As a result of the scientific accomplishments of the WWII, the United States emerged into the postwar era determined to consolidate its wartime gains in science and technology and to preserve the working relationship between its armed forces and the scientific community.
 While the Navy was establishing the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a liaison with and supporter of basic and applied scientific research, the Navy encouraged NRL to broaden its scope since it was the Navy Department's corporate research laboratory.
 NRL was placed under the administrative oversight of ONR after ONR was created.
 NRL's Commanding Officer reports to the Navy's Chief of Naval Research (CNR).
 The Chief of Naval Research leads the Office of Naval Research, which primarily is located in the Ballston area of Arlington, Virginia.
 The reorganization also caused a parallel shift of the Laboratory's emphasis to one of long-range basic and applied research in the full range of the physical sciences.

However, rapid expansion during the war had left NRL improperly structured to address long-term Navy requirements.
 One major task – neither easily nor rapidly accomplished – was that of reshaping and coordinating research.
 This was achieved by transforming a group of largely autonomous scientific divisions into a unified institution with a clear mission and a fully coordinated research program.
 The first attempt at reorganization vested power in an executive committee composed of all the division superintendents.
 This committee was impracticably large, so in 1949, a civilian director of research was named and given full authority over the program.
 Positions for associate directors were added in 1954.
As a result of the scientific accomplishments of the WWII, the United States emerged into the postwar era determined to consolidate its wartime gains in science and technology and to preserve the working relationship between its armed forces and the scientific community.  While the Navy was establishing the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a liaison with and supporter of basic and applied scientific research, the Navy encouraged NRL to broaden its scope since it was the Navy Department's corporate research laboratory.  NRL was placed under the administrative oversight of ONR after ONR was created.  NRL's Commanding Officer reports to the Navy's Chief of Naval Research (CNR).  The Chief of Naval Research leads the Office of Naval Research, which primarily is located in the Ballston area of Arlington, Virginia.  The reorganization also caused a parallel shift of the Laboratory's emphasis to one of long-range basic and applied research in the full range of the physical sciences.
However, rapid expansion during the war had left NRL improperly structured to address long-term Navy requirements.  One major task – neither easily nor rapidly accomplished – was that of reshaping and coordinating research.  This was achieved by transforming a group of largely autonomous scientific divisions into a unified institution with a clear mission and a fully coordinated research program.  The first attempt at reorganization vested power in an executive committee composed of all the division superintendents.  This committee was impracticably large, so in 1949, a civilian director of research was named and given full authority over the program.  Positions for associate directors were added in 1954.
United States Naval Research Laboratory