NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 1080.1B Effective Date: February 21, 2017 Expiration Date: February 21, 2025

Subject: Requirements for the Conduct of NASA Research and Technology (R&T)

Responsible Office: Science Mission Directorate

Appendix A. Definition of Terms

Grant Officer. The NASA employee who is responsible for the business, financial, and administrative (non-programmatic) aspects of a particular grant(s) or grant program and has the authority to obligate the NASA funds under grant awards. In this capacity, the Grant Officer is the Federal official responsible for non-programmatic matters associated with the review, negotiation, award, administration, and closeout of assigned grants, and interprets and applies grants administration requirements.

Peer review. The scientific or technical review of proposals by qualified, unbiased experts to provide unbiased evaluations of proposed work.

Principal Investigator (PI). A person who conceives an investigation and is responsible for carrying it out and reporting its results. Official definitions of all team member roles, including PI, appear in the guidebook for proposers. In some cases, PIs from industry and academia act as managers (Project Managers) for smaller development efforts with NASA personnel providing oversight.

Program Officer. The person who performs the duties generally assigned to a "Program Office" i.e., manages the solicitation, evaluation, and selection process for an R&T program or portfolio project. The Program Officer is, responsible for assuring the Selecting Official prior to selection that all requirements in this NPR and other applicable regulations have been followed. Note, the Program Officer is usually but not always, also the person who monitors the award after it is in place, called the "Technical Officer" by the NSSC.

Programmatic. Relating particularly to the broad (e.g., scientific, technological, demographic, etc.) goals of a grant program and the portfolio of R&T activities it supports.

R&T Misconduct. Fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research or technology, or in reporting research or technology results. R&T misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.

Research and Technology (R&T). Basic research, applied research, and technology development.

Scientific and Technical Information (STI). The results (facts, analyses, and conclusions) of basic and applied scientific, technical, and related engineering research and development. STI also includes management, industrial, and economic information relevant to this research.

Unsolicited proposal. Application for financial assistance for support of an idea, method, or approach to carry out a project for a public purpose that is relevant to NASA's mission and that is submitted to NASA on the initiative of the applicant rather than in response to a BAA or CAN or other solicitation. See NASA's Guidance for the Preparation and Submission of Unsolicited Proposals.

Waiver. A documented authorization intentionally releasing a program or project from meeting a requirement.

Note: See NPR 7120.8.

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