National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Stacy Counts/Manager, MSFC Partnerships Office
February 21, 2012
Why do we have a Partnerships Office?
Created to provide beginning-to-end institutional capability for
Partnerships.
Serves organizations across the Center as a central hub for Partnerships
assistance.
The Office works closely with Center Strategic Development, Sciences,
Engineering, Chief Technologist and the external community to form
agreements that leverage Marshall’s capabilities, facilities, and expertise.
The Office focuses on business practices and collaborative forums that
facilitate Partnerships.
Emphasis is on External Partner Needs
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Flight Programs and Partnerships Office
Robert Lightfoot/MSFC Center Director
FP02 / Planning & Control Office
FP01 / Flight Programs and Partnerships Office
Teresa Vanhooser, Manager
Paul Gilbert, Deputy Manager
Shelia Woods (DC), ESA
Rhega Gordon, Manager
Doug Riser, Assistant Manager
Lisa Messer, Administrative Officer
Safety & Mission Assurance
Alan Clark
Chief Engineer
Lisa Watson-Morgan, Manager
Ken Welzyn, Deputy Manager
Procurement
Mark Stiles
FP10 / ISS Office
Annette Sledd, Manager
Gregg McDaniel, Deputy Manager
Sheri Bedwell (DC) , MSA
Rickey Cissom, Staff
Thomas Erdman, Staff
FP20 / Robotic Mission Programs Office
Dennon Clardy, Manager
Sandra Nixon, MSA
FP40 / Partnerships Office
FP30 / Human Exploration Development Office
Chris Cianciola, Manager
Vacant, Deputy
Angie Williams, MSA
CCDEV
COTS
Stacy Counts, Manager
Whitney Young, Coord./Data Mgr.
Vacant, MSA
Commercial Space
Commercial Industry
Federal Government
Academia/International Partners
For more information, contact:
• Stacy Counts, Manager, Partnerships Office, (256) 544-6004
• Chip Jones, Partnership Manager for Commercial Space, (256) 544-2701
• Charles Nola, Partnership Manager for Federal Government, (256) 544-6367
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MSFC Partnerships Office
FP40/Partnerships Office
Partnerships Office (FP40)
Stacy Counts, Manager
Whitney Young, Technical Coordinator
MSA, Vacant
Commercial Space
Partnership Mgr
Chip Jones
Commercial Industry
Federal Government
Partnership Manager
Charlie Nola
International &
Academic
“One Stop Shop”
Operations
Stennis Space
Center
Engine Test
Requirements
Definition
Systems Engineering Skills
NASA Standards
Certification
Space Environments
Transportation/
Logistics
Design
KSC Launch
DDT&E Skills
Payload Design
Launch Vehicle Systems
Thermal Protection
GN&C
S&MA
Advanced
Manufacturing
(MSFC and MAF)
MAF
Verification and
Validation
Manufacture
Composites
Test
Propulsion
Structural
MSFC Capabilities of Interest to Commercial Partners
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Propulsion Systems Research,
Technology, & Development
•
Damage Tolerance & Fracture
Mechanics
•
Unique Facilities(MAF & MSFC)
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Large-Scale Manufacturing
(MAF & MSFC)
Guidance, Navigation, and
Control
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Thermal Systems Design
•
Space Environments & Testing
•
Program/Project Management
•
Structural Testing
•
Fluid Dynamics
•
Propulsion Testing
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Avionics/Electrical Systems
and Software
Systems Engineering, Analysis,
and Integration
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Payload Systems Technology,
Development, & Integration
Mechanical, Propellants,
Pressurants, and Calibration
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Safety and Mission Assurance
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Mission Operations
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ECLSS Design and Development
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Vehicle Development and
Integration
Partnerships Office Functions
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Facilitate the development of new agreements, or update existing agreements
Provide clear direction on how the process works
Connect appropriate technical personnel inside MSFC with partners
Coordinate with the parties to ensure the right information is included in the
agreement
Coordinate with Chief Financial Office on pricing policies and consistency
Coordinate with Legal to ensure MSFC Uniqueness statement is adequate
Maintain relationships with external partners to ensure that each is getting
the facilities and capabilities requested and to respond to issues as soon as
possible
Support various Industry events to raise awareness of NASA capabilities
Maintain a Website for community access to:
– news releases
– collaboration events
– partnerships material
– organizational contacts
– hot links to engineering sites, other NASA Partnership Office sites
Space Act Agreements – What You Should Know
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Most of the agreements we use for partnerships are Space Act
Agreements.
