The Joint Sponsored Research Program (JSRP) was a NASA management system initiative to " establish a pilot program for Joint Sponsored Research Projects. Under this Program, the Agency may jointly fund with private sector entities technology research and development activities that further the Agency's goals and missions".Paul Masson, SRI's Role in Commercial Space Transportation: Designing NASA's Business Partnership Model for Space Commercialization, SRI International Alumni Newsletter, August 2021, Page 14 https://srialumni.org/newsletters/2021/AlumNews-Aug-2021.pdf The national policy goals were to accelerate technology development, maintain U.S. technological leadership, foster U.S. economic growth and competitiveness, and create jobs. The Program goals were to..."promote R&D partnerships between NASA and the private sector pertaining to dual-use technologies and to precompetitive, commercially valuable technologies with industry-wide application".
The Program, initiated by NASA Ames Research Center, was established to develop business models and legal frameworks for cost-sharing public–private partnerships. Its goals included reducing costs, enhancing technology transfer, and accelerating supply chain development. Launched in 1989, the Program completed 17 pilot partnerships by 1995, resulting in $41.7 million in cost savings. It also produced agency policy and implementation guidance before concluding in 1996.NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program: Status Report, Use of Space Act Authority to Develop Joint Sponsored Research Projects and Industry-Led R&D Consortia (1988–1995), May 31, 1995, Page 5 Agreements initiated under the Program continued through 2005.Paul Masson, An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the AGATE Program Management Model, July 2005, NASA Contractor Report (CR Report)-2005-213275, https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20050192318
Objectives The Program had five primary objectives:NASA JSR Program, Management Report: NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program, Preliminary Report: Use of Space Act Authority to Develop Joint Sponsored Research Projects, Nov 12, 1993, Page 6
Partnering Process: Develop a collaboration framework that functions effectively within NASA and meets the needs of the private sector. Legal Agreement Instrument: Develop a customizable legal agreement model to accommodate the needs of both NASA and industry partners. Pilot Projects: Initiate projects to assess demand and test the collaboration process. Results: Evaluate outcomes to refine the process and guide future project formation. Conclusions: Draw conclusions about what works well and what does not, based on project outcomes.
History The program was proposed in 1987 by Jack Glazer, Chief Legal Counsel at NASA Ames Research Center, as a response to the Reagan administration's directive for NASA to define and implement space commercialization.Glazer, J. Henry, "The Expanded Use of Space Act Authority to Accelerate Space Commercialization Through Advanced Joint Enterprises Between Federal and Non-Federal Constituencies", Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal, Volume 12, No 2, 1987, Pages 339-405, https://archive.org/details/j.-henry-glazer-the-expanded-use-of-space-act-rutgers-computer-and-tech-law-journal.-vol.-12.-no.-2 NASA established a Space Commercialization Task Force in 1983, tasked with developing an "agency-wide policy and integrated program plan for enhancing NASA's ability to encourage and be responsive to commercialization endeavors." The Task Force's recommendations included..."evaluating the feasibility of new commercial partnership structures, including intellectual property and cost-sharing agreements."Paul Masson, SRI's Role in Commercial Space Transportation: Designing NASA's Business Partnership Model for Space Commercialization, SRI International Alumni Newsletter, August 2021, Page 14 https://srialumni.org/newsletters/2021/AlumNews-Aug-2021.pdf Prior to the proposal, Glazer had used center-level authority to initiate small-scale partnerships through funded Space Act Agreements, aiming to develop policies and procedures for cost-sharing research and development agreements.AmTech History, Research Product, Memorandum: David Lloyd, Principal Investigator to Maylene Duenas, Technical Monitor, NCC2-648, https://archive.org/details/nasa-jsr-program-report-american-technology-initiative-ncc-2-648-95.03.07/mode/2upGlazer, J. Henry, "The Expanded Use of Space Act Authority to Accelerate Space Commercialization Through Advanced Joint Enterprises Between Federal and Non-Federal Constituencies", Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal, Volume 12, No 2, 1987, Pages 348, https://archive.org/details/j.-henry-glazer-the-expanded-use-of-space-act-rutgers-computer-and-tech-law-journal.-vol.-12.-no.-2
Program Phases The Program was organized to design, test and implement cost-sharing partnerships using Space Act Authority in phases subject to oversight at NASA Ames and Headquarters:Memorandum, NASA Office of the Administrator, Delegation of Authority, Joint Sponsored Research Project for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, March 31, 1992, Page 2, https://archive.org/details/nasa-joint-sponsored-research-program-delegation-of-authority.-1992.03.31
Prototype Phase:NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program: Status Report, Use of Space Act Authority to Develop Joint Sponsored Research Projects and Industry-Led R&D Consortia (1988–1995), May 31, 1995, Page 5, https://archive.org/details/nasa-joint-sponsored-research-program-status-report
