14 C.F.R. PART 1260—GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS
Title 14 - Aeronautics and Space
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(1), Pub. L. 97–258, 96 Stat. 1003 (31 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), and OMB Circular A–110.
Source: 65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, unless otherwise noted.
(a) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awards grants and cooperative agreements under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(5), the National Aeronautics and Space Act. This part 1260 is issued under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(1), Pub. L. 97–258, 96 Stat. 1003 (31 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), and OMB Circular A–110. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act and assigned OMB control numbers 2700–0047, Property Management and Control; 2700–0048, Patents; 2700–0049, Financial Management and Control; and 2700–0097, Central Contractor Registration. (a) This subpart A of the NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Handbook (also subpart A of 14 CFR part 1260), provides supplemental NASA policies that clarify and amplify government-wide regulations for awarding and administering grants and cooperative agreements with educational and non-profit organizations. The government-wide regulations that this subpart supplements are set forth in OMB Circular A–110 “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations.” (NASA has adopted OMB Circular A–110 as subpart B of this part 1260.) (b) As required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NASA has also adopted the standards set forth in OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations. (a) The following definitions are a supplement to the subpart B definitions set forth at §1260.102. Additional definitions applicable to specific categories of grants and cooperative agreements are set forth at 14 CFR 1273.3 and 14 CFR 1274.102. (b) Throughout subpart A to this part 1260, the term “grant” includes “cooperative agreement” unless otherwise indicated. Administrative grant officer means a Federal employee delegated responsibility for grant administration; e.g., a NASA grant officer who has retained grant administration responsibilities, or an Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant officer delegated grant administration by a NASA grant officer. Amendment means any document used to effect modifications to grants and cooperative agreements. Amendments may be issued unilaterally at the discretion of the grant officer. Commercial firm means any corporation, trust or other organization which is organized primarily for profit. Effective date means the date work can begin, which could be earlier or later than the date of signature on a basic award or modification. Expenditures made prior to award of a grant are incurred at the recipient's risk. Expiration date means the date of completion specified in the grant, after which expenditures may not be charged against the grant except to satisfy obligations to pay allowable costs committed on or before that date. Historically Black Colleges and Universities means institutions determined by the Secretary of Education to meet the requirements of 34 CFR 608.2 and listed therein. Minority educational institution means an institution determined by the Secretary of Education to meet the requirements of 34 CFR 637.4. Non-profit organization means an organization that qualifies for the exemption from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, 26 U.S.C. 501. Progress report means a concise statement of work accomplished during the report period (see §§1260.22 and 1260.75(b)(3)). Recipient acquired equipment means equipment purchased or fabricated with grant funds by a recipient for the performance of work under its grant. Small business concern means a concern, including its affiliates, which is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding, and qualifies as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. Small disadvantaged business concern means a small business concern owned and controlled by individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged and meets the criteria set forth at 13 CFR part 24. Summary of research means a document summarizing the results of the entire project, which includes bibliographies, abstracts, and lists of other media in which the research was discussed. Women-owned small business concern means a small business concern that is at least 51 percent owned by women who are U.S. citizens and who also control and operate the business (15 U.S.C. 637(d)). (a) Subparts A and B of this part 1260 establish policies and procedures for grants and cooperative agreements awarded by NASA to institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations. (b) Subject to the special considerations in this paragraph, subparts A and B of this part 1260 are also applicable to NASA grants and cooperative agreements awarded to commercial firms which do not involve cost sharing. (This does not prohibit voluntary cost sharing.) When the commercial firm is expected to receive substantial compensating benefits for performance of the work, resource contributions are required for the award of a grant or cooperative agreement. For policies on cooperative agreements with commercial organizations requiring resource contributions by the Recipient, see 14 CFR part 1274. (1) The allowability of costs incurred by commercial firms is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR part 31. (2) NASA does not allow for payment of profit or fee to commercial firms under grant awards. (3) When applying the policies set forth under §1260.74, the grant officer shall vest title to any equipment purchased under the grant with the Government. The special condition at §1260.67, Equipment and Other Property Under Grants With Commercial Firms, shall be incorporated into all grants with commercial firms in place of the provision at §1260.27, Equipment and Other Property. (4) Due to differing NASA patent policies applicable to large businesses, special conditions at §1260.57, New Technology, and §1260.58, Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative, shall be incorporated into all grants with commercial firms other than those with small businesses, in place of the provision at §1260.28, Patent Rights. Grants with small businesses should retain the §1260.28 provision. (5) Payments under grants with commercial firms will be made based on incurred costs. NASA Form 272 is not required. Commercial firms will be required to submit invoices on a no more than quarterly basis. Payments to be made on a more than quarterly basis require the written approval of the grant officer. The center finance office should also be informed when payments are to be made on other than a quarterly basis. The special condition at §1260.68, Invoices and Payments Under Grants With Commercial Firms, shall be incorporated into all grants with commercial firms in place of the provision at §1260.26, Financial Management. (6) Payments will be made to commercial firms via electronic funds transfer. The special condition at §1260.69, Electronic Funds Transfer Payment Method, shall be incorporated into all grants with commercial firms. (7) Delegation of grant administration functions consistent with the policies set forth at §1260.70 (i.e., property administration and closeout are to be delegated) will be made to the cognizant field office of the Defense Contract Management Agency instead of to the Office of Naval Research. Delegations will be made using NASA Form 1674, Letter of Delegation, for the Administration of Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Exhibit F to subpart A of this part 1260, available at the address given in Exhibit F). Cognizant offices for performing administration under individual grants are set forth in the “DoD Directory of Contract Administration Services Components,” which is available on the internet at: http://www.dcmc.hq.dla.mil/casbook/casbook.htm. This part 1260 will be amended by publication of changes in the The official site for accessing the NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Handbook, including current Grant Notices, is on the internet at: http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/hq/grcover.htm (a) A deviation is required for any of the following: (1) When a prescribed provision (but not a special condition) set forth verbatim in this part 1260 is modified or omitted. (2) When a provision is set forth in this part 1260, but not for use verbatim, and the Center substitutes a provision which is inconsistent with the intent, principle, and substance of the provision. (3) When a form prescribed by this part 1260 is altered or another form is used in its place. (4) When limitations, imposed by this handbook upon the use of a grant provision, form, procedure, or any other grant action, are changed. (5) When a form is created for recipient use that constitutes a “Collection of Information” within the meaning of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 35) and its implementation in 5 CFR part 1320. (b) Requests for authority to deviate from this part 1260 shall be submitted to the Office of Procurement, NASA Headquarters, Procurement Operations Division (HS). Requests, signed by the procurement officer, shall contain: (1) A full description of the deviation, the circumstances in which it will be used, and identification of the requirement from which a deviation is sought; (2) The rationale for the request, pertinent background information, and the intended effect of the deviation; (3) The name of the recipient, identification of the grant affected, and the dollar value; (4) A statement as to whether the deviation has been requested previously, and, if so, details of that request; and (5) A copy of legal counsel's concurrence or comments. (c) Where it is necessary to obtain a deviation on OMB Circular A–110 (subpart B of this part 1260), Code HS will process all necessary documents in accordance with §1260.104. Announcements for grants and cooperative agreements shall use the solicitation numbering scheme stated in NFS 1804.7102, “Numbering scheme for solicitations”. [69 FR 16791, Mar. 31, 2004] (a) All announcements of grant and cooperative agreement funding opportunities shall be synopsized. Synopses shall be prepared in the NASA Acquisition Internet Service (NAIS), located at: http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/nais/index.cgi; by using the Electronic Posting System (EPS), and transmitted to http://www.Fedgrants.gov. Synopses shall be electronically posted to: http://www.Fedgrants.gov no later than three business days after release of the full announcement. All synopses shall include instructions regarding where to obtain the full announcement for the opportunity. (b) This requirement applies to all announcements of grant and cooperative agreement funding opportunities with the following exceptions: (1) Announcements of opportunities for awards less than $25,000 for which 100 percent of eligible applicants live outside of the United States. (2) Single source announcements of opportunities that are specifically directed to a known recipient. [69 FR 5016, Feb. 3, 2004] (a) Consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6301(3), NASA's policy is to use competitive procedures to award grants whenever possible. A grant can result from: (1) A proposal submitted in response to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) such as a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) or an Announcement of Opportunity (AO), a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN), an Agencywide program announcement such as the Graduate Student Research Program, or other forms of announcements approved by the Associate Administrator for Procurement (HS). NRA's are described in the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) 48 CFR 1835.016. AO's are described in 48 CFR part 1872. (2) An unsolicited proposal. (See §1260.17.) (b) The proposal shall contain a detailed narrative description of the work to be undertaken, including the objectives of the project and the applicant's plan for carrying it out. (1) All proposals shall include budget data as prescribed in the Budget Summary (Exhibit A to subpart A of this part 1260, available at the address given in Exhibit A). Narrative detail must support the proposed budget as required in Exhibit A. (i) The recipient institution is responsible for ensuring that costs charged are allowable, allocable, and reasonable under the applicable cost principles governed by OMB Circular No. A–21 or A–122. For other details see §1260.127. (ii) Subject to applicable cost principles, facilities and administrative cost rates are negotiated between recipients and the cognizant agencies assigned under OMB Circular No. A–21. NASA is required to apply the applicable negotiated rate for all grants awarded to the recipient. (iii) NASA may accept cost sharing when voluntarily offered. For further guidance see §1260.123. For grants and cooperative agreements with commercial organizations that involve costs sharing, see 14 CFR part 1274. The amount of cost sharing will not be a factor in determining whether to select a proposal for award. However, recipients may be requested to secure nonfederal matching funds equal to the program portion of training and education grants. In accordance with NASA policy to foster continuity of research, multiple year grant proposals are encouraged, where appropriate, for a period generally up to three years. Proposals for multiple year grants shall describe the entire research project and include a complete budget for year one and separate estimates for each subsequent year. (2) A Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) must be included with the address listed on the proposal. If an award is made, advance payments cannot be made without a TIN (31 U.S.C. 7702(c)(1)). (3) A Dun and Bradstreet, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number shall be included on the Cover Page of all proposal submissions. Before submitting a proposal, all applicants shall have an active registration in the Department of Defense, Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database and shall obtain a Commercial And Government Entity (CAGE) code. Prior to award, the grant officer shall verify active registration in the CCR database, by using the DUNS number or, if applicable, the DUNS+4 number, via the Internet at http://www.ccr.gov or by calling toll free: (888) 227–2423, commercial: (269) 961–5757. (c)(1) All announcements for grant and cooperative agreement funding opportunities shall require the applicant to submit all required certifications, disclosures, and assurances as part of the proposal. The following certifications and assurance are required to be submitted as part of all proposals: (i) A certification for debarment and suspension under the requirements of 14 CFR 1265.510. (ii) A certification, and a disclosure form (SF LLL) if required, on Lobbying under the requirements of 14 CFR 1271.110 for awards exceeding $100,000. (iii) An assurance of Compliance with NASA Regulations Concerning Nondiscrimination as required by 14 CFR parts 1250 through 1253 or incorporation by reference of a signed NASA Form 1206 that is on file, current, and accurate. (2) Compliance with certifications, disclosures, and assurances must be demonstrated by one of the following two methods: (i) Each individual certification, disclosure, and assurance may be signed by the Authorizing Organizational Representative; or (ii) Signature by the Authorizing Organizational Representative on the proposal Cover Page may confirm that all necessary certifications and assurances are met, provided that the Cover Page includes a notice to that effect. (d)(1) In accordance with E.O. 13202 of February 17, 2001, “Preservation of Open Competition and Government Neutrality Towards Government Contractors' Labor Relations on Federal and Federally Funded Construction Projects”, as amended on April 6, 2001, the Government, or any construction manager acting on behalf of the Government, shall not— (i) Require or prohibit recipients, potential recipients or subrecipients to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 2000e(d)) on the same or other related construction projects; or (ii) Otherwise discriminate against recipients, potential recipients or subrecipients for becoming, refusing to become, or remaining signatories or otherwise adhering to agreements with one or more organizations, on the same or other related construction projects. (2) Nothing in this section prohibits the recipient, potential recipients or subrecipients from voluntarily entering into project labor agreements. (3) The Assistant Administrator for Procurement may exempt a construction project from this policy if, as of February 17, 2001— (i) The agency or a construction manager acting on behalf of the Government had issued or was party to bid specifications, project agreements, agreements with one or more labor organizations, or other controlling documents with respect to that particular project, which contained any of the requirements or prohibitions in paragraph (d)(1)of this section; and (ii) One or more construction contracts (includes any contract awarded by the recipient) subject to such requirements or prohibitions had been awarded. (4) The Assistant Administrator for Procurement may exempt a particular project, contract, or subcontract from this policy upon a finding that special circumstances require an exemption in order to avert an imminent threat to public health or safety, or to serve the national security. A finding of “special circumstances” may not be based on the possibility or presence of a labor dispute concerning the use of contractors or subcontractors who are nonsignatories to, or otherwise do not adhere to, agreements with one or more labor organizations, or concerning employees on the project who are not members of, or affiliated with, a labor organization. