Home > News Centre > Major MOD human sciences contract won by QinetiQ led Haldane-Spearman Consortium
25 May 05
Major MOD human sciences contract won by QinetiQ led Haldane-Spearman Consortium
A typical human factors trial
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Armed forces to benefit from human science expertise
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a contract for human factors research for the UK military to the Haldane-Spearman Consortium led by QinetiQ with Quintec as lead partner. Worth up to £20 million for the six years duration, the contract will give the armed forces integrated access to the best human sciences thinking from industry and academia, under the umbrella of a single, enabling contract.
Defence and security experts, QinetiQ joined forces with the Thales-owned Quintec and 25 other associated partners to form the Haldane-Spearman Consortium to offer the UK MOD and other customers in government, academia and industry access to leading human sciences practitioners across Europe.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a contract for human factors research for the UK military to the Haldane-Spearman Consortium led by QinetiQ with Quintec as lead partner. Worth up to £20 million for the six years duration, the contract will give the armed forces integrated access to the best human sciences thinking from industry and academia, under the umbrella of a single, enabling contract.
Defence and security experts, QinetiQ joined forces with the Thales-owned Quintec and 25 other associated partners to form the Haldane-Spearman Consortium to offer the UK MOD and other customers in government, academia and industry access to leading human sciences practitioners across Europe.
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Andrew Sleigh, QinetiQ MD Defence said: "Optimising human performance and making equipment easy to use is of growing importance to our forces, especially as systems become more complex and military operations make new demands. Technology edge is important in defence, but so is getting the best out of people. I am very pleased MOD have selected the strong team of partners we have brought together to form the Haldane-Spearman Consortium to provide the underpinning research in this area."
The scope of the work will include research into physical fitness and mental performance, nutrition, sleep, selection and training, and how equipment can be designed and adapted to get the best out of people, especially in the 'network enabled battlespace' where human and equipment assets have to work together in novel ways.
Andrew continued: "The MOD made an important decision to place this work as a long term enabling contract. It has meant we have been able to form a much stronger and more integrated research team from the best practitioners in human science, and this is itself an important development for a subject that tends not to have the focus and profile it deserves."
The Haldane-Spearman Consortium has been awarded the MOD's enabling contract 'Preparing People for Operations: Human Contributions to Effectiveness' and will act as a preferred supplier to MOD of human factors expertise. According to the MOD, this contractor is able to deliver "the right people with the right skills and use the most appropriate technologies, techniques and products to sustain optimal military performance at individual and group level and in all operational environments."
Stephen Leece, Consortium Director, said: "The Haldane-Spearman Consortium is a new model to exploit research, focusing the power of leading Human Science practitioners; scientists, world class academics, engineers and consultants. For the MOD, making the most of its most valuable asset, its people, is absolutely key to the success of its military operations. Human science provides the key to enabling people to reach their full potential, through better equipment, better processes and better working environments."
The core members of Haldane-Spearman have a long track record of working on military human factors issues: QinetiQ operates Europe's largest centre of human sciences at its Farnborough site in the UK and Quintec, the human factors experts owned by Thales, are specialist at delivering human factors integration and training services. In addition, Europe's TNO, five major UK research universities and around 20 specialist SMEs are also members of the Consortium.
Recent QinetiQ research among troops across the armed forces has highlighted improvements that could be made to army ration packs. These changes can have enormous benefit in helping troops sustain their performance, avoid injury and increase morale. In addition, the QinetiQ team has developed guides to nutrition aimed at new recruits and front line commanders in the field, outlining the nutritional value of various foodstuffs and their impact on performance.
Thales has provided platform design and is managing the human factors process for the development of the 60,000 tonne Future Aircraft Carrier. For the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft, Thales has provides human factors and risk management as part of modifications to the aircraft to bring it into service.
The name Haldane-Spearman is a tribute to two celebrated human scientists, the Scottish physiologist John Scott Haldane (1860-1936) and the English psychologist Charles Spearman (1863-1945). See below for more details.
Notes for Editors:
Background to the name Haldane-Spearman
Haldane, John Scott (1860-1936) - Scottish physiologist. An authority on the effects of industrial occupations, he produced an important report upon causes of death in mining accidents, focusing particularly on the role of carbon monoxide. He also conducted research into breathing in deep-sea diving and at high altitudes.
Spearman, Charles (1863-1945) - English psychologist. Analysed the relations among experimental intelligence tests using 'factor analysis'. He proposed a 'two-factor' theory of intelligence: General Ability which was required for performance of mental tests and Special Abilities which were required for performance on just one kind of mental test.
