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Program-wide Activities

The Applied Sciences Program consists of two major pieces. First, is National Applications which works in partnership with operational agencies to infuse Earth system research results into specific decision support systems (DSS) in twelve areas of national priority. Second is Crosscutting Solutions which Maintains a comprehensive, evolving understanding of emerging NASA science research results and looks for ways to leverage these for societal benefit through networks of contributing organizations, and highly-skilled, specially-trained people.

The Applied Sciences Program consists of two major pieces:

  1. National Applications – works in partnership with operational agencies to infuse Earth system research results into specific decision support systems (DSS) in twelve areas of national priority.
  2. Crosscutting Solutions - Maintains a comprehensive, evolving understanding of emerging NASA science research results and looks for ways to leverage these for societal benefit through networks of contributing organizations, and highly-skilled, specially-trained people.


The primary focus of the activities in Crosscutting Solutions is to identify and evaluate possible new uses of emerging NASA research results that could improve decision-making for societal benefit. This is accomplished through 4 distinct activities:

  1. Building and maintaining relationships or networks that span the spectrum from researchers to end users, in order to proactively identify new research results that may lead to societal benefits.
  2. Performing initial testing of new research results within the context of a partner decision support tool to determine whether or not significant benefits will result.
  3. Developing the next generation through a program for high school through college students. Teams of students work on projects that assess the potential of NASA research results to provide benefits to state, local and tribal governments.
  4. Helping to develop the technology to make the vast range of NASA research results useable through the development and use of data standards.


Crosscutting Solutions also provides support for evaluation, verification, validation, and benchmark activities undertaken for each of the National Applications projects. Each project activity proceeds through one or all of the following steps depending on maturity at the time of selection:

  • Evaluation - Identify decision support tools (DST) already developed by Federal agencies and other partners that are a national priority. Develop specifications for how the DST can be enhanced by integrating NASA Earth science observations and predictions.
  • Verification - Ensure the Earth Science products being developed meet the stated specifications (functional, performance, and design).
  • Validation - Ensure the completed products (software, algorithm, model) effectively function according to the requirements of the decision support system.
  • Benchmark - A standard by which a product can be measured or judged in terms of operations or functions, compared to performance without the NASA results. The benchmarking process quantifies the benefits of using NASA results in operational environments that affect life and property.