One key component of DuPont Science and Technology is the effort of Central Research and Development (CR&D), which employs more than 1,000 people at the Experimental Station and other research sites in northern Delaware.
CR&D is the foundation of our science efforts and has been responsible for most of our major product breakthroughs. CR&D provides both leveraged scientific services to the corporation and long-term research activities.
Almost half of CR&D personnel are responsible for leveraged services that provide scientific expertise to the company. Our leveraged technologies organizations are:
- CorporateCenterfor Analytical Science
Providing cutting-edge capability, applied problem solving and rapid response services.
- CorporateCenterfor Engineering Research
Developing new engineering science for asset productivity.
- Leveraged Information Technology and Research Services
Delivering scientific computing, including visualization and bioinformatics, the DuPont Information Repository, Business Intelligence Center, Research Operations and patent support activities for CR&D.
- The Haskell Laboratory of Industrial Toxicology was established in 1935, and currently supports research in toxicology, biochemistry, pathology, physiology and physics, with an emphasis on workplace and product safety.
In 1998, DuPont began a transformational change in its approach to long-term, discovery research. DuPont changed from an organization based on scientific competency areas meant to provide discoveries for DuPont to commercialize to the Growth Council research process. The Growth Council process starts with proposals submitted for research projects and must contain a technical and business case for the research to be pursued for DuPont. Each of the proposals is evaluated by a group of senior business leaders within DuPont (Growth Council) who determine if the proposal meets the criteria to resource the proposal. Through this process we manage our long-term research as a portfolio of projects.
Transitioning to this project structure, CR&D developed processes to evaluate, activate, staff, track, develop and, if necessary, terminate projects. Growth Council ensures a continued match between the business case and the technical accomplishments of projects.
Growth Council research is divided into three areas:
- Biochemical Science and Engineering
- Material Science and Engineering
- Chemical Science and Engineering