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 54121, Oct. 26, 2001; 67 FR 77667, Dec. 19, 2002; 68 FR 35290, June 13, 2003; 69 FR 2831, Jan. 21, 2004; 69 FR 21704, Apr. 22, 2004] (a) Technical evaluation of proposals will be conducted by the cognizant NASA technical office and may be based on peer reviews. (b) Under NRA's, AO's, other BAA's, and CAN's, the selecting official will furnish documentation requested by the grant officer, (including a copy of the NRA, selection statement, and peer review evaluation if requested), to confirm that the award is being made as a result of a selection under a NRA, AO, other BAA, or CAN. The technical office will forward to the grant office a completed award package, including a funded procurement request, technical evaluation of the proposed budget, and other support documentation, and any data deliverables that may be required when potentially hazardous operations, such as those related to flight and/or mission critical ground systems have been proposed (e.g. Payload Safety Data Review Package) at least 29 days prior to the requested award date, or before the expiration of the funded period in the case of the renewal of an existing effort. (c) If a proposal is not selected, the proposer will be notified by the selecting official in accordance with the procedures set forth in the NRA, AO, CAN, or BAA. (d) For unsolicited proposals, see §1260.17. (e) For awards made non-competitively, written justifications for equipment or travel will be submitted by the technical office for grant officer approval when more than half of the proposed budget is for equipment or travel and associated indirect cost. The justification shall describe the extent to which the equipment or travel is necessary. The grant officer's signature on the award will indicate approval of the justification. (f) The evaluation of the proposal budget will conform to the following procedure: (1) The technical officer will review the proposer's estimated cost for conformance to program requirements and fund availability. The results of this review shall be recorded in Column B of the proposed Budget Summary Form (Exhibit A to subpart A of this part 1260, available at the address given in Exhibit A). New budgets are not required when the program office recommended funding is within twenty percent (20 percent) of the proposed amount, provided that, if requested by the proposer, a revised scope of work based on the recommended funding is submitted by the proposer for acceptance by the technical officer. However, when funding decreases in equipment and/or subcontracts are involved, the cognizant program office is required to identify the cost element(s) affected by the change in funding level. (2) The grant officer will review the budget, and any changes made by the technical officer, to identify any item which may be unallowable under the cost principles, or which appears unreasonable or unnecessary. The grant officer will complete Column C of the Budget Summary after discussing significant changes with the recipient and/or technical office. Requests for details from the recipient should be limited. (3) The grant officer will address requests for direct charge of equipment in the negotiation summary, and state whether the purchase is approved as a direct cost. (g) 42 U.S.C. 2459d prohibits NASA from funding any grant for longer than one year if the effect is to provide a guaranteed customer base for new commercial space hardware or services. The only exception would be if an Appropriations Act specifies the new commercial space hardware or services to be used. (h) NASA reserves the right to either fully fund or incrementally fund grants based on fiscal law and program considerations. Incremental funding of grants and cooperative agreements shall conform to the following procedure: (1) When the period of performance for a grant crosses Government Fiscal Years, the grant will usually be incrementally funded, using appropriations from different Government Fiscal Years. In other circumstances, incremental funding may be appropriate. The special condition at §1260.53, Incremental Funding, will be included in any grant that is incrementally funded. The grant officer will determine the number of incremental funding actions that will be allowed. (2) Specific limitations on incremental funding are as follows: (i) Grants that are funded using appropriations from different Government Fiscal Years should provide funding from the prior fiscal year that carries at least one month into the subsequent fiscal year in order to facilitate transition of the grant to the subsequent fiscal year's funding cycle. (ii) Only those grants whose anticipated funding exceeds $100,000 of appropriations from a single Government Fiscal Year may be incrementally funded within that fiscal year's appropriations. (iii) Incremental funding actions to obligate or deobligate funds shall not total less than $25,000 unless the action is necessary to comply with the requirement to use appropriations from different Government Fiscal Years, to fully fund a grant, to close out a grant, or to make a corrective accounting adjustment. (3) On an exception basis, and with the concurrence of the installation Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or Deputy CFO for Resources, the procurement officer may waive the restrictions set forth in paragraphs (h)(2)(i) through (h)(2)(iii) of this section for individual funding actions on individual grants. The procurement officer shall maintain a record of all such approvals during the fiscal year. (4) The restrictions set forth in paragraphs (h)(2)(i) through (h)(2)(iii) of this section are not applicable during the period of a continuing resolution. During such a period, NASA will nonetheless endeavor to fund individual grants using reasonably sized increments. (i) Proposals for efforts that involve printing, binding, and duplicating in excess of 25,000 pages are subject to the Government Printing and Binding Regulations, No. 26, February 1990, S. Pub. 101–9, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, published by the Congressional Joint Committee on Printing. The technical office will refer such proposals to the Installation Central Printing Management Officer (ICPMO). The grant officer will be advised in writing of the results of the ICPMO review. (j) The provision at §1260.30, Rights in Data, is to be inserted as a standard provision into grants and cooperative agreements that don't require cost sharing. Additional language is required for cost sharing and/or matching efforts, and in cooperative agreements, as set forth in the provision. (k) By acceptance of a grant (containing the provision at §1260.34) the recipient agrees that it is in compliance with the Clean Air and Federal Water Pollution Control Acts. The Administrator may approve exemptions from this prohibition under certain circumstances under Executive Order 11738. Requests for exemptions or renewals thereof shall be made to the Office of Procurement, NASA Headquarters, Program Operations Division (Code HS), Washington, DC 20546. (l) Requests for acquisition of property may be made by a recipient either as part of the original budget proposal or subsequent to award. Comprehensive guidance on evaluating requests for acquisition of property, vesting of title, and administration issues, is set forth at §1260.74. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 54121, Oct. 26, 2001; 67 FR 30544, May 7, 2002; 68 FR 28709, May 27, 2003; 68 FR 35290, June 13, 2003] (a) This section and §1260.111 provide guidance on the appropriate choice of award instruments consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6301 to 6308. Throughout §1260.12, the term “grant” does not include “cooperative agreements.” (b)(1) A procurement contract is a mutually binding legal relationship obligating the seller to furnish supplies or services (including construction), and the buyer pays for them. (2) The principal purpose of a procurement contract is to acquire, for NASA's direct use or benefit, a well-defined, specific effort clearly required for the accomplishment of a scheduled NASA mission or project. (3) If it is determined that a procurement contract is the appropriate type of funding instrument to meet NASA's purposes, the procurement shall be conducted under the FAR and the NFS (48 CFR Chapter 18). (4) If an action is to be awarded for a dollar amount below the simplified acquisition threshold, the action may be completed by a contracting officer as a purchase order. The purchase order must be properly modified to include necessary language pertaining to data rights, key personnel requirements, and any other necessary requirements as determined by the contracting officer. (c) A grant shall be used as the legal instrument to reflect a relationship between NASA and a recipient whenever the principal purpose is the transfer of anything of value to the recipient to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute. Grants are distinguished from cooperative agreements in that substantial involvement is not expected between NASA and the recipient when carrying out the activity. Grants are distinguished from contracts in that grants provide financial assistance to the recipient to conduct a fairly autonomous program; contracts entail acquisition. Various types of NASA grants contain different provisions and conditions as described in §§1260.20 and 1260.50. The major types of grants and cooperative agreements are defined as follows. Grants and cooperative agreements to carry out other authorized purposes should be used to the extent appropriate, and must be in compliance with OMB Circular A–110. (1) Research grant. A research grant shall be used to accomplish a NASA objective through stimulating or supporting the acquisition of knowledge or understanding of the subject or phenomena under study, or attempting to determine and exploit the potential of scientific discoveries or improvements in technology, materials, processes, methods, devices, or techniques and advance the state of the art. The recipient will bear prime responsibility for the conduct of research, and exercises judgment and original thought toward attaining the scientific goals within broad parameters of the research areas proposed and the resources provided; (2) Education grant. Students and faculty receiving direct support under a NASA education grant must be U.S. citizens. An education grant is an agreement that provides funds to an educational institution or other nonprofit organizations within one or more of the following areas: (i) Capturing student interest and/or improving student performance in science, mathematics, technology, or related fields; (ii) Enhancing the skill, knowledge, or ability of teachers or faculty members in science, mathematics, or technology; (iii) Supporting national educational reform movements; (iv) Conducting pilot programs or research to increase participation and/or to enhance performance in science, mathematics, or technology education at all levels; and (v) Developing instructional materials (e.g., teacher guides, printed publications, computer software, and videotapes) or networked information services for education; (3) Training grant. A training grant is an agreement that provides funds primarily for scholarships, fellowships, or stipends to students, teachers, and/or faculty. (i) NASA training grants are awarded to colleges, universities, or other non-profit organizations; not to individual students, teachers, or faculty members. It is the responsibility of the institution receiving the grant to approve the faculty, teachers, and/or students who will participate in the specific program, in cooperation with NASA. If a student, teacher, or faculty member ceases to participate in the program for any reason, the institution, with prior NASA approval, may appoint another student, teacher, or faculty member to complete the remaining portion of the grant period. Replacement students, teachers, and/or faculty electing to apply for the following program year are not automatically entitled to an award and are subject to the evaluation/selection procedures administered to new applicants. Any participant receiving support under a NASA training grant may not concurrently hold another Federal fellowship or traineeship. (ii) No applicant shall be denied consideration or appointment on the grounds of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability. (iii) Students and faculty receiving direct support under a NASA training grant must be U.S. citizens, except for those supported by the NASA Earth System Science Fellowship Program, the Graduate Student Fellowship in Global Change Research Program, and the GLOBE Program. (iv) Duration of the award is program specific. Refer to program policies and procedures for details. Renewal is contingent upon a successful performance evaluation as prescribed by the program, concurrence by the NASA technical officer, and the availability of funds. (v) No substantial involvement is expected between NASA and the recipient. A student or faculty member receiving support under a NASA training grant does not incur any formal obligation to the Government. (vi) The use of training grant funds to acquire equipment, or to acquire or construct facilities will not be permitted. Government furnished equipment will not be provided. (vii) An Administrative Report must be submitted under the guidelines described by the specific program policies and procedures. (4) Facilities grant. A facilities grant is used to provide for the acquisition, construction, use, maintenance, and disposition of facilities. Facilities, as used in this section, means property used for production, maintenance, research, development, or testing. Prior approval by the Associate Administrator of Procurement is required before proceeding with a facilities grant. To obtain prior approval, a package will be forwarded to the Director, Program Operations Division (HS), during the planning phase of the grant, that includes pertinent background information, details on Congressional Authorization, dollar value, and name of the recipient. Other information, such as a copy of the proposed facility grant award document, is not required. It is unlikely an award will be approved unless specifically authorized by Congress. A review by legal counsel to assure legal sufficiency is also required. (d) Cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement shall be used as the legal instrument reflecting a relationship between NASA and a recipient whenever the principal purpose is the transfer of anything of value to the recipient to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute, and substantial involvement is anticipated between NASA and the recipient during performance of the contemplated activity (31 U.S.C. 6305). Characteristics inherent in a cooperative agreement include those that apply to a grant, plus the following: (1) Substantial NASA involvement in and contribution to the technical aspects of the effort are necessary for its accomplishment. This could involve an active NASA role in collaborative relations, access to a NASA site or equipment, or sharing NASA facilities and personnel. For example, a university investigator could work for a substantial amount of time at a NASA Center, a NASA investigator could work at a university, or when the collaboration is such that a jointly authored report or education curriculum product is appropriate; (2) The project, conducted as proposed, would not be possible without extensive NASA-recipient technical collaboration; (3) The nature of the collaboration shall be clearly defined and specified in the special condition at §1260.51. (e)(1) Grants and cooperative agreements with foreign organizations. Grants and cooperative agreements with foreign organizations provide for research to be performed in whole, or in part, by a foreign organization, with funding being provided by NASA to the foreign organization as reimbursement for the work performed. (2) It is NASA policy that, in general, research with foreign organizations will not be conducted through grants or cooperative agreements, but instead will be accomplished on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. In these cases, NASA enters into agreements undertaking projects of international scientific collaboration. NASA policy on performing research