scope:

Applicability

a. This NPR is applicable to NASA Headquarters and all NASA Centers, including Component Facilities, and Technical and Service Support Centers.

b. This language applies to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, other contractors, recipients of grants, cooperative agreements, or other agreements only to the extent specified or referenced in the applicable contracts, grants, or agreements.

c. This NPR applies to all STI published, disseminated, and presented, that contain NASA-sponsored or NASA-funded STI except as excluded in this directive.This NPR also applies to STI presented internally when foreign persons are present.

d. 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.

e. In this directive all document citations are assumed to be the latest version unless otherwise noted.

Purpose

a. This directive establishes the obligations for publishing, disseminating, and safeguarding NASA scientific and technical information (STI) under the policy set forth in NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 2200.1, Management of NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI).

b. In accordance with the National Aeronautics and Space Act, 51 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 20112(a)(3), NASA will "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof." Unless a determination is made that public dissemination of information will be prohibited or restricted pursuant to U.S. statute, regulation, or Agency policy, NASA information is made broadly available to the public. NASA's responsibilities include safeguarding sensitive and restricted research and development results and preserving STI to ensure future accessibility.

c. Under the Agency's Office of Chief Information Officer, the STI Program manages, disseminates, safeguards, and preserves NASA STI for use by NASA, NASA contractors, NASA grantees, other U.S. Government agencies and their contractors, and the public. In doing so, the STI Program supports efforts to advance the Agency's goals in science, exploration, technology development, and aeronautics.