ETD Partnerships
Innovative Success Through Collaborative Partnerships
In support of NASA missions, the Engineering Technology Directorate (ETD) partners with industry; academia and nonprofits; U.S. government agencies; State and Local Governments; Research Institutions; and international entities. ETD’s external partnerships are a key component of the Agency’s operating model. These partnerships establish reciprocal access to facilities, labs and personnel expertise to cultivate a dynamic environment for collaborative Space Engineering and technology development.
ETD’s primary partnership objectives include advancing the Agency’s strategic goals and objectives, expanding human knowledge, advancing U.S. competitiveness, encouraging mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations, disseminating the results of NASA’s activities to educate and inspire, and facilitating the efficient use and management of Agency capabilities.
Partnerships help ETD accomplish its mission objections in several ways, including:
- Advancing NASA’s STEM education and outreach goals
- Facilitating collaborative opportunities with domestic and international partners
- Helping NASA resolve gaps in technical capabilities that are important to meeting our mission objectives
- Supporting U.S. economic innovation and industrial competitiveness
- Serving as a tool for meeting NASA’s mandate under the Space Act of encouraging the “fullest commercial use of space”
- Helping to maintain essential NASA expertise and facilities
Why Partner with ETD
- Unique facilities
- Testing not available anywhere else
- Advanced Engineering Expertise
- Cutting Edge Technology Development
The Difference Between Partnership Agreements and Procurement Contracts
- Partnership agreements are generally used to: (1) support the needs of the external partner where the partner reimburses government expenses (reimbursable partnership) or (2) achieve a mutual goal when working collaboratively on a no-exchange-of-funds basis (nonreimbursable partnership).
- Procurement contracts, which are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and procurement statutes, are required when the principal purpose of the transaction is to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government.
- Both procurements and partnerships are important tools used by NASA in meeting its missions.
ETD Space Act Agreement (SAA) for NASA Missions
The most common legal instrument used to formulate partnerships at NASA is called the Space Act Agreement (SAA). NASA is authorized by Congress to enter into these kinds of agreement per its “Other Transactions Authority (OTA)” under the National Aeronautics and Space Act (51 U.S.C. § 20113(e)). These agreements are similar to Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) that some other Federal agencies use when partnering with industry. SAAs can be nonreimbursable, reimbursable, funded, or unfunded.
- Nonreimbursable agreements are agreements in which the partner and NASA are involved in a mutually beneficial activity that furthers the Agency’s objectives, wherein each party bears the cost of its participation on a no-exchange-of-funds basis.
- Reimbursable agreements are agreements that primarily benefit the partner and NASA’s costs associated with the activity are reimbursed by the agreement partner in accordance with Agency financial policy. NASA undertakes reimbursable agreements when it has goods, services, facilities, or equipment not reasonably available from the U.S. commercial sector, that can be made available to others on a noninterference basis, consistent with the Agency’s mission objectives.
- Funded agreements are agreements in which NASA transfers appropriated funds to a domestic partner to accomplish an Agency objective where there is no direct benefit to NASA. Funded agreements may be used when the Agency cannot accomplish its objectives through the use of a procurement contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, and only after full and open competition.
- Unfunded agreements are agreements in which the Agency provides goods, services, facilities, or equipment on a no-exchange-of-funds basis to a domestic partner to accomplish an Agency objective where there is no direct benefit to NASA. NASA will enter into Unfunded agreements only after full and open competition.