Draper Qualifications

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory is an independent, not-for-profit laboratory engaged in applied research, engineering development, technology transfer, and education. Established in 1973, its pioneering work in inertial navigation led to the development of highly precise inertial sensors, software, and ultra-reliable systems used worldwide for safe and accurate guidance, navigation and control of aircraft, undersea vehicles, strategic and tactical missiles, and manned and unmanned spacecraft. Draper is among the leaders in fault tolerant computing, reliable software development, and particularly, micro-electromechanical technology and the application of this technology to a wide variety of disciplines including biomedicine. In the past decade, Draper has continued its historical leadership in inertial sensors and navigation with the development of the world's first and best performing micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope.

Draper's technical staff comprises nearly two thirds of its 1100 person work force, encompassing skills in electrical engineering, mechanical design, computer sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biomedical engineering, and other disciplines. Two thirds of its staff has advanced degrees and more than twenty years of industry experience. In addition to funded contracts, Draper challenges its staff by reinvesting over fifteen percent of its net revenue in an internal R&D program with an emphasis on technical creativity and innovation.

Draper's main facility is located in Cambridge MA and occupies two interconnected buildings including more than forty major laboratories with modern equipment and highly trained operators. Draper maintains the capability to fabricate complex prototypes under one roof. In addition to the laboratories specified below, the investigators will draw upon fully staffed facilities for electronics packaging, instrument test and calibration, circuit board fabrication and assembly, materials testing, and electromagnetic measurements. Furthermore, the Draper central machine shop maintains a staff of over ten skilled machinists and contains sophisticated equipment including wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) and numerically controlled multi-axis milling and turning systems. An in-house library assists in literature research and provides on-line access to numerous technical journals and document databases.

Draper Laboratory encourages the advantageous use of its interdisciplinary development capabilities. Investigators value a collaborative atmosphere and frequently team both formally and informally to address crucial challenges.