1987-1989: One prototype project explored and implemented, reported to NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) senior management 1989: NASA Headquarters senior management briefed on results, NASA JSR Program formed, quarterly reporting requirement established 1990: Conditional authority granted to use funded Space Act Authority to negotiate up to three JSR partnerships 1991: JSR Program results reported; conditional authority expanded to negotiate up to four additional JSR partnerships and convert up to ten existing NASA contracts into cost and intellectual property sharing partnerships
Scale Up Phase:Memorandum, NASA Office of the Administrator, Delegation of Authority, Joint Sponsored Research Project for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, March 31, 1992, Page 1, https://archive.org/details/nasa-joint-sponsored-research-program-delegation-of-authority.-1992.03.31
1993-1994: NASA Administrator delegates Space Act authority to the Associate Administrator for Space and Aeronautics Technology and Assistant Administrator for Commercial Technology to sign JSR Agreements; JSR Program managers directed to achieve five NASA-wide strategic objectives 1994-1995: NASA initiates funding of industry-led R&D consortia; NASA Administrator renews delegation of Space Act Authority and expands to senior managers of field installations; JSR Program Advisory Team (PAT) policy oversight and procedure compliance established for agency-wide implementation
NASA-Wide Deployment, Institutional Policy and Procedure:
1995-1996: JSR Program becomes operating unit of NASA's Commercial Technology Office (CTO);NASA Commercial Technology Team, Joint Sponsored Research Agreement Facilitators, NASA Tech Briefs, March 1995, Page 20, https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20100033341/downloads/20100033341.pdf NASA-wide Policies and Procedures are drafted and distributed for guidance;Report, AmTech, JSR Program Policy and Procedure Preparation for Adoption, Paul Masson and Karen Robbins, AmTech, December, 1995, https://archive.org/details/nasa-joint-sponsored-research-program.-memo-agency-wide-policy-procedure.-1995.11.30_202506 NASA reports to Congress on JSR Program creation and example projectsNASA's Relevance to the US Economy, Testimony before the United States Senate, Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, October 28, 1993, Page 22, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/29927530.html
Program Requirements The Program authorized use of funded Space Act Authority for NASA to enter into JSR Agreements on the condition that..."A JSR Project (must) develop and commercialize dual-use technology as well as be likely result in at least one of the following outcomes:
A. leverage the cost of technology development between NASA and private sector
B. enhancement of U.S. industry's competitive position in the global marketplace
C. conversion of aerospace or defense technology to commercial application."NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program: Status Report, Use of Space Act Authority to Develop Joint Sponsored Research Projects and Industry-Led R&D Consortia (1988–1995), May 31, 1995, Page 3-5
Partner Requirements The program established nine requirements for prospective partners, emphasizing that Space Act cost-sharing agreements should only be used when other NASA agreement types cannot achieve the agency's strategic or mission objectives.NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program: Status Report, Use of Space Act Authority to Develop Joint Sponsored Research Projects and Industry-Led R&D Consortia (1988–1995), May 31, 1995, Page 5-17
Partnership Models The program evaluated multiple partnership models varying in R&D scope, cost-sharing, intellectual property allocation, NASA oversight, and research location. It identified two primary models used in most projects through 1995:NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program Information Package, March, 1996, Goals, Page 4, https://archive.org/details/nasa-jsr-program-information-package-march-1996_202504
Dual-Use Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation- This..."type of partnership involves R&D collaboration between NASA and the private sector over technologies relevant to NASA missions applications and sought by the private sector for commercial applications. NASA may partner with a single company or with multiple companies. In addition, a university or nonprofit organization may be a partner." Industry-Led Projects and Consortia- This..."type of partnership involves R&D collaboration between NASA and a group of industry members over technologies that may have relevance industry-wide and are commercial valuable. NASA's role is to stimulate industry initiative in technology areas that are likely to have a significant impact on the industry's technology leadership or competitiveness, consistent with NASA's mission".
Partnership Agreement Model: Joint Sponsored Research Agreement (JSRA) The program developed a model legal framework, the Joint Sponsored Research Agreement (JSRA), under NASA's funded Space Act Authority. It was designed to allow customizable partnerships that incorporated federal requirements, intellectual property allocation, and commercial terms for multi-industry collaborations.
The model JSR Agreements included provisions for:NASA Joint Sponsored Research Program Information Package, March, 1996, Goals, Pages 12-16, https://archive.org/details/nasa-jsr-program-information-package-march-1996_202504
R&D Performance Participant Criteria Funding with Cost Sharing Requirements Accounting and Audit Requirements Overhead Rate(s) Guidelines In-Kind Resources Valuation and Verification Intellectual Property Rights Commercialization Performance.
The JSRA was adopted as one of NASA's partnering business agreement models by the Agency's Innovative Partnership Program (IPP).Technology Transfer: Bringing Innovation to NASA and the Nation, National Academy of Public Administration, November 2004, https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/wps/napa/0032002/index.html
Primary NASA Authority: Funded Space Act Authority