with foreign organizations on a no-exchange-of-funds basis is set forth at NFS 1835.016–70. In rare instances, NASA may enter into an international agreement under which funds will be transferred to a foreign recipient. (3) Grants and cooperative agreements to foreign organizations are made on an exceptional basis only. Awards require the prior approval of the Headquarters Office of External Relations (Code I) and the Headquarters Office of the General Counsel (Code G). Requests to award foreign grants or cooperative agreements are to be coordinated through the Office of Procurement, Program Operations Division (Code HS). Requests for approval shall contain: (i) The identity of the foreign entity, the country or countries involved, and the purpose of the grant or cooperative agreement. (ii) The Space Act Agreement(s) or underlying international agreement involved, if any. (iii) A description of the effort to be undertaken by the entity described in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section, including their dollar value. (iv) The reason why the grant or cooperative agreement requires a placement with a foreign organization. (v) The reason why the work can not be accomplished on a no exchange of funds basis. (4) Grants and cooperative agreements to foreign organizations require a review by the Office of General Counsel. (5) The requirements of this section do not apply to the purchase of supplies or services (excluding research) from non-U.S. sources by U.S. grant or cooperative agreement recipients, when necessary to support research efforts. (f)(1) The decision whether to use a contract, grant or cooperative agreement as an award instrument must be based on the principal purpose of the relationship. When NASA, within its authority, enters into a transaction where the principal purpose is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute, a grant or a cooperative agreement is the appropriate instrument. Conversely, if the principal purpose of a transaction is to accomplish a NASA requirement, i.e., to produce something for NASA's own use, a procurement contract is the appropriate instrument. Two essential questions must be asked to ensure that a grant or cooperative agreement is the appropriate instrument. The first question is: Will NASA be directly harmed in furthering a specific NASA mission requirement if the effort is not accomplished? The answer to this question must be “no.” The second question is: Is the work being performed by the recipient primarily for its own purposes, which NASA is merely supporting with financial or other assistance? The answer to this question must be “yes.” If these criteria are met, then the effort is not a NASA requirement, and can then be considered as to whether it supports or stimulates a public purpose. (2) In applying the principal purpose test, it must be determined whether the Government is the direct beneficiary or user of the activity. If NASA provides the specifications for the project; or is having the project completed based on its own identified needs; or will directly use the report or result of the project for a scheduled NASA mission, then, in most cases, the principal purpose is to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of NASA, and thus, a contractual relationship exists. However, there may be cases where NASA expects to derive some incidental use or benefit from funded activities. In fact, any extramural expenditure that furthers the Agency's goals or mission can be said to be of benefit or use to the Government. But not every expenditure produces for the Government a benefit or use that is direct; i.e., immediate, uninterrupted, or specific. Where an expenditure will produce a benefit or use that is only indirect in nature, a grant or cooperative agreement may be used. (3) The status of the entity involved is not a primary factor in determining the appropriate award instrument. For example, an entity that operates on a non-profit basis may receive funding through a contract, and is not limited to receiving grants or cooperative agreements. Similarly, a profit-making firm may receive funding through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. (4) NASA offices may be mandated through their missions to support specific scientific, educational, or training programs. The office may be accountable to NASA management, the Administration, or Congress for oversight and proper implementation of the program, may require direct oversight, may be directly accountable for the results of the program and that the work be successfully completed. Whenever the office requesting the grant or cooperative agreement would be directly harmed in performing its mission if an award was not made, a grant or cooperative agreement is not appropriate. Specific examples of situations requiring special scrutiny include— (i) Education grants that for the administration of a program for which the education office is directly responsible; (ii) Research or education grants to establish and support university laboratories on a non-competitive basis, with the resulting work of direct benefit to NASA; or (iii) Training grants that hire university students, on a non-competitive basis, to perform work at a NASA Center in direct support of NASA personnel, and perform work which is required in support of a NASA mission. (5) A grant may be used to provide funding to an association to hold a conference (among its members and NASA officials) where the benefits flow primarily to the association and its members, not to NASA. The principal purpose will be to advance research or other purposes of the association. Thus, NASA may not direct an association in arranging the conference or in providing other services for NASA's benefit. The conference should be run by the association, not by NASA. Conferences sponsored or initiated by NASA primarily to meet a specific NASA need or obtain information for the direct benefit of NASA must be supported by means of a contract. (a) Award instruments are classified as follows: (1) Annual grants are grants awarded for a short term (e.g., on an annual basis). (2) Multiple year grants support research projects that may span several years. NASA policy is to make maximum use of multiple year grants. A Multiple Year Grant is generally selected for a period of three years in keeping with NASA's policy calling for research to be peer reviewed at least every three years. Grants with periods of performance in excess of three years may be appropriate when the NASA technical office determines at the inception of the grant that a period of performance in excess of three years is necessary to complete a discrete research effort. However, grants that will exceed $5 million and have a period of performance in excess of 5 years shall require the approval of the Assistant Administrator for Procurement (Code HS) prior to award. Requests for approval shall include a justification for exceeding 5 years and evidence that the extended years can be reasonably estimated. Requests for approval are not required when the 5-year limitation is exceeded due to a no cost extension. (i) If the decision to provide multiple year funding to a research proposal is made, the special condition at §1260.52, Multiple Year Grant or Cooperative Agreement, will be included in the award. (ii) Periods approved under the Multiple Year Grant or Cooperative Agreement special condition at §1260.52, and funded at the levels specified in the special condition, are not considered to be new awards. Therefore, new proposals, new proposal-related certifications (such as Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, and Debarment and Suspension), new technical evaluations, and new budget proposals are not required, as long as this information for the multiple year period was reviewed and approved as part of the original proposal. (iii) If NASA program constraints or developments within the research project dictate a reduction in the funding level specified under a Multiple Year Grant period, research may continue at the reduced level under the terms of the provisions; however, the recipient may rebudget under the grant provisions to keep the project within the funding actually provided. (3) An augmentation to a grant may be issued as a supplement at any time when work is introduced which is outside the scope of the approved proposal or when there is a need for substantial unanticipated funding. The grant officer must first determine whether the augmentation requires a separate approval as a non-competitive addition to the work to be performed under the grant. Augmentations require the submission of revised budget proposals and technical evaluations covering the additional work. Since augmentations will be performed within the existing period of performance, certifications will not normally be required. (4) A grant extension may be placed to extend the grant beyond the expiration date, in accordance with the provision at §1260.23, Extensions, if additional time beyond the established period of performance is required to assure adequate completion of the original scope of work within the available funding. (5) Grant renewals provide for continuation of research beyond the original scope, period of performance and funding levels; therefore, new proposals, certifications and technical evaluations are required prior to the execution of a grant renewal. Grant renewals will be awarded as new grants. Continued performance within a period specified under the Multiple Year Grant provision does not constitute a renewal. For research originally awarded through a competitive NRA, CAN, or other competitive announcement that has completed its period of performance, peer review of a proposal to continue the research should be accomplished prior to selecting the research grant for renewal. If the effort was originally awarded through an unsolicited proposal, a new justification to accept the unsolicited proposal would be required (however, also see §1260.12(f)(1)). Multiple year grant special conditions may be incorporated into renewals. (b) While NASA normally provides full funding support for research grants, alternate methods of grant funding are as follows: (1) Since NASA grant recipients usually gain no measurable commercial or economic benefit from grants, other than conducting research, cost sharing for research grants is not generally required. NASA may, however, accept cost sharing when voluntarily offered. Additionally, in instances when the grant officer determines that the recipient will benefit from the research results through sales to non-Federal entities, cost sharing based upon this mutuality of interest will apply. See §1260.123. When cost sharing is used, the grant officer shall insert a Special Condition substantially as shown in §1260.54, Cost Sharing. (See 14 CFR part 1274 for grants and cooperative agreements with commercial organizations involving cost sharing.) (2) NASA may provide partial support for a research project or conference where additional funding is being provided by other Federal agencies. If the grant also involves cost sharing by the recipient, the grant officer will ensure that the recipient's share does not include any Federal funds. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 14535, Mar. 26, 2003] (a) NASA does not award grants merely to provide donative assistance no matter how worthy the purpose, but to the extent that appropriations are available to carry out authorized Agency programs. Research in any academic discipline related to NASA interests normally will qualify. However, advice of legal counsel should be sought in unusual situations, or when unusual project activities or organizational attributes are evident. (b) It is NASA's policy that non-monetary (zero dollar) grants or cooperative agreements shall not be used, except for no-cost extensions. (c) Loans of Government personal property not associated with a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement under 31 U.S.C. 6301 to 6308, and made under the Space Act of 1958, should be consummated as loan agreements. Also, excess Government research property may be donated to educational institutions and nonprofit organizations pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 3710(I). See §1260.133(a)(2). (d) Neither grants nor cooperative agreements shall be used as legal instruments for consulting service arrangements. (a) A grant shall be brief, containing only those provisions and special conditions necessary to protect the interests of the Government. (b) Cover page formats shown in Exhibit B to subpart A of this Part 1260 shall be used for all NASA grant and cooperative agreement award documents. Provisions for grants with U.S. organizations shall be incorporated by reference, and preprinted checklists may be used (Exhibit C to subpart A of this part 1260). Both special conditions and provisions for grants with foreign organizations will be printed in full text. An acceptance block may be added when the grant officer finds it necessary to require bilateral execution of the grant. Program budgets are not generally attached to the award document. When it is necessary to attach the budget due to revisions to the original proposed budget or other reasons, this information should be suitably marked as confidential, and is not be disclosed outside of the Government without the consent of the grantee. (c) Grants and cooperative agreements will be sequentially numbered. The Identification Numbering System to be used for all types of NASA grants and cooperative agreements will be applied as follows: (1) Agency prefix. NASA's agency prefix shall be represented by the characters “NN”. (2) Center. The Center Identification Number shall conform to NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) 48 CFR 1804.7102(a). (3) Fiscal year. The fiscal year shall be represented as two digits. (4) Action number. The action number shall be identified using a two digit alpha and two digit numerical character from AA01 through ZZ99. (5) Procurement code. Cooperative Agreements will be identified using “A” as the procurement code. Grants (other than training grants) will be identified using “G” as the procurement code. Training Grants will be identified using “H” as the procurement code. (6) As an example of the above set forth methodology, the first two training grants awarded by Glenn Research Center in Fiscal Year 2004 would be NNC04AA01H and NNC04AA02H. (7) The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers does not apply to NASA grants. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 28709, May 27, 2003; 68 FR 54655, Sept. 18, 2003] (a) Copies of grants and supplements will be provided to— (1) Payment offices (original copy); (2) Technical officers; (3) Administrative grant officers when delegated; (4) The NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), Attn: Document Processing Section, 7121 Standard Drive, Hanover, MD 21076; and (5) Other appropriate offices as determined by the grant officer. (b) In addition to receipt of grants and supplements, the administrative grant officer will receive a copy of the approved budget. (c) The file will record the addresses for distribution. (a) Unsolicited proposals are for new and innovative ideas. