JSC provides and applies its preeminent capabilities in science and technology to develop, operate, and integrate human exploration missions.  The center encourages collaboration with aerospace and non-aerospace industries, government agencies, and academia to solve science and technology challenges, while actively striving to maximize technology transfer into the commercial sector.

An active and sustainable science and technology development program is key to ensuring the challenges of human exploration are successfully overcome. The JSC-directed solicitations program enables the center to invest strategically in high priority areas needed to accomplish future missions, as articulated in the NASA Technology Roadmaps and the Space Technology Investment Plan (STIP). It offers the center the ability to address technology gaps that are beyond the requirements of near-term programs to fund.  The program also provides a platform to continue to grow and maintain critical skills and innovations needed to ensure future mission success.  These solicitations encourage use of collaborations to ensure maximum benefit to both the space program and the nation.  As such, external partnerships are highly encouraged not only as a funding leverage but to bring innovative ideas and approaches into human exploration programs.

Selection Process

Typically, JSC solicitations are developed by the JSC CTO and the JSC Technology Working Group (JTWG). Competitive calls are coordinated with JSC Senior Staff and communicated to the JSC workforce via internal email distribution to an R&D community list and through postings on the internal center website and through JSC Today notices.

The JTWG solicits, evaluates and prioritizes all JSC solicitation responses in a two-stage process. The JTWG members review project proposals and work together to down-select to the finalists. The Principal Investigators (PIs) make presentations to the JTWG to provide more in-depth project details. This allows the members to have multiple sets of data to select the most innovative finalists to support for the year.  Selection criteria and funding vary based on the focus of the solicitation; but of primary interest are:

• Human Space Flight Architecture Team (HAT) prioritized technology needs
• Priority JSC technology core competencies
• High potential areas for technology commercialization
• High potential areas for technology partnerships

Project Accomplishments

Through the result of research and development, JSC’s IR&D project PIs are making essential progress in the advancement of technology needed to enable NASA’s mission of space exploration. Additionally, many of the technologies developed to meet the challenges of space exploration have great commercialization potential. Each year, many of JSC’s IR&D projects file New Technology Reports (NTRs) through the JSC Tech Transfer Office. Several of these reports have received New Technology Evaluation Patent ratings to pursue patents, while additional ones have been scheduled for success story articles to be written and published.

JSC projects active in FY12 and beyond have been included in TechPort. Through the TechPort tool information on the projects is provided and will be updated by PIs as developments and updates become available. This will offer further knowledge and information sharing between NASA developers, researchers, engineers and scientists, and other internal and external stakeholders.

Funds are distributed to each NASA Center to support emerging technologies and creative initiatives that leverage Center talent and capabilities. NASA scientists and engineers will lead projects and partnerships among Centers and with other agencies, research laboratories, academia and private industry are encouraged.