---
id: 20250826114550
title: Heilmeier Catechism
type: permanent
created: 2025-08-26T15:45:50Z
modified: 2025-08-26T16:02:59Z
tags: []
---

# Heilmeier Catechism

George Heilmeier was a program manager at the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Administration (DARPA) who was
flummoxed with research proposals for artificial
intelligence. In order to quickly sort through the
proposals, he developed an 8 question system to quickly cut
through the muck.

This is the Heilmeier Catechism:

1. What are you trying to do? Articulate your research with
   absolutely no jargon.

2. How is it done today and what are the limits of current
   practice?

3. What's new in your approach and why will you be
   successful?

4. Who cares? If you're successful, what difference will it
   make?

5. What are the risks?

6. How long will it take?

7. How much will it cost?

8. What are the midterm and final exams? How will you
   measure success?