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 48 CFR Subpart 15.6 and NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) 48 CFR Subpart 1815.6 set out NASA's procedures for their submission and evaluation. Consult “Guidance for the Preparation and Submission of Unsolicited Proposals” (see http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/hq/library/unSol-Prop.php) for additional information. NASA recommends contact with NASA technical personnel before submission of an unsolicited proposal to determine if preparation is warranted. These discussions should be limited to understanding NASA's need for research and do not jeopardize the unsolicited status of any subsequently submitted proposal. (b) NASA will evaluate unsolicited proposals the same whether awarded as grants or contracts. However, the requirement to synopsize set out in FAR Part 5 does not apply to grants. (c) All unsolicited proposals recommended for acceptance as grants shall be supported by a Justification for Acceptance of an Unsolicited Proposal (JAUP) prepared by the cognizant technical office. The JAUP shall be submitted for the approval of the grant officer after review and concurrence at a level above the technical officer. However, review and concurrence are not required for technical officers at a division chief or higher level. The grant officer's signature awarding the grant constitutes approval of the JAUP. (d) If an unsolicited proposal will not be funded, NASA will notify in writing the organization or person that submitted it. The method of notification is at the discretion of the grant officer. Proposals will be returned only when requested. (e) Because unsolicited proposals are awarded without competition, written justifications for equipment and travel shall be submitted by the technical office to the grant officer when more than half of the proposed budget is for equipment, travel, and their associated indirect costs. The grant officer's signature awarding the grant constitutes approval of the justification. [68 FR 35290, June 13, 2003] (a) Research grants, education grants, training grants, and cooperative agreements with U.S. educational institutions and nonprofit organizations shall incorporate by reference the provisions set forth in §§1260.21 through 1260.39. For training grants, the grant officer shall substitute §1260.22, Technical Publications and Reports, with reporting requirements as specified by the program office. (b) Facilities grants provisions will be selected on a case-by-case basis (see §1260.50). (c) Research grants awarded to foreign organizations, when approved by Headquarters, will include the following provisions at a minimum: §§1260.21, 1260.22, 1260.23, 1260.24, 1260.25, 1260.26, 1260.27, 1260.29, 1260.33, 1260.35, 1260.36 and 1260.37. Additional special conditions will be selected on a case by case basis (see §1260.50). All provisions will be provided in full text. Referenced handbooks, statutes, or other regulations, which the recipient may not have access to, must be made available when requested by the foreign organization. (d) The provisions set forth at §§1260.21 through 1260.38 do not apply to awards made under the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). FDP awards are subject to the FDP Phase III General Terms and Conditions and the NASA Agency Specific Requirements Modifications to the General Terms and Conditions (Exhibit D to subpart A of this part 1260). Since these documents are provided directly to the FDP institutions, they are not to be attached to FDP grants. However, the grant officer will include a statement similar to the following on FDP grants: “The Federal Demonstration Partnership General Terms and Conditions and NASA Agency-specific Requirements apply to this award.” (e) Grants or cooperative agreements awarded by NASA to the Commercial Space Centers under the Space Development and Commercial Research (SDCR) Program require special conditions in lieu of those set forth at §§1260.28, Patent Rights, and 1260.30, Rights in Data. SDCR Special Conditions are required to be included in full text for all SDCR Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Exhibit E to subpart A of this part 1260). Changes or additions to these Special Conditions must be approved by the Office of Space Utilization and Product Development before the award of the grant or cooperative agreement. Requests for changes or additions are to be coordinated through the Office of Procurement, Program Operations Division. (f) Grants and cooperative agreements awarded by NASA to commercial organizations where cost sharing is not required shall incorporate the provisions set forth at §§1260.21 through 1260.39, modified as set forth under 1260.4(b). (g) Grants and cooperative agreements not specifically classified elsewhere in this section, but that are awarded for other authorized purposes, shall include provisions selected on a case-by-case basis. (h) Whenever the word “grant” appears in §§1260.21 through 1260.39, it shall be deemed to include, as appropriate, the term “cooperative agreement.” [65 FR 62900, Oct. 2000, as amended at 67 FR 45790, July 10, 2002; 68 FR 28709, May 27, 2003; 71 FR 28774, May 18, 2006]
Compliance With OMB Circular A–110 October 2000 This grant or cooperative agreement is subject to the requirements set forth in OMB Circular A–110, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations. Recipients are required to comply with the requirements of A–110, as adopted by NASA as subpart B of Part 1260 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Specific provisions set forth in this award document are provided to supplement and clarify, not replace, the Circular, except in circumstances where a waiver from Circular requirements has been obtained by NASA. [End of provision]
(This provision describes standard reporting requirements that should be applied in most circumstances. The requirements set forth under this provision may be modified by the grant officer based on specific report needs for the grant or cooperative agreement, provided that reporting requirements do not conflict with §1260.151. Any special reporting requirements (e.g. Payload Safety Data Review) will be set forth as a special condition in the award document.) Technical Publications and Reports December 2003 (a) NASA encourages the widest practicable dissemination of research results at any time during the course of the investigation. (1) All information disseminated as a result of the grant shall contain a statement which acknowledges NASA's support and identifies the grant by number (e.g., “The material is based upon work supported by NASA under award No(s) GRNASM99G000001, etc.”). (2) Except for articles or papers published in scientific, technical, or professional journals, the exposition of results from NASA supported research should also include the following disclaimer: “Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” (3) As a courtesy, any release of a NASA photograph or illustration should list NASA first on the credit line followed by the name of the Principal Investigator's Institution. An example follows: “Photograph <or illustration, figure, etc.> courtesy of NASA <or NASA Center managing the mission or program> and the <Principal Investigator's institution>.” (b) Reports shall be in the English language, informal in nature, and ordinarily not exceed three pages (not counting bibliographies, abstracts, and lists of other media). The recipient shall submit the following reports: (1) A Progress Report for all but the final year of the grant. Each report is due 60 days before the anniversary date of the grant and shall briefly describe what was accomplished during the reporting period as outlined in §1260.151(d). A special condition specifying more frequent reporting may be required. (2) A Summary of Research (or Educational Activity Report in the case of Education Grants) is due within 90 days after the expiration date of the grant, regardless of whether or not support is continued under another grant. This report shall be a comprehensive summary of significant accomplishments during the duration of the grant. (c) Progress Reports, Summaries of Research, and Educational Activity Reports shall include the following on the first page: (1) Title of the grant. (2) Type of report. (3) Name of the principal investigator. (4) Period covered by the report. (5) Name and address of the recipient's institution. (6) Grant number. (d) Progress Reports, Summaries of Research, and Educational Activity Reports shall be distributed as follows: (1) The original report, in both hard copy and electronic format, to the Technical Officer. (2) One copy to the NASA Grant Officer, with a notice to the Administrative Grant Officer, (when administration of the grant has been delegated to ONR), that a report was sent. (e) For Summaries of Research and published reports, one micro-reproducible copy shall also be sent to the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), Attn: Document Processing Section, 7121 Standard Drive, Hanover, MD 21076. [End of provision] [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2001, as amended at 66 FR 54121, Oct. 26, 2001; 68 FR 67364, Dec. 2, 2003]
Extensions October 2000 (a) It is NASA policy to provide maximum possible continuity in funding grant-supported research and educational activities, therefore, grants may be extended for additional periods of time when necessary to complete work that was part of the original award. NASA generally only approves such extensions within funds already made available. Any extension that would require additional funding must be supported by a proposal submitted at least three months in advance of the expiration date of the grant. (b) In accordance with §1260.125(e)(2), Recipients may extend the expiration date of a grant if additional time beyond the established expiration date is required to assure adequate completion of the original scope of work within the funds already made available. For this purpose, the recipient may make a one-time no-cost extension, not to exceed 12 months, prior to the established expiration date. Written notification of such an extension, with the supporting reasons, must be received by the NASA Grant Officer at least ten days prior to the expiration of the award. A copy of the extension must also be forwarded to cognizant Office of Naval Research office. NASA reserves the right to disapprove the extension if the requirements set forth at §1260.125(e)(2) are not met. (c) Requests for approval for all other no-cost extensions must be submitted in writing to the NASA Grant Officer. Copies are to be forwarded to the cognizant Office of Naval Research office. [End of provision]
Termination and Enforcement October 2000 Termination and enforcement conditions of this award are specified in §§1260.160 through 1260.162. [End of provision]
Change in Principal Investigator or Scope October 2000 The following guidance is provided as an amplification to prior approval requirements set forth at §1260.125(c): (a) The Recipient shall obtain the approval of the NASA Grant Officer for a change of the Principal Investigator, or for a significant absence of the Principal Investigator from the project, defined as a three month absence from the program or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project. Significantly reduced availability of the services of the Principal Investigator(s) named in the grant instrument could be grounds for termination, unless alternative arrangements are made and approved in writing by the Grant Officer. (b) Prior written approval is required from NASA if there is to be a significant change in the objective or scope. [End of provision]
Financial Management August 2003 (a) Advance payments through a Letter of Credit will be made by the Financial Management Office of the NASA Center assigned financial cognizance of the grant, using the Department of Health and Human Services' Payment Management System (DHHS/PMS), in accordance with procedures provided to the Recipient. The Recipient shall submit a Federal Cash Transactions Report (SF 272), and, when applicable, a Continuation Sheet (SF 272A) electronically to DHHS/PMS within 15 working days following the end of each Federal Fiscal quarter (i.e., December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30). One Federal Cash Transactions Report shall be submitted for all grants financed under a letter of credit arrangement with each NASA Center. (b) In addition, the Recipient shall submit a final SF 272 in paper form to NASA within 90 calendar days after the expiration date of the grant. The final SF 272 shall pertain only to the completed grant and shall include total disbursements from inception through completion. The report shall be marked “Final”. The final SF 272 shall be submitted to the Financial Management Office, with a copy sent to the NASA Grant Officer. (c) Unless otherwise directed by the Grant Officer, any unexpended balance of funds which remains at the end of any funding period, except the final funding period of the grant, shall be carried over to the next funding period, and may be used to defray costs of any funding period of the grant. This includes allowing the carry over of funds to the second and subsequent years of a multiple year grant. This provision also applies to subcontractors performing substantive work under the grant. For grant renewals, the estimated amount of unexpended funds shall be identified in the grant budget section of the Recipient's renewal proposal. NASA reserves the right to remove unexpended balances from grants when insufficient efforts have been made by the grantee to liquidate funding balances in a timely fashion. [End of provision] [68 FR 50469, Aug. 21, 2003]
Equipment and Other Property February 2004 (a) NASA permits acquisition of special purpose and general purpose equipment specifically required for use exclusively for research activities. (1) Acquisition of special purpose or general purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 (unless a lower threshold has been established by the Recipient) and not included in the approved proposal budget, requires the prior approval of the NASA Grant Officer. Grant awards under the Federal Demonstration Partnership are exempt from this requirement. Requests to the NASA Grant Officer for the acquisition of equipment shall be supported by written documentation setting forth the description, purpose, and acquisition value of the equipment, and including a written certification that the equipment will be used exclusively for research, activities. (A change in the model number of a prior approved piece of equipment does not require resubmission for that item.) (2) Special purpose and general purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 (unless a lower threshold has been established by the Recipient) acquired by the recipient under a grant or cooperative agreement for the purpose of research shall be titled to the Recipient as “exempt” without further obligation to NASA, including reporting of the equipment, in accordance with §1260.133(b). Special purpose or general purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 (unless a lower threshold has been established by the Recipient) acquired by the Recipient under a grant or cooperative agreement for non-research work shall be titled to the Recipient in accordance with §1260.134. (3) Special purpose or general purpose equipment acquired by the Recipient with grant funds, valued under $5,000 (unless a lower threshold is established by the Recipient) are classified as “supplies,” do not require the prior approval of the NASA Grant Officer, shall vest in the Recipient and will be titled to the Recipient in accordance with §1260.135. (4) Grant funds may be expended for the acquisition of land or interests therein or for the acquisition and construction of facilities only under a facilities grant, as defined in §1260.12(c)(4). (b) The Recipient shall submit an annual Inventory Report, to be received no later than October 15 of each year, which lists all reportable (non-exempt equipment and/or Federally owned property) in its custody as of September 30. Negative responses for annual Inventory Reports (when there is no reportable equipment) are not required. A Final Inventory Report of Federally Owned Property, including equipment where title was taken by the Government, will be submitted by the Recipient no later than 60 days after the expiration date of the grant. Negative responses for Final Inventory Reports are required. (1) All reports will include the information listed in paragraph (f)(1) of §1260.134, Equipment. No specific report form or format is required, provided that all necessary information set forth at §1260.134(f)(1) is provided. (2) The original of each report shall be submitted to the Deputy Chief Financial Officer (Finance). Copies shall be furnished to the Center Industrial Property Officer and to ONR. [End of provision] [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 5016, Feb. 3, 2004]
Patent Rights May 2006 As stated at §1260.136, this award is subject to the provisions of 37 CFR 401.3(a) which requires use of the standard clause set out at 37 CFR 401.14 “Patent Rights (Small Business Firms and Nonprofit Organizations)” and the following: (a) Where the term “contract” or “Contractor” is used in the “Patent Rights” clause, the term shall be replaced by the term “grant” or “Recipient,” respectively. (b) In each instance where the term “Federal Agency,” “agency,” or “funding Federal agency” is used in the “Patent Rights” clause, the term shall be replaced by the term “NASA.” (c) The following item is added to the end of paragraph (f) of the “Patent Rights” clause: “(5) The Recipient shall include a list of any Subject Inventions required to be disclosed during the preceding year in the performance report, technical report, or renewal proposal. A complete list (or a negative statement) for the entire award period shall be included in the summary of research.” (d) The term “subcontract” in paragraph (g) of the “Patent Rights” clause shall include purchase orders. (e) The NASA implementing regulation for paragraph (g)(2) of the “Patent Rights” clause is at 48 CFR 1827.304–4(a)(i). (f) The following requirement constitutes paragraph (l) of the “Patent Rights” clause: “(l) Communications. A copy of all submissions or requests required by this clause, plus a copy of any reports, manuscripts, publications or similar material bearing on patent matters, shall be sent to the Center Patent Counsel and the NASA Grant Officer in addition to any other submission requirements in the grant provisions. If any reports contain information describing a “subject invention” for which the recipient has elected or may elect to retain title, NASA will use reasonable efforts to delay public release by NASA or publication by NASA in a NASA technical series until an application filing date has been established, provided that the Recipient identify the information and the “subject invention” to which it relates at the time of submittal. If required by the NASA Grant Officer, the Recipient shall provide the filing date, serial number and title, a copy of the patent application, and a patent number and issue date for any “subject invention” in any country in which the Recipient has applied for patents.” (g) NASA Inventions. NASA will use reasonable efforts to report inventions made by NASA employees as a consequence of, or which bear a direct relation to, the performance of specified NASA activities under this agreement and, upon timely request, will use reasonable efforts to grant the Recipient an exclusive, or partially exclusive, revocable, royalty-bearing license, subject to the retention of a royalty-free right of the Government to practice or have practiced the invention by or on behalf of the Government. (h) In the event NASA contractors are tasked to perform work in support of specified activities under a cooperative agreement and inventions are made by Contractor employees, the Contractor will normally retain title to its employee inventions in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 202, 14 CFR Part 1245, and Executive Order 12591. In the event the Contractor decides not to pursue rights to title in any such invention and NASA obtains title to such inventions, NASA will use reasonable efforts to report such inventions and, upon timely request, will use reasonable efforts to grant the Recipient an exclusive, or partially exclusive, revocable, royalty-bearing license, subject to the retention of a royalty-free right of the Government to practice or have practiced the invention by or on behalf of the Government. [End of provision] [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 70 FR 46079, Aug. 9, 2005; 71 FR 28775, May 18, 2006]
