within the Federal government. What advice would you give someone hoping to do business with the government? It is really important that you take the time to identify specific funding opportunities within the Federal Government for the technologies or products your company has under development. Do the necessary research to learn about the problems facing the Services today and the programs that are currently underway to address these issues. From this analysis you can then identify those areas where your technology can potentially provide a solution. SMI is a comprehensive government relations firm that specializes in helping clients secure funding for strategic initiatives. |
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