Policy
Directive
Effective Date: April 16, 1999
Expiration Date: April 16, 2009
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NASA Policy Directive |
NPD 1360.2A Effective Date: April 16, 1999 Expiration Date: April 16, 2009 |
The following paragraphs describe NASA policy for the initiation and development of international cooperation in space and aeronautical programs:
a. NASA encourages mutually beneficial foreign participation in its programs, projects, and activities when such participation is appropriate and significantly enhances technical, scientific, economic, or foreign policy benefits. Exploratory discussions with prospective foreign partners are encouraged. However, Agency commitments to proceed with a potential cooperative effort must not be made or implied prior to full coordination and approval of a proposed joint effort.
b. Proposals for international cooperation are encouraged, both during project planning and after project approval. Such proposals may relate to foreign participation in NASA activities or to NASA participation in foreign activities, as well as joint international collaborative efforts.
c. Because space and aeronautical research projects generally require long lead times, are technically and scientifically challenging, and involve major investments of resources, and because NASA is a Government agency, NASA`s counterparts will generally be foreign government agencies rather than foreign universities or private organizations.
d. Technical and scientific projects must merit support as contributions to NASA programmatic objectives. Projects must be within the known scientific, technical, and budgetary capabilities of the cooperating partners. Each partner is to assume full financial responsibility for its own commitments, although the respective contributions of the cooperating partners need not be equivalent.
e. To minimize complexity, the division of responsibilities between NASA and the cooperating partner should be clearly defined.
f. Arrangements for cooperative projects must take into consideration the need to protect against the unwarranted transfer of technology abroad, in accordance with U.S. export laws and regulations. Issues related to U.S. industrial competitiveness will be considered in developing cooperative projects.
g. Each cooperative project must demonstrate a specific benefit to NASA or the United States. Such benefit may be in the form of data, services, or contribution to flight mission or operational infrastructure systems, or it may directly support broader U.S. policy or interests. Science projects must include a commitment to make any scientific results available to the international scientific community within a reasonable period of time, with due consideration given to the publication rights of principal investigators, if appropriate.
h. Each cooperative project must be established in a formal written and signed project or program agreement which specifically states the responsibilities of each partner. General agreements that establish intent to explore and facilitate cooperation are useful or necessary under exceptional circumstances. However, commitment by the Agency to cooperate in a specific research or flight project is only made in a project-specific agreement after full coordination and approval of the proposed joint project.
This Directive applies to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities.
42 U.S.C. 2451(d)(7), 2473(c), and 2475, Sections 102(d)(7), 203(c), and 205 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended.
NPD 1050.1, Space Act Agreements.
a. Early contacts with prospective foreign participants are helpful in ensuring that all possibilities for cooperation are assessed, and in determining the feasibility of both foreign and U.S. support for international cooperative activities. All contacts with potential foreign participants in international cooperation will be referred promptly to the Office of External Relations, NASA Headquarters, for coordination both within NASA and with other U.S. Government agencies as appropriate, in conjunction with the appropriate Enterprise Program Office(s).
b. The Office of External Relations shall coordinate with the Office of General Counsel and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to ensure that all international cooperation is consistent with law and the notification requirements of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of External Relations shall ensure that all international cooperation is consistent with Administration policy. In addition, the Office of External Relations will work with the cognizant Enterprise Program Office in considering and, as appropriate, developing and formalizing proposals for international cooperation and embodying them in an agreement covering the specific elements of the undertaking.
c. Discussions and negotiations will be conducted jointly by the Enterprise Program Office and the Office of External Relations. In this joint effort, the cognizant Enterprise Program Office will be responsible for determination of technical, scientific, and programmatic desirability, feasibility, content, cost impact, timing, adequacy of the proposed management structure, and policy related to specific programmatic aspects of the cooperation, including safety and mission assurance requirements. The Office of External Relations will be responsible for policy aspects from the Administration`s and Agency`s perspective, the negotiating framework and all coordination related thereto.
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NPD 1360.2, dated April 16, 1999.
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