Haldane Spearman Core team
QinetiQ
QinetiQ (pronounced ki' ne tik as in 'kinetic energy') is Europe's largest science and technology solutions company with unrivalled expertise in the defence and security sectors. Founded In July 2001, from the majority of DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) the laboratories of the UK MOD, QinetiQ directly employs nearly 10,000 people, including many of the UK's leading scientists and internationally acclaimed experts.
QinetiQ is a world leader in providing Human Factors solutions. It has the largest integrated team of Human Factors specialists in Europe with over 300 staff including psychologists, physiologists, medical officers, ergonomists and statisticians. Its core business is centred on the integration of people with modern technology with the aim of optimising capability, enhancing safety, minimising the consequences of human error, and reducing costs.
Quintec
Quintec Associates Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thales. It employs over 180 professional consultancy staff who provide quality, objective expertise in System Engineering, Human Factors, Technology and Management consulting services. The Human Factors group itself has a 50 year pedigree and is seen as one of the leading providers of Human Factors expertise across the UK.
The scope of the work will include research into physical fitness and mental performance, nutrition, sleep, selection and training, and how equipment can be designed and adapted to get the best out of people, especially in the 'network enabled battlespace' where human and equipment assets have to work together in novel ways.
Andrew continued: "The MOD made an important decision to place this work as a long term enabling contract. It has meant we have been able to form a much stronger and more integrated research team from the best practitioners in human science, and this is itself an important development for a subject that tends not to have the focus and profile it deserves."
The Haldane-Spearman Consortium has been awarded the MOD's enabling contract 'Preparing People for Operations: Human Contributions to Effectiveness' and will act as a preferred supplier to MOD of human factors expertise. According to the MOD, this contractor is able to deliver "the right people with the right skills and use the most appropriate technologies, techniques and products to sustain optimal military performance at individual and group level and in all operational environments."
Stephen Leece, Consortium Director, said: "The Haldane-Spearman Consortium is a new model to exploit research, focusing the power of leading Human Science practitioners; scientists, world class academics, engineers and consultants. For the MOD, making the most of its most valuable asset, its people, is absolutely key to the success of its military operations. Human science provides the key to enabling people to reach their full potential, through better equipment, better processes and better working environments."
The core members of Haldane-Spearman have a long track record of working on military human factors issues: QinetiQ operates Europe's largest centre of human sciences at its Farnborough site in the UK and Quintec, the human factors experts owned by Thales, are specialist at delivering human factors integration and training services. In addition, Europe's TNO, five major UK research universities and around 20 specialist SMEs are also members of the Consortium.
Recent QinetiQ research among troops across the armed forces has highlighted improvements that could be made to army ration packs. These changes can have enormous benefit in helping troops sustain their performance, avoid injury and increase morale. In addition, the QinetiQ team has developed guides to nutrition aimed at new recruits and front line commanders in the field, outlining the nutritional value of various foodstuffs and their impact on performance.
Thales has provided platform design and is managing the human factors process for the development of the 60,000 tonne Future Aircraft Carrier. For the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft, Thales has provides human factors and risk management as part of modifications to the aircraft to bring it into service.
The name Haldane-Spearman is a tribute to two celebrated human scientists, the Scottish physiologist John Scott Haldane (1860-1936) and the English psychologist Charles Spearman (1863-1945). See below for more details.
Notes for Editors:
Background to the name Haldane-Spearman
Haldane, John Scott (1860-1936) - Scottish physiologist. An authority on the effects of industrial occupations, he produced an important report upon causes of death in mining accidents, focusing particularly on the role of carbon monoxide. He also conducted research into breathing in deep-sea diving and at high altitudes.
Spearman, Charles (1863-1945) - English psychologist. Analysed the relations among experimental intelligence tests using 'factor analysis'. He proposed a 'two-factor' theory of intelligence: General Ability which was required for performance of mental tests and Special Abilities which were required for performance on just one kind of mental test.
Haldane Spearman Core team
QinetiQ
QinetiQ (pronounced ki' ne tik as in 'kinetic energy') is Europe's largest science and technology solutions company with unrivalled expertise in the defence and security sectors. Founded In July 2001, from the majority of DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) the laboratories of the UK MOD, QinetiQ directly employs nearly 10,000 people, including many of the UK's leading scientists and internationally acclaimed experts.
QinetiQ is a world leader in providing Human Factors solutions. It has the largest integrated team of Human Factors specialists in Europe with over 300 staff including psychologists, physiologists, medical officers, ergonomists and statisticians. Its core business is centred on the integration of people with modern technology with the aim of optimising capability, enhancing safety, minimising the consequences of human error, and reducing costs.
Quintec
Quintec Associates Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thales. It employs over 180 professional consultancy staff who provide quality, objective expertise in System Engineering, Human Factors, Technology and Management consulting services. The Human Factors group itself has a 50 year pedigree and is seen as one of the leading providers of Human Factors expertise across the UK.
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