Research
Center staff and affiliated faculty produce significant research ranging from commentary pieces in influential outlets, to white papers and essays on pressing government contracting issues, to peer-reviewed articles in premier journals.
Center competencies and capabilities are making an impact in the government contracting industry:
- Unique and influential analysis, commentaries, reports, and webinars on the federal response to COVID.
- White Paper Series that shares cutting edge research on small business transition, intellectual property, DoD budget reform, acquisition reform, and industrial base resilience.
- Impactful op eds in The Hill, Business Insider, Defense One, Defense News, the National Interest, with additional coverage by national print and broadcast outlets.
Reports
White Paper Series
The Baroni Center for Government Contracting White Paper Series is a central focus of our work. The purpose of the series is to inject ideas into the government contracting ecosystem and identify potential solutions for vexing challenges facing the community.
In releasing these White Papers, the Center gratefully acknowledges the work of its senior fellows who wrote them. Through research, writing, and discussion, Center senior fellows champion matters of interest to the government contracting community. These fellows add a rich practitioner component for the Costello College of Business to better understand and support the GovCon industry.
We welcome your feedback and ideas for future topics in this series. Contact Charles Dolgas at cdolgas@gmu.edu.
Commentaries
Center commentaries provide timely insights into pressing government contracting issues in government and business. Whether the commentary topic is “in the news” or deserves “future attention,” readers are provided short, to the point on the topic, why the topic is important, and what to consider for its resolution.
January 11, 2024Common Defense Network (ComDef) Interview with Dr. Jerry McGinn on Industrial base issues and international participation. DPA, NTIB and AUKUS also covered.-
January 3, 2024In an Op-Ed written by Jerry McGinn for Breaking Defense, McGinn argues that the Pentagon can move more quickly if it heeds lessons from a previous life-or-death acquisition story.
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October 27, 2023An Opinion by Jerry McGinn for The Hill.
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September 11, 2023In an Opinion written by Noah Rivers, Baroni Center Fellow, for C4ISRNET, new Cybersecurity Strategy authored by the Office of the National Cyber Director.
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September 4, 2023In a Reganism Podcast by Reagan Institute Policy Director Rachel Hoff, Jerry McGinn discuss the defense industrial base, working with allies on transnational industrial cooperation to alleviate global supply issues like those seen in Ukraine, and ongoing hurdles faced by America’s defense industry.
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July 18, 2023The need to strengthen supply chains is creating an opportunity for the revival of second sourcing, a method used until the 1990s to secure defense supply chains, write Olivia Letts and Jerry McGinn.
July 13, 2023Tom Temin interviewed Jerry McGinn on ways to boost the surge capacity of the defense industrial base in the US.-
July 3, 2023From the Federal News Network Commentary written by Emily Murphy, Senior Fellow of the Baroni Center: Congress should act quickly to fix Section 876 so that multiple award contracts focus on meaningful competition, getting the best solution for the government at the best price and reducing administrative burdens on small contractors and contracting officers.
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June 27, 2023Combat in Ukraine and the results of Asia-Pacific theater wargames have exposed the existential need for greater capacity in our defense-industrial base. Increasing U.S. production is a critical part of the solution, but it is not the only part. As illustrated by ongoing U.S. and allied efforts to scour the world for 155mm ammunition to support Ukrainian forces, engaging the industrial capacity of American partners and allies is an essential, mutually beneficial and cost-effective way to increase industrial capacity and resilience. That’s why we need to adopt a “Build Allied” approach for current and future contingencies.
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May 2, 2023A Commentary by Richard Beutel, senior fellow at the Baroni Center, suggests policy makers should at least contemplate the potential loss of product innovation and diversity available to the federal government under this new [Biden Administration] cybersecurity proposal.
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April 7, 2023One thing the nation has learned in helping Ukraine fight Russia, is how fragile our defense industrial supply base really is. From javelin missiles to major platforms, in a conflict the U.S. would run out in days or weeks. And then what?
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March 20, 2023Former Pentagon official Jerry McGinn has a prescription for America's production problems.
Affiliated Faculty
The Center for Government Contracting offers access to both the GovCon network and funds for research and writing, to enrich the understanding of the unique business interests on both sides of this market—government and business.
Affiliated Faculty appointments will
- Encourage academic research in GovCon;
- Advance the research reputation of the faculty and the Center;
- Offer grants and honoraria to support the effort faculty can bring to this discussion; and
- Offer a new avenue to engage faculty who share our interest to create a more efficient and effective market for the public good.