scope:

Purpose

a. In conjunction with NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 7120.8, this document establishes the requirements that govern how NASA will conduct R&T (as defined in Appendix A), consistent with the governance model contained in NPD 1000.0.

b. While R&T program and project management requirements are established in NPR 7120.8, this document establishes requirements for R&T planning, solicitation and selection of R&T proposals, peer review, quality assessment and performance metrics, data protection, publication, and R&T misconduct. The requirements described in this NPR are used to develop Mission Directorate (MD) and Mission Support Office (MSO) R&T management processes. These general principles also apply to the MD, MSO and functional offices that fund R&T that is specifically reported as part of the GPRA Modernization Act (GPRAMA).

Applicability

a. This NPR is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers and to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), other contractors, grant recipients, or parties to agreements only to the extent specified or referenced in the appropriate contracts, grants, or agreements. Certain cooperative or partnership arrangements involving cost sharing with the private sector may be excluded from the scope of this NPR when approved by the appropriate Mission Directorate Associate Administrator (MDAA) or Mission Support Office Director (MSOD).

b. This NPR applies to all current and future R&T managed or funded by NASA.

c. R&T involving human subjects should be conducted in conformance with this NPR except in the areas of release and maintenance of resulting data (see NPD 7100.8, and NPR 7100.1).

d. Any conflict between NPR 7120.8, and this NPR will be jointly resolved by the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Office of Chief Engineer (OCE).

e. In this directive, all mandatory actions (i.e., requirements) are denoted by statements containing the term "shall." The terms: "may" or "can" denote discretionary privilege or permission, "should" denotes a good practice and is recommended, but not required, "will" denotes expected outcome, and "are/is" denotes descriptive material.