NASA Looks to Improve Cooperation with Universities

Seeking to strengthen its relationship with academia and industry, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin appointed Spence (Sam) Armstrong, Lieutenant General USAF (retired), as his Senior Advisor. Goldin directed Gen. Armstrong to give first priority to partnerships and cooperation with universities. The urgency of this priority was to establish definite plans for this enhanced relationship in time for Congressional hearings on the 2001 budget and the NASA budget call to its centers for the 2002 plan. The agency also believes closer cooperation with universities will help for recruitment of the best and brightest talent workforce now that the NASA is hiring again.

As a result, NASA is now circulating a white paper soliciting suggestions on how to implement programs of NASA/university cooperation along the following six themes:

• "Foster increased dialogue and interaction between NASA, colleges and universities. This will include large research institutes, smaller colleges, and minority institutions in all areas of research, education, and outreach. This should enable innovation, facilitate improved processes, and provide a mechanism to introduce new people and institutions to NASA.
• Sponsor longer-term research efforts to give universities planning assurances.
• While a proper balance between short-term and long-term research needs to be maintained, longer-term efforts would allow universities to establish the resources to attack more difficult research problems.
• Promote interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary research in universities. This includes traditional aerospace science and engineering departments, biological and medical departments, and non-traditional departments such as economics, industrial psychology, policy, law, etc.
• Improve the process – make working with NASA user friendly. This involves finding innovative improvements and removing impediments. NASA will work with other government agencies, the Administration, and Congress to simplify the procedures to allow greater university participation.
• Collaborate with other government research agencies and industry to leverage the taxpayer’s dollars sent to universities. To include NSF, NIST, DOE, NIH, DoD, et al.
• Leverage an improved NASA/University cooperation to provide a recruiting conduit.
• Exposing talented young people to the excitement of participating in NASA’s missions may be the best way to compete for them in today’s tight job market."

A strategy and implementation plan will be developed by NASA based on the recommendations received. Comments should be directed to Gen. Armstrong at 202-358-1807 or spence.armstrong@hq.nasa.gov  More information, including a copy of the white paper, can be found at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codea/codeac/