(The grant officer may revise the language under this provision to modify each party's rights based on the particular circumstances of the program and/or the recipient's need to protect specific proprietary information. Any modification to the standard language set forth under the provision requires the concurrence of the Center's Patent Counsel and that the provision be printed in full text.) Rights in Data August 2005 (a) Fully Funded Efforts. (1) “Data” means recorded information, regardless of form, the media on which it may be recorded, or the method of recording, created under the grant or cooperative agreement. The term includes, but is not limited to, data of a scientific or technical nature, and any copyrightable work, including computer software and documentation thereof, in which the recipient asserts copyright, or for which copyright ownership was purchased, under the grant or cooperative agreement. (2) The Recipient grants to the Federal Government, a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to use, reproduce, distribute (including distribution by transmission) to the public, perform publicly, prepare derivative works, and display publicly, data in whole or in part and in any manner for Federal purposes and to have or permit others to do so for Federal purposes only. (3) In order that the Federal Government may exercise its license rights in data, the Federal Government, upon request to the Recipient, shall have the right to review and/or obtain delivery of data resulting from the performance of work under this grant, and authorize others to receive data to use for Federal purposes. (b) Cost Sharing and/or Matching Efforts. When the Recipient cost shares with the Government on the effort, the following paragraph applies: “(1) In the event data first produced by Recipient in carrying out Recipient's responsibilities under an agreement is furnished to NASA, and Recipient considers such data to embody trade secrets or to comprise commercial or financial information which is privileged or confidential, and such data is so identified with a suitable notice or legend, the data will be maintained in confidence and disclosed and used by the Government and its Contractors (under suitable protective conditions) only for experimental, evaluation, research and development purposes, by or on behalf of the Government for an agreed to period of time, and thereafter for Federal purposes as defined in §1260.30(a)(2).” (c) For Cooperative Agreements the following paragraph applies: “(1) As to data first produced by NASA in carrying out NASA's responsibilities under a cooperative agreement and which data would embody trade secrets or would comprise commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential if it has been obtained from the Recipient, such data will be marked with an appropriate legend and maintained in confidence for 5 years (unless a shorter period has been agreed to between the Government and Recipient) after development of the information, with the express understanding that during the aforesaid period such data may be disclosed and used (under suitable protective conditions) by or on behalf of the Government for Government purposes only, and thereafter for any purpose whatsoever without restriction on disclosure and use. Recipient agrees not to disclose such data to any third party without NASA's written approval until the aforementioned restricted period expires.” [End of provision] [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 70 FR 46079, Aug. 9, 2005]
National Security October 2000 Normally, NASA grants do not involve classified information. However, if it is known in advance that a grant involves classified information or if the work on the grant is likely to develop classified information, individuals performing on the grant who will have access to the information must obtain the appropriate security clearance in advance of performing on the grant, in accordance with NASA Policy Guidance (NPG) 1620.1, Security Procedures and Guidelines. When access to classified information is not originally anticipated in the performance of a grant, but such information is subsequently sought or potentially developed by the grant Recipient, the NASA Grant Officer who issued the grant shall be notified immediately, and prior to work under the grant proceeding, to implement the appropriate clearance requirements. [End of provision]
Nondiscrimination April 2004. (a) To the extent provided by law and any applicable agency regulations, this award and any program assisted thereby are subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub. L. 88–352), Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972 (Pub. L. 92–318, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (Pub. L. 94–135), the implementing regulations issued pursuant thereto by NASA, and the assurance of compliance which the recipient has filed with NASA. (b) The Recipient shall obtain from each organization that applies or serves as a subrecipient, Contractor or subcontractor under this award (for other than the provision of commercially available supplies, materials, equipment, or general support services) an assurance of compliance as required by NASA regulations. (c) Work on NASA grants is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub. L. 88–352; 42 U.S.C. 2000d–1), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1680 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), and the NASA implementing regulations (14 CFR parts 1250, 1251, 1252, and 1253). [End of provision] [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 21704, Apr. 22, 2004]
Subcontracts October 2000 (a) Recipients shall notify NASA when a subcontract award will be made that falls within the thresholds established at §1260.144(e). When pre-award review of a subcontract is requested by the NASA Grant Officer in accordance with §1260.144(e), the following specific documents will be made available to the NASA Grant Officer. (The Grant Officer can request additional documents): (1) A copy of the proposed subcontract. (2) The basis for subcontractor selection. (3) Justification for lack of competition when competitive bids or offers are not obtained. (4) The subcontract budget and basis for subcontract cost or price. (b) The Recipient (with the exception of foreign organizations) shall utilize small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, minority educational institutions, and women-owned small business concerns as subcontractors to the maximum extent practicable. [End of provision]
Clean Air and Water October 2000 (Applicable only if the award exceeds $100,000, or a facility to be used has been the subject of a conviction under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 1857c–8(c)(1) or the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1319(c)), and is listed by EPA, or if the award is not otherwise exempt). The Recipient agrees to the following: (a) Comply with applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.). (b) Ensure that no portion of the work under this award will be performed in a facility listed on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List of Violating Facilities on the date that this award was effective unless and until the EPA eliminates the name of such facility or facilities from such listings. (c) Use its best efforts to comply with clean air standards and clean water standards at the facility in which the award is being performed. (d) Insert the substance of the provisions of this clause into any nonexempt subaward or contract under the award. (e) Report violations to NASA or to EPA. [End of provision]
INVESTIGATIVE REQUIREMENTS January 2004 (a) NASA reserves the right to perform security checks and to deny or restrict access to a NASA Center, facility, or computer system, or to NASA technical information, as NASA deems appropriate. To the extent the Recipient needs such access for performance of the work, the Recipient shall ensure that individuals needing such access provide the personal background and biographical information requested by NASA. Individuals failing to provide the requested information may be denied such access. (b) All requests to visit a NASA Center or facility must be submitted in a timely manner in accordance with instructions provided by that Center or facility. [End of provision] [69 FR 3235, Jan. 23, 2004]
Travel and Transportation October 2000 (a) The Fly American Act, 49 U.S.C. 1517, requires the Recipient to use U.S. flag air carriers for international air transportation of personnel and property to the extent that service by those carriers is available. (b) Department of Transportation regulations, 49 CFR Part 173, govern Recipient shipment of hazardous materials and other items. [End of provision]
Safety October 2000 (a) The Recipient shall act responsibly in matters of safety and shall take all reasonable safety measures in performing under this grant or cooperative agreement. The Recipient shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws relating to safety. The Recipient shall maintain a record of, and will notify the NASA Grant Officer immediately (within one workday) of any accident involving death, disabling injury or substantial loss of property in performing this grant or cooperative agreement. The Recipient will immediately (within one workday) advise NASA of hazards that come to its attention as a result of the work performed. (b) Where the work under this grant or cooperative agreement involves flight hardware, the hazardous aspects, if any, of such hardware will be identified, in writing, by the Recipient. Compliance with this provision by subcontractors shall be the responsibility of the Recipient. [End of provision]
Drug-Free Workplace October 2000 (a) Definitions. As used in this provision— Controlled substance means a controlled substance in schedules I through V of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and as further defined in regulation at 21 CFR 1308.11 through 1308.15. Conviction means a finding of guilt (including a plea of nolo contendere) or imposition of sentence, or both, by any judicial body charged with the responsibility to determine violations of the Federal or State criminal drug statutes. Criminal drug statute means a Federal or non-Federal criminal statute involving the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of any controlled substance. Drug-free workplace means the site(s) for the performance of work done by the Recipient in connection with a specific grant or cooperative agreement at which employees of the Recipient are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance. Employee means an employee of a Recipient directly engaged in the performance of work under a Government grant or cooperative agreement. “Directly engaged” is defined to include all direct cost employees and any other Recipient employee who has other than a minimal impact or involvement in performance of the grant or cooperative agreement. Individual means a Proposer/Recipient that has no more than one employee including the Proposer/Recipient. (b) The Recipient, if other than an individual, shall—within 30 days after award (unless a longer period is agreed to in writing), or as soon as possible for grants and cooperative agreements of less than 30 days performance duration— (1) Publish a statement notifying its employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the Recipient's workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition; (2) Establish an ongoing drug-free awareness program to inform such employees about— (i) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace; (ii) The Recipient's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace; (iii) Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs; and (iv) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace; (3) Provide all employees engaged in performance of the grant or cooperative agreement with a copy of the statement required by paragraph (b)(1) of this provision; (4) Notify such employees in writing in the statement required by paragraph (b)(1) of this provision that, as a condition of continued employment on the grant or cooperative agreement, the employee will— (i) Abide by the terms of the statement; and (ii) Notify the employer in writing of the employee's conviction under a criminal drug statute for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than 5 days after such conviction; (5) Notify the Grant Officer in writing within 10 days after receiving notice under paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this provision, from an employee or otherwise receiving actual notice of such conviction. The notice shall include the position title of the employee; (6) Within 30 days after receiving notice under paragraph (b)(4)(ii) of this provision of a conviction, take one of the following actions with respect to any employee who is convicted of a drug abuse violation occurring in the workplace: (i) Taking appropriate personnel action against such employee, up to and including termination; or (ii) Require such employee to satisfactorily participate in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency; and (7) Make a good faith effort to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(6) of this provision. (c) The Recipient, if an individual, agrees by acceptance of the grant or cooperative agreement, not to engage in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance during performance. (d) In addition to other remedies available to the Government, the Recipient's failure to comply with the requirements of paragraph (b) or (c) of this provision may render the Recipient subject to suspension of payments, termination of the grant or cooperative agreement, and suspension or debarment. [End of provision]
Buy American Encouragement May 2003 As stated in Section 319 of Public Law 106–391, the NASA Authorization Act of 2000, Recipients are encouraged to purchase only American-made equipment and products. [End of provision] [67 FR 45790, July 10, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 28709, May 27, 2003]
Investigation of Research Misconduct May 2005 Recipients of this grant or cooperative agreement are subject to the requirements of 14 CFR part 1275, “Investigation of Research Misconduct.” [End of provision] [70 FR 28808, May 19, 2005] (a) In addition to the provisions set forth in 1260.21 through 1260.38, NASA grants and cooperative agreements are subject to special conditions, which either are not applicable to all awards or are temporary in nature. Examples are found in §§1260.51 through 1260.69, but NASA may impose other conditions as discussed in §1260.114 or as the requirements dictate. Deviations are not required for changes made to special conditions. (b) Special conditions will be printed in full text. (c) In facilities grants, special conditions will be selected on a case-by-case basis. As appropriate, the requirements of the following sections will apply: §1260.123(c), Cost Sharing or Matching; §1260.125(h), Revision of Budget and Program Plans; and §1260.132, Real Property. (d) Research grants with foreign organizations will include special conditions at §§1260.59 through 1260.61, modified as necessary, when not covered under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). In addition, other special conditions (e.g., §§1260.62 through 1260.65) will be written with the aid of legal counsel, and added when necessary. (e) Grants and cooperative agreements awarded by NASA to commercial organizations where cost sharing is not required shall incorporate the special conditions prescribed at §1260.4.