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What is the difference between an “umbrella SAA” and an “Annex”
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Partnership Working Group
Strategic Planning Council (Center Director and Direct Reports)
What are considerations factored in the approval decision?
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Potential Competition with Commercial Providers (MSFC Uniqueness)
Potential Conflict of Interest with SLS NRAs
Who determines which agreements are accepted and which are not?
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Pull Out clause
Nonexclusivity
What are key areas that cause an SAA to get “hung up”?
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Umbrella Agreement
Annex
Standalone Agreement
How long does an SAA take to establish?
How quickly can MSFC begin work on an agreement?
Legal flexibilities within the SAA
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Nonreimbursable SAA; no funding involved but MSFC must have an internal charge code to
cover labor
Reimbursable SAA; funding flows from partner to MSFC
Resource availability
Can other NASA Centers add an annex to a MSFC umbrella and vice versa?
Agreement Steps
Identify Opportunity
Verify Center Alignment
Develop Agreement
Partnerships Office engages
with partner on possible
opportunities; requests
technical POCs from ED.
Partnerships Working Group
Partnerships Office drafts
initial agreement and
brings technical POCs in
for discussion on tasks.
Agreement Review and Approval
Partnerships Office maintains
communication with partner
and helps to work any issues.
Agreement Execution
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Summary
NASA is transforming its conventional thinking on partnerships to put more
emphasis on long-term relationship management, and on external
stakeholder needs.
MSFC’s Center Director demonstrated his support to NASA’s partnerships
initiative by instituting a Center re-organization with established offices for
Partnerships and Center Strategic Development.
10
Back Up
• SAA Checklist for External Partners
• Examples of Proposed Umbrella Scope, MSFC
Uniqueness Statements
SAA Checklist
• Type of SAA
– Reimbursable
– Non-Reimbursable
• Name of company, and division if desired, with address to send SAA
hardcopy
• Title of proposed work
• Purpose/summary of proposed work
• NASA Mission supported by this work (HEOMD, etc) and how the work
supports that mission
• Responsibilities of the partner/Responsibilities of NASA (usually
discussed and developed by NASA/Partner together)
• Milestones/schedule for proposed tasks
– Milestone for each deliverable or significant event
• Payment information (incremental or one lump sum)
• NASA facilities to be used
• NASA-owned equipment/property to be loaned to the partner
SAA Checklist (continued)
• Proprietary data to be shared
– “Background data” – existing company proprietary data (i.e. engine
performance data) provided by partner and needed for the agreement
– Proprietary data of partner (to include software)
– Proprietary data of government (to include software)
– Proprietary data for third parties
– The method of disposal of data desired by the partner
• Patent Rights
– Patents pending on any task/data involved?
– Existing patent on NASA or Partner side?
• Length of agreement (1 – 5 years)
• Partner Management POC
• Partner Technical POC (if desired)
• Partner Signatory (usually partner’s contracts personnel)
SAA Checklist (continued)
• Statement of NASA/MSFC Uniqueness
– Any related patented inventions that can be used to support NASA’s
uniqueness?
– Any unique expertise of proposed NASA participating employees?
– Any unique equipment or facility owned by NASA?
– Any unique analysis techniques and/or associated tools?
– Has partner tried to obtain proposed work outside NASA resources and
found unavailable?
Examples of Umbrella Purpose
• This Umbrella Agreement shall be for the purpose of providing a
mechanism for MSFC and Partner to collaborate on current and future
Launch Vehicle Technologies to include shared facilities, hardware,
capabilities, and technical expertise at the respective organizations.
• This Umbrella Agreement shall be for establishing the legal framework
within which Partner and MSFC may collaborate for the purpose of
exchanging engineering expertise and support in the areas of safety,
design, development, and systems integration of space flight hardware to
include use of facilities as needed.
• This Umbrella Agreement shall be for the purpose of providing
reimbursable support to Partner in their efforts to design, develop, test, and
operate launch vehicles and space systems, including but not limited to:
launch vehicle structural design and fabrication; liquid rocket engine design
and test; launch abort systems and cargo and payload processing and
integration.
Examples of MSFC Uniqueness
• Partner wants to work with NASA MSFC because there are no commercial
entities with this technology development capability that would not be a
competitor to Partner for future applications of the technology. MSFC has
been involved in every civilian development effort to mature the technology
since NASA’s formation and has extensive expertise and capability.
• Assess:
– Unique NASA facilities that can’t be found in industry?
– Unique NASA resources/expertise that can’t be found in industry?
– Integrated testing that combines several individual test scenarios?
– Combination of design, manufacture and test needed at one location?
– Only other providers of the needed resources/facilities/capabilities are
competitors?