Cooperative Agreement (CA) at
Links and Resources
Description
- A NASA Cooperative Agreement is a collaborative effort between NASA and a private sector partner(s) to stimulate and support innovative new technologies and products for commercialization via technology research, development, and/or deployment.
Substantial involvement between NASA and the other party is required, with NASA playing a significant role in the R&D effort.
NASA's Office of Procurement administers all cooperative agreements.
Features/Characteristics
Cash or in-kind contribution by the private-sector partner will be required, with a general target of at least 30 percent. Cost sharing, payment schedules, and other financial arrangements are open to negotiation, and can be structured in any matter agreeable to both parties within the confines of the law. Generally, IR&D funds are not allowable as part of cost sharing.
Terms of agreement are not legally enforceable.
Cooperative Agreements may not be used for procuring goods or services - no goods or services of any kind are allowable to NASA.
Signatories are at the discretion of interested parties; generally at the NASA Associated Administrator level.
Allowable deliveries may include technical reports, status reports, data, etc.
I.P. and Resource Commitment
Rights to inventions are controlled by statute. Generally, titles to invention remain with the respective inventing parties, with the government obtaining a license to all subject inventions arising under the agreement.
Rights in data are negotiable. Generally, the private-sector partner's "proprietary" data is exempted from release under FOIA. NASA developed "proprietary" data may be protected under certain circumstances.
Other Agencies/Laboratories That Use This Mechanism