Cooperative Agreement Special Condition October 2000 (a) This award is a cooperative agreement as it is anticipated there will be substantial NASA involvement during performance of the effort. NASA and the Recipient mutually agree to the following statement of anticipated cooperative interactions which may occur during the performance of this effort: (Reference the approved proposal that contains a detailed description of the work and insert a concise statement of the exact nature of the cooperative interactions that deals with existing facts and not contingencies.) (b) The terms “grant” and “Recipient” mean “cooperative agreement” and “Recipient of cooperative agreement,” respectively, wherever the terms appear in provisions and special conditions included in this agreement. (c) NASA's ability to participate and perform its collaborative effort under this cooperative agreement is subject to the availability of appropriated funds and nothing in this cooperative agreement commits the United States Congress to appropriate funds therefor.
Multiple Year Grant or Cooperative Agreement October 2000 This is a multiple year grant or cooperative agreement. Contingent on the availability of funds, scientific progress of the project, and continued relevance to NASA programs, NASA anticipates continuing support at approximately the following levels: Second year $___, Anticipated funding date___. Third year $___, Anticipated funding date___. (Periods may be added or omitted, as applicable)
Incremental Funding October 2000 (a) Only $___ of the amount indicated on the face of this award is available for payment and allotted to this award. NASA contemplates making additional allotments of funds during performance of this effort. It is anticipated that these funds will be obligated as appropriated funds become available without any action required by the Recipient. The Recipient will be given written notification by the NASA Grant Officer. (b) The recipient agrees to perform work up to the point at which the total amount paid or payable by the Government approximates but does not exceed the total amount actually allotted to this grant or cooperative agreement. NASA is not obligated to reimburse the Recipient for the expenditure of amounts in excess of the total funds allotted by NASA to this grant or cooperative agreement. The Recipient is not authorized to continue performance beyond the amount allotted to this award.
Cost Sharing October 2000 (a) NASA and the Recipient will share in providing the resources necessary to perform the agreement. NASA funding and non-cash contributions (personnel, equipment, facilities, etc.) and the dollar value of the Recipient's cash and/or non-cash contribution will be on a___ percent NASA; ___ percent Recipient basis. (b) The funding and non-cash contributions by both parties is represented by the following dollar amounts: Government Share ___ Recipient Share ___ Total Amount ___ (c) Criteria and procedures for the allowability and allocability of cash and non-cash contributions shall be governed by §1260.123, Cost Sharing or Matching. The applicable Federal cost principles are cited in §1260.127. (d) The Recipient's share shall not be charged to the Government under this agreement or under any other contract, grant, or cooperative agreement.
Reports Substitution October 2000 Technical Reports may be substituted for the required Performance Reports. The title page of such reports shall clearly indicate that the substitution has been made and will show the period covered by the originally required Performance Report.
Withholding August 2003 If a Recipient fails to comply with the project objectives, the terms and conditions of this award, or reporting requirements under this or previous NASA awards, NASA may withhold advance payments under this award including its augmentations, and may also withhold advance payments under future awards to the Recipient, pending correction of the deficiency by the Recipient. Upon determination that the deficiency has been corrected, the cognizant NASA Financial Management Office shall resume advance payments and release of previously withheld amounts after coordination with the Grant Officer. [68 FR 50469, Aug. 21, 2003]
New Technology October 2000 (a) Definitions. Administrator, as used in this special condition, means the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or duly authorized representative. Grant, as used in this special condition, means any actual or proposed grant, cooperative agreement, understanding, or other arrangement, and includes any assignment, substitution of parties, or subcontract executed or entered into thereunder. Made, as used in this special condition, means conception or first actual reduction to practice; provided, that in the case of a variety of plant, the date of determination (as defined in section 41(d) of the Plant Variety Protection Act, 7 U.S.C. 2401(d)) must also occur during the period of grant performance. Nonprofit organization, as used in this special condition, means a domestic university or other institution of higher education or an organization of the type described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)) and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)), or any domestic nonprofit scientific or educational organization qualified under a State nonprofit organization statute. Practical application, as used in this special condition, means to manufacture, in the case of a composition or product; to practice, in the case of a process or method; or to operate, in case of a machine or system; and, in each case, under such conditions as to establish that the invention is being utilized and that its benefits are, to the extent permitted by law or Government regulations, available to the public on reasonable terms. Reportable item, as used in this special condition, means any invention, discovery, improvement, or innovation of the grantee, whether or not patentable or otherwise protectable under Title 35 of the United States Code, made in the performance of any work under any NASA grant or in the performance of any work that is reimbursable under any provision in any NASA grant providing for reimbursement of costs incurred before the effective date of the grant. Reportable items include, but are not limited to, new processes, machines, manufactures, and compositions of matter, and improvements to, or new applications of, existing processes, machines, manufactures, and compositions of matter. Reportable items also include new computer programs, and improvements to, or new applications of, existing computer programs, whether or not copyrightable or otherwise protectable under Title 17 of the United States Code. Small business firm, as used in this special condition, means a domestic small business concern as defined at 15 U.S.C. 632 and implementing regulations (see 13 CFR section 121.401 et seq.) of the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Subject invention, as used in this special condition, means any reportable item which is or may be patentable or otherwise protectible under Title 35 of the United States Code, or any novel variety of plant that is or may be protectable under the Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.). (b) Allocation of principal rights. (1) Presumption of title. (i) Any reportable item that the Administrator considers to be a subject invention shall be presumed to have been made in the manner specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 305(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2457(a)) (hereinafter called “the Act”), and that presumption shall be conclusive unless at the time of reporting the reportable item the Recipient submits to the Grant Officer a written statement, containing supporting details, demonstrating that the reportable item was not made in the manner specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 305(a) of the Act. (ii) Regardless of whether title to a given subject invention would otherwise be subject to an advance waiver or is the subject of a petition for waiver, the Recipient may nevertheless file the statement described in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this special condition. The Administrator will review the information furnished by the Recipient in any such statement and any other available information relating to the circumstances surrounding the making of the subject invention and will notify the Recipient whether the Administrator has determined that the subject invention was made in the manner specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 305(a) of the Act. (2) Property rights in subject inventions. Each subject invention for which the presumption of paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this special condition is conclusive or for which there has been a determination that it was made in the manner specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 305(a) of the Act shall be the exclusive property of the United States as represented by NASA unless the Administrator waives all or any part of the rights of the United States, as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this special condition. (3) Waiver of rights. (i) Section 305(f) of the Act provides for the promulgation of regulations by which the Administrator may waive the rights of the United States with respect to any invention or class of inventions made or that may be made under conditions specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 305(a) of the Act. The promulgated NASA Patent Waiver Regulations, 14 CFR part 1245, subpart 1, have adopted the Presidential Memorandum on Government Patent Policy of February 18, 1983, as a guide in acting on petitions (requests) for such waiver of rights. (ii) As provided in 14 CFR Part 1245, subpart 1, Recipients may petition, either prior to execution of the grant or within 30 days after execution of the grant, for advance waiver of rights to any or all of the inventions that may be made under a grant. If such a petition is not submitted, or if after submission it is denied, the Recipient (or an employee inventor of the Recipient) may petition for waiver of rights to an identified subject invention within eight months of first disclosure of the invention in accordance with paragraph (e)(2) of this special condition, or within such longer period as may be authorized in accordance with 14 CFR 1245.105. (c) Minimum rights reserved by the Government. (1) With respect to each subject invention for which a waiver of rights is applicable in accordance with 14 CFR part 1245, subpart 1, the Government reserves— (i) An irrevocable, nonexclusive, nontransferable, royalty-free license for the practice of such invention throughout the world by or on behalf of the United States or any foreign government in accordance with any treaty or agreement with the United States; and (ii) Such other rights as stated in 14 CFR 1245.107. (2) Nothing contained in this paragraph (c) shall be considered to grant to the Government any rights with respect to any invention other than a subject invention. (d) Minimum rights to the Recipient. (1) The Recipient is hereby granted a revocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free license in each patent application filed in any country on a subject invention and any resulting patent in which the Government acquires title, unless the Recipient fails to disclose the subject invention within the times specified in paragraph (e)(2) of this special condition. The Recipient's license extends to its domestic subsidiaries and affiliates, if any, within the corporate structure of which the Recipient is a party and includes the right to grant sublicenses of the same scope to the extent the Recipient was legally obligated to do so at the time the grant was awarded. The license is transferable only with the approval of the Administrator except when transferred to the successor of that part of the Recipient's business to which the invention pertains. (2) The Recipient's domestic license may be revoked or modified by the Administrator to the extent necessary to achieve expeditious practical application of the subject invention pursuant to an application for an exclusive license submitted in accordance with 37 CFR part 404, Licensing of Government Owned Inventions. This license will not be revoked in that field of use or the geographical areas in which the Recipient has achieved practical application and continues to make the benefits of the invention reasonably accessible to the public. The license in any foreign country may be revoked or modified at the discretion of the Administrator to the extent the Recipient, its licensees, or its domestic subsidiaries or affiliates have failed to achieve practical application in that foreign country. (3) Before revocation or modification of the license, the Recipient will be provided a written notice of the Administrator's intention to revoke or modify the license, and the Recipient will be allowed 30 days (or such other time as may be authorized by the Administrator for good cause shown by the Recipient) after the notice to show cause why the license should not be revoked or modified. The Recipient has the right to appeal to the Administrator any decision concerning the revocation or modification of its license. (e) Invention identification, disclosures, and reports. (1) The Recipient shall establish and maintain active and effective procedures to assure that reportable items are promptly identified and disclosed to Recipient personnel responsible for the administration of this New Technology special condition within six months of conception and/or first actual reduction to practice, whichever occurs first in the performance of work under this grant. These procedures shall include the maintenance of laboratory notebooks or equivalent records and other records as are reasonably necessary to document the conception and/or the first actual reduction to practice of the reportable items, and records that show that the procedures for identifying and disclosing reportable items are followed. Upon request, the Recipient shall furnish the Grant Officer a description of such procedures for evaluation and for determination as to their effectiveness. (2) The Recipient will disclose each reportable item to the Grant Officer within two months after the inventor discloses it in writing to Recipient personnel responsible for the administration of this New Technology special condition or, if earlier, within six months after the Recipient becomes aware that a reportable item has been made, but in any event for subject inventions before any on sale, public use, or publication of such invention known to the Recipient. The disclosure to the agency shall be in the form of a written report and shall identify the grant under which the reportable item was made and the inventor(s) or innovator(s). It shall be sufficiently complete in technical detail to convey a clear understanding, to the extent known at the time of the disclosure, of the nature, purpose, operation, and physical, chemical, biological, or electrical characteristics of the reportable item. The disclosure shall also identify any publication, on sale, or public use of any subject invention and whether a manuscript describing such invention has been submitted for publication and, if so, whether it has been accepted for publication at the time of disclosure. In addition, after disclosure to the agency, the Recipient will promptly notify the agency of the acceptance of any manuscript describing a subject invention for publication or of any on sale or public use planned by the Recipient for such invention. (3) The Recipient shall furnish the Grant Officer the following: (i) Interim reports every 12 months (or such longer period as may be specified by the Grant Officer) from the date of the grant, listing reportable items during that period, and certifying that all reportable items have been disclosed (or that there are no such inventions) and that the