Memorandum regarding Proposed Research Project on the global UFO phenomenon

This document consists of a memorandum dated June 3, 1977, from Anthony A. Lapham, General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency, to the Director of Research and Development (DDS&T). The memorandum serves as a cover for an attached letter from an acquaintance of Lapham, dated May 31, 1977, written on Stanford Research Institute (SRI) letterhead. The attached letter proposes a comprehensive research project on the global UFO phenomenon. The proposed project aims to include the collection and analysis of existing official and undeclared government policies on UFOs, the formulation of critical research questions, an assessment of institutional data-gathering systems, and the development of a national research plan. The author of the proposal, associated with the Center for the Study of Social Policy, suggests that the project would be executed by a multidisciplinary team at SRI in collaboration with consultants. Lapham notes in his memorandum that he expressed doubt to the author regarding the Agency's interest in the proposal but agreed to circulate it. He explicitly states his suspicion that the Director of Research and Development will not have an interest in the project and indicates his intention to decline the request if that is the case.