The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Operations MissionDirectorate is releasing the Cooperative Agreement Notice for the ISS National LaboratoryManagement Entity. NASA is soliciting proposals for competitive evaluation and award of a CooperativeAgreement to a non-profit entity to develop the capability to implement research anddevelopment projects utilizing the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratoryand to otherwise manage the activities of the ISS National Lab. NASA is currently operating a share of the United States accommodations on theInternational Space Station (ISS) as a National Laboratory (NL) in accordance withSection 507 of the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-155). As set forth inAppendix A, Section 504 of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-267), authorizesNASA to maximize the value of the investment the U.S. government has made in the ISS anddemonstrate the scientific and technological productivity of the ISS over the next decadeby entering into a Cooperative Agreement with a 501(c)(3) entity to support research anddevelopment and to manage the activities of the ISS NL. An award under this CAN will initially fund the operation of an independent 501(c)(3)entity (herein referred as the NL Entity) to manage non-NASA utilization of the ISSthrough the ISS NL. The NL Entity will be expected to capitalize on the unique venue ofthe ISS as a national resource to promote opportunities for advancing science andtechnology to other U.S. government agencies, university-based researchers and privatefirms for utilization of the ISS. Section 504 of Public Law 111-267, the NASA Authorization Act for 2010 establisheseligibility criteria regarding the selected recipient of this planned cooperativeagreement: 1) the entity must be exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of theInternal Revenue Code of 1986 and 2) the entity must not have any other organizationalobjective or responsibilities on behalf of the organization or any parent organization orother entity. The release is being made available electronically at http://nspires.nasaprs.com .Comments and questions may be addressed in writing via e-mail
[email protected]. Responses to all inquiries will be answered by e-mail and alsoposted to the official NSPIRES location at http://nspires.nasaprs.com .