procedures required by paragraph (e)(1) of this special condition have been followed. (ii) A final report, within 3 months after completion of the grant work, listing all reportable items or certifying that there were no such reportable items, and listing all subcontracts at any tier containing a patent rights clause or certifying that there were no such subcontracts. (4) The Recipient agrees, upon written request of the Grant Officer, to furnish additional technical and other information available to the Recipient as is necessary for the preparation of a patent application on a subject invention and for the prosecution of the patent application, and to execute all papers necessary to file patent applications on subject inventions and to establish the Government's rights in the subject inventions. (5) The Recipient agrees, subject to FAR 27.302(j), that the Government may duplicate and disclose subject invention disclosures and all other reports and papers furnished or required to be furnished pursuant to this special condition. (f) Examination of records relating to inventions. (1) The Grant Officer or any authorized representative shall, until 3 years after final payment under this grant, have the right to examine any books (including laboratory notebooks), records, and documents of the Recipient relating to the conception or first actual reduction to practice of inventions in the same field of technology as the work under this grant to determine whether— (i) Any such inventions are subject inventions; (ii) The Recipient has established and maintained the procedures required by paragraph (e)(1) of this special condition; and (iii) The Recipient and its inventors have complied with the procedures. (2) If the Grant Officer learns of an unreported Recipient grantee invention that the Grant Officer believes may be a subject invention, the Recipient may be required to disclose the invention to the agency for a determination of ownership rights. (3) Any examination of records under this paragraph will be subject to appropriate conditions to protect the confidentiality of the information involved. (g) Withholding of payment (this paragraph does not apply to subcontracts). (1) Any time before final payment under this grant, the Grant Officer may, in the Government's interest, withhold payment until a reserve not exceeding $50,000 or 5 percent of the amount of this grant, whichever is less, shall have been set aside if, in the Grant Officer's opinion, the Recipient fails to— (i) Establish, maintain, and follow effective procedures for identifying and disclosing reportable items pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this special condition; (ii) Disclose any reportable items pursuant to paragraph (e)(2) of this special condition; (iii) Deliver acceptable interim reports pursuant to paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this special condition; or (iv) Provide the information regarding subcontracts pursuant to paragraph (h)(4) of this special condition. (2) Such reserve or balance shall be withheld until the Grant Officer has determined that the Recipient has rectified whatever deficiencies exist and has delivered all reports, disclosures, and other information required by the grant. (3) Final payment under the grant shall not be made before the Recipient delivers to the Grant Officer all disclosures of reportable items required by paragraph (e)(2) of this special condition, and an acceptable final report pursuant to paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this special condition. (4) The Grant Officer may decrease or increase the sums withheld up to the maximum authorized in paragraph (g)(1) of this special condition. No amount shall be withheld under this paragraph while the amount specified by this paragraph is being withheld under other provisions of the grant. The withholding of any amount or the subsequent payment thereof shall not be construed as a waiver of any Government rights. (h) Subcontracts. (1) Unless otherwise authorized or directed by the Grant Officer, the Recipient shall— (i) Include the clause at NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) 1852.227–70, New Technology, (suitably modified to identify the parties) in any subcontract hereunder (regardless of tier) with other than a small business firm or nonprofit organization for the performance of experimental, developmental, or research work; and (ii) Include the clause at FAR 52.227–11 (suitably modified to identify the parties) in any subcontract hereunder (regardless of tier) with a small business firm or nonprofit organization for the performance of experimental, developmental, or research work. (2) In the event of a refusal by a prospective subcontractor to accept such a clause the Recipient— (i) Shall promptly submit a written notice to the Grant Officer setting forth the subcontractor's reasons for such refusal and other pertinent information that may expedite disposition of the matter; and (ii) Shall not proceed with such subcontract without the written authorization of the Grant Officer. (3) In the case of subcontracts at any tier, the agency, subcontractor, and Recipient agree that the mutual obligations of the parties created by this special condition constitute a contract between the subcontractor and NASA with respect to those matters covered by this grant. (4) The Recipient shall promptly notify the Grant Officer in writing upon the award of any subcontract at any tier containing a patent rights clause by identifying the subcontractor, the applicable patent rights clause, the work to be performed under the subcontract, and the dates of award and estimated completion. Upon request of the Grant Officer, the Recipient shall furnish a copy of such subcontract, and, no more frequently than annually, a listing of the subcontracts that have been awarded. (5) The subcontractor will retain all rights provided for the Recipient in paragraph (h)(1)(i) or (ii) of this special condition, whichever is included in the subcontract, and the Recipient will not, as part of the consideration for awarding the subcontract, obtain rights in the subcontractor's subject inventions. (i) Preference for United States industry. Unless provided otherwise, no Recipient that receives title to any subject invention and no assignee of any such Recipient shall grant to any person the exclusive right to use or sell any subject invention in the United States unless such person agrees that any products embodying the subject invention will be manufactured substantially in the United States. However, in individual cases, the requirement may be waived by the Administrator upon a showing by the Recipient or assignee that reasonable but unsuccessful efforts have been made to grant licenses on similar terms to potential licensees that would be likely to manufacture substantially in the United States or that under the circumstances domestic manufacture is not commercially feasible.
Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative October 2000 (a) For purposes of administration of the special condition of this grant entitled “New Technology,” the following named representatives are hereby designated by the Grant Officer to administer such special condition: Title, Office Code, Address (including zip code) New Technology Representative Patent Representative (b) Reports of reportable items, and disclosure of subject inventions, interim reports, final reports, utilization reports, and other reports required by the special condition, as well as any correspondence with respect to such matters, should be directed to the New Technology Representative unless transmitted in response to correspondence or request from the Patent Representative. Inquires or requests regarding disposition of rights, election of rights, or related matters should be directed to the Patent Representative. This special condition shall be included in any subcontract hereunder requiring a “New Technology” provision or “Patent Rights—Retention by the Contractor (Short Form)” clause, unless otherwise authorized or directed by the Grant Officer. The respective responsibilities and authorities of the above-named representatives are set forth in 1827.305–370 of the NASA FAR Supplement.
Choice of Law October 2000 The rights and obligations of the parties to the grant (or cooperative agreement) shall be ascertainable by recourse to the laws of the United States of America. However, it is understood that the laws of the Recipient's country will generally apply to recipient activities within that country.
Invention Reporting and Rights October 2000 (a) As used in this provision: (1) The term “invention” means any invention or discovery which is or may be patentable or otherwise protectable under Title 35 of the United States Code, or any novel variety of plant which is or may be protected under the Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.). (2) The term “made” when used in relation to any invention means the conception or first actual reduction to practice of such invention. (b) The Recipient shall report promptly to the grant officer each invention made in the performance of work under this grant. The report of such invention shall— (1) Identify the inventor(s) by full name; and (2) Include such full and complete technical information concerning the invention as is necessary to enable an understanding of the nature and operation thereof. (c) Reporting shall be made on NASA Form 1679 Disclosure of Invention and New Technology (Including Software). (d) The Recipient hereby grants to the Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the full rights, title, and interest in and to each such invention throughout the world.
Public Information October 2000 Information regarding this grant (including a copy of this award document) may be released by the Recipient without restriction. However, technical information relating to work performed under this grant where there was a NASA contribution should be released by the Recipient only after consultation with the NASA Technical Officer.
Allocation of Risk/Liability October 2000 (a) With respect to activities undertaken under this agreement, the Recipient agrees not to make any claim against NASA or the U.S. Government with respect to the injury or death of its employees or its contractors and subcontractor employees, or to the loss of its property or that of its Contractors and subcontractors, whether such injury, death, damage or loss arises through negligence or otherwise, except in the case of willful misconduct. (b) In addition, the Recipient agrees to indemnify and hold the U.S. Government and its Contractors and subcontractors harmless from any third party claim, judgment, or cost arising from the injury to or death of any person, or for damage to or loss of any property, arising as a result of its possession or use of any U.S. Government property.
Payment—To Foreign Organizations (For grants or cooperative agreements with foreign organizations, this clause will be developed on a case-by-case basis.)
Customs Clearance and Visas (For grants or cooperative agreements with foreign organizations, this clause will be developed on a case-by-case basis.)
Taxes (For grants or cooperative agreements with foreign organizations, this clause will be developed on a case-by-case basis.)
Exchange of Technical Data and Goods (For grants or cooperative agreements with foreign organizations, this clause will be developed on a case-by-case basis.)
Listing of Reportable Equipment and Other Property October 2000 (a) Title to federally-owned property provided to the Recipient remains vested in the Federal Government, and shall be managed in accordance with §1260.133. The following items of federally-owned property are being provided to the recipient for use in performance of the work under this grant or cooperative agreement: {List property or state “not applicable.”} (b) The following specific items of equipment acquired by the Recipient have been identified by NASA for transfer of title to the Government when no longer required for performance under this grant or cooperative agreement. This equipment will be managed in accordance with 1260.134, and shall be transferred to NASA or NASA's designee in accordance with the procedures set forth at 1260.134(g): {List property or state “not applicable.”}
Equipment and Other Property Under Grants with Commercial Firms February 2004 (a) This grant permits acquisition of special purpose equipment required for the conduct of research. Acquisition of special purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 and not included in the approved proposal budget requires the prior approval of the Grant Officer unless the item is merely a different model of an item shown in the approved proposal budget. (b) Recipients may not purchase, as a direct cost to the grant, items of general purpose equipment, examples of which include but are not limited to office equipment and furnishings, air conditioning equipment, reproduction and printing equipment, motor vehicles, and automatic data processing equipment. If the Recipient requests an exception, the Recipient shall submit a written request for Grant Officer approval, prior to purchase by the Recipient, stating why the Recipient cannot charge the general purpose equipment to indirect costs. (c) Under no circumstances shall grant funds be used to acquire land or any interest therein, to acquire or construct facilities (as defined in 48 CFR (FAR) 45.301), or to procure passenger carrying vehicles. (d) The Government shall have title to equipment and other personal property acquired with Government funds. Such property shall be disposed of pursuant to 48 CFR (FAR) 45.603. (e) Title to Government furnished equipment (including equipment, title to which has been transferred to the Government prior to completion of the work) will remain with the Government. (f) The Recipient shall establish and maintain property management standards for Government property and otherwise manage such property as set forth in 48 CFR (FAR) 45.5 and 48 CFR (NFS) 1845.5. (g) Recipients shall submit annually a NASA Form 1018, NASA Property in the Custody of Contractors, in accordance with the instructions on the form, the provisions of 48 CFR (NFS) 1845.71 and any supplemental instructions that may be issued by NASA for the current reporting period. The original NF 1018 shall be submitted to the center Deputy Chief Financial Officer (Finance) with three copies sent concurrently to the center Industrial Property Officer. The annual reporting period shall be from October 1 of each year through September 30 of the following year. The report shall be submitted in time to be received by October 15. Negative reports (i.e. no reportable property) are required. The information contained in the reports is entered into the NASA accounting system to reflect current asset values for agency financial statement purposes. Therefore, it is essential that required reports be received no later than October 15. A final report is required within 30 days after expiration of the agreement. (h) The requirements set forth in this special condition supercedes grant provision 1260.27, Equipment and Other Property. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 5016, Feb. 3, 2004]
Invoices and Payments Under Grants With Commercial Firms October 2000 (a) Invoices for payment of actual incurred costs shall be submitted by the Recipient no more frequently than on a___basis. (b) Invoices shall be submitted by the Recipient to the following offices: (1) The original invoice shall be sent directly to the payment office designated on the grant cover page. (2) Copies of the invoice shall be sent to the NASA Technical Officer and NASA Grant Officer. (c) All invoices shall reference the grant number. (d) The final invoice shall be marked “Final” and shall be submitted within 90 days of the expiration of the grant. (e) The requirements set forth in this special condition supercedes grant provision 1260.26, Financial Management.
