The Office of Naval Research (ONR) published new guidance Sept. 15, aimed at preventing conflicts of interest among companies competing for business with the science and technology organization. "This new set of guidelines levels the playing field for the contracting community when it comes to doing business with ONR," said Mark Bennington, ONR's executive director for acquisition management. "The new policy is effective immediately and is expected to ensure fair competition for companies selected to perform research and development (R&D) as well as systems engineering and technical assistance or other support services," Bennington said.