Electronic Funds Transfer Payment Methods October 2000 (a) Payments under this grant will be made by the Government by electronic funds transfer through the Treasury Fedline Payment System (FEDLINE) or the Automated Clearing House (ACH), at the option of the Government. After award, but no later than 14 days before an invoice is submitted, the Recipient shall designate a financial institution for receipt of electronic funds transfer payments, and shall submit this designation to the Grant Officer or other Government official, as directed. (b) For payment through FEDLINE, the Recipient shall provide the following information: (1) Name, address, and telegraphic abbreviation of the financial institution receiving payment. (2) The American Bankers Association 9-digit identifying number for wire transfers of the financing institution receiving payment if the institution has access to the Federal Reserve Communication System. (3) Payee's account number at the financial institution where funds are to be transferred. (4) If the financial institution does not have access to the Federal Reserve Communications System, name, address, and telegraphic abbreviation of the correspondent financial institution through which the financial institution receiving payment obtains wire transfer activity. Provide the telegraphic abbreviation and American Bankers Association identifying number for the correspondent institution. (c) For payment through ACH, the Recipient shall provide the following information: (1) Routing transit number of the financial institution receiving payment (same as American Bankers Association identifying number used for FEDLINE). (2) Number of account to which funds are to be deposited. (3) Type of depositor account (“C” for checking, “S” for savings). (4) If the Recipient is a new enrollee to the ACH system, a “Payment Information Form,” SF 3881, must be completed before payment can be processed. (d) In the event the Recipient, during the performance of this grant, elects to designate a different financial institution for the receipt of any payment made using electronic funds transfer procedures, notification of such change and the required information specified above must be received by the appropriate Government official 30 days prior to the date such change is to become effective. (e) The documents furnishing the information required in this clause must be dated and contain the signature, title, and telephone number of the Recipient official authorized to provide it, as well as the Recipient's name and contract number. (f) Failure to properly designate a financial institution or to provide appropriate payee bank account information may delay payments of amounts otherwise properly due. (g) The requirements set forth in this special condition supercedes grant provision 1260.26, Financial Management. (a) In most cases, property administration of NASA grants and cooperative agreements will be delegated to the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Other administration duties may be assigned as listed on NF 1674. Exceptions to this policy are: (1) Training grants will not be delegated. (2) Grants of short duration (9 months or less) or low dollar value ($50k or less) will normally not be delegated. (3) Grant officers may waive specific administration requirements (as listed on NF 1674) in exceptional circumstances for individual grants. Exceptions to administration duties that are normally delegated must be justified and approved in writing by the Grant Officer, and made part of the file. (4) Waiver of delegation of property administration duties that are to be instituted by a center as a standard practice constitutes a deviation to this handbook, and requires approval in accordance with §1260.7. (b) Grant and cooperative agreement administration delegations will be made by use of NF 1674 (Exhibit F to subpart A of this part 1260). When administration duties have been assigned to ONR, the NF 1674, the award document, and the approved budget will be sent to ONR in a single package (electronically, when possible). (c) Upon acceptance of a delegation, ONR agrees to the following: (1) On a monthly basis, ONR will provide each center a Report of Accepted Delegations listing each grant or cooperative agreement accepted for administration, with pertinent information including the ONR point of contacts name, phone number, and e-mail address. (2) On a monthly basis, ONR will electronically send to each Center Commercial Technology Office a listing of New Technology Reports it has received. (3) On a quarterly basis, ONR will provide the cognizant grant officers a “List of Delinquent Recipients” that failed to provide timely interim or final reports. (4) Property administration should always be delegated, even if it is not anticipated that property will be provided by the government or acquired by the recipient. ONR shall follow DoD property administration policies and procedures, plus the following NASA requirements: (i) The recipient shall maintain property records and manage nonexpendable personal property in accordance with 14 CFR 1260.134. During Property Control System Analyses (PCSA), ONR will check the recipient's understanding and test compliance of property management requirements, including the accuracy of recipient property reports. ONR will provide one copy of each PCSA Report to the appropriate NASA center industrial property officer. (ii) ONR will investigate and notify NASA as appropriate for any unauthorized property acquisitions by the recipient. See the provision at §1260.27. (iii) ONR will notify the cognizant grant officer and industrial policy officer when property is lost, damaged or destroyed. (iv) Under no circumstances will Government property be disposed without instructions from NASA. (v) Prior to disposition, except when returned to NASA or reutilized on other NASA programs, ONR will ensure all NASA identifications are removed or obliterated from property, and hard drives of computers are cleared of sensitive or NASA owned/licensed software/data. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 30544, May 7, 2002] (a) A NASA grant officer can unilaterally make minor or administrative changes to a grant; e.g., Reports Substitution (§1260.55) and Withholding (§1260.56). (b) To ensure timely completion and closeout of grants, renewal proposals to continue the same effort at the same institution that are accepted for award by NASA will be awarded as new grants versus continuation of the existing grant. (1) When work under a grant is to be continued through an extension, or through a renewal of the work under a new grant, the continuation effort should be instituted concurrent with the original expiration date. When possible, the period of performance should be continuous with the prior grant period of performance. The extension or a renewal of a grant (see §1260.13(a)) beyond the original expiration date is a unilateral decision by NASA based upon availability of funds, continued research relevance, and progress made by the recipient. (2) To insure uninterrupted programs, the technical office should forward to the grant office a completed award package, including a funded procurement request, technical evaluation of the proposed budget, and other support documentation, at least 29 days before the expiration of the funded period. (c) Requests by the recipient to have a grant modified must be in writing to the grant officer. Prior approvals and changes are detailed in §1260.125. (d) A no-cost extension can be issued by the recipient as detailed in paragraph (b) of the provision at §1260.23, Extensions, and §1260.125(e). NASA reserves the right to disapprove the extension request if the requirements set forth at §1260.125(e)(2) are not met, including if the extension request is not received ten days prior to the grant expiration date. (e) When two or more actions are completed on a single supplement, the supplement will reflect the effective date of the earliest action. (a) Although NASA assumes no responsibility for budget overruns, the recipient may spend grant funds without strict adherence to individual allocations within the proposed budgets, except that recipients must comply with prior approval requirements for property and subcontracts as provided in §§1260.27 and 1260.33. (b) The revision of budgets and program plans are covered in §1260.125. (a) When the principal investigator changes organizational affiliation and desires support for the research at a new location, (i.e., for the grant to be transferred), the grant officer should first consult with the institution that originally received the grant to ascertain whether an acceptable replacement principal investigator can be substituted to complete the research effort. The final decision on whether an acceptable replacement is available, or that the research effort should follow the original principal investigator to the new location, is at the discretion of the NASA technical Officer. If the decision is made to transfer the grant, the grant at the original institution must be terminated, and a new proposal must be submitted to NASA via the appropriate officials of the new institution. Although such a proposal will be reviewed in the normal manner, every effort will be made to expedite a decision. Regardless of the action taken on the new proposal, final reports on the original grant, describing the scientific progress and expenditure to date, will be required. (b) Novation and change of name agreements are administrative actions requiring the involvement of the grant officer. Novations are legal instruments under which obligations of an organization, (including the performance of grants), are assumed by a new organization arising out of a transfer of assets, usually as a result of a merger or acquisition by the new organization. Change of name agreements are legal instruments executed by an organization and NASA that recognizes the legal change of name of the organization without disturbing the original rights or obligations of the parties. Procedures for completing novation and change of name agreements are set forth at FAR subpart 42.12. All novation agreements and change of name agreements of the recipient, prior to execution, shall be reviewed by legal counsel for legal sufficiency. It is recommended that the cognizant ONR office be contacted to determine responsibilities to complete novation or change of name agreements. (a) Approval for acquisition of property shall conform to the following procedures: (1) Providing existing government equipment or property, or allowing acquisition of property by a grant recipient, should only be allowed in situations where the recipient justifies the need for the property and cannot carry out the effort with existing property already in the possession of the recipient. (2) In accordance with OMB Circulars A–21 and A–122, prior approval of property acquisitions is required for special purpose equipment with a unit cost over $5,000, general purpose equipment with a unit cost over $5,000, (unless a lower threshold has been established by the recipient), or coherent systems (as defined in §1260.74(e)) with a value of over $5,000. Grant awards under the Federal Demonstration Partnership are exempt from this requirement. The NASA grant officer will retain authority for approving the expenditure of grant funds for the acquisition of such equipment. Requests by grant recipients for the acquisition of equipment shall be supported by written documentation setting forth the description, purpose, and acquisition value of the equipment, and include a written certification that the equipment will be used exclusively for research. (A change in the model number of a prior approved piece of equipment does not require re-submission for that item.) NASA grant officers shall not approve the expenditure of grant funds for the acquisition of equipment unless the recipient's justification for the equipment demonstrates that the equipment will be used exclusively for research activities. (b) Vesting of title to property acquired by the recipient shall conform to the following procedures: (1) For awards to educational institutions and non-profit organizations, special purpose and general purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 (unless a lower threshold has been established by the recipient) acquired by the recipient under a grant or cooperative agreement for the purpose of research shall be titled to the recipient as “exempt” equipment as set forth at §1260.133(b). The recipient shall have no further obligation or accountability to the Federal Government for the use or disposition of “exempt” property, including reporting requirements. Special purpose and general purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 (unless a lower threshold has been established by the recipient) acquired by the recipient under a grant or cooperative agreement for non-research work shall be titled to the recipient in accordance with §1260.134. (2) For awards to commercial organizations, the following property procedures will apply: (i) Acquisition of special purpose equipment costing in excess of $5,000 and not included in the approved proposal budget requires the prior approval of the grant officer unless the item is merely a different model of an item shown in the approved proposal budget. (ii) Recipients may not purchase, as a direct cost to the grant, items of general purpose equipment, examples of which include but are not limited to office equipment and furnishings, air conditioning equipment, reproduction and printing equipment, motor vehicles, and automatic data processing equipment. If the recipient requests an exception, the recipient shall submit a written request for grant officer approval, prior to purchase by the recipient, stating why the recipient cannot charge the general purpose equipment to indirect costs. (iii) Under no circumstances shall grant funds be used to acquire land or any interest therein, to acquire or construct facilities (as defined in 48 CFR (FAR) 45.301), or to procure passenger carrying vehicles. (iv) The Government shall have title to equipment and other personal property acquired with Government funds. Such property shall be disposed of pursuant to 48 CFR (FAR) 45.603. (v) Title to Government furnished equipment (including equipment, title to which has been transferred to the Government prior to completion of the work) will remain with the Government. (vi) The Recipient shall establish and maintain property management standards for Government property and otherwise manage such property as set forth in 48 CFR (FAR) 45.5 and 48 CFR (NFS) 1845.5. (vii) Recipients shall submit annually a NASA Form 1018, NASA Property in the Custody of Contractors, in accordance with the instructions on the form, the provisions of 48 CFR (NFS) 1845.71 and any supplemental instructions that may be issued by NASA for the current reporting period. The original NF 1018 shall be submitted to the center Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Finance, with three copies sent concurrently to the center industrial property officer. The annual reporting period shall be from October 1 of each year through September 30 of the following year. The report shall be submitted in time to be received by October 15. Negative reports (i.e. no reportable property) are required. The information contained in the reports is entered into the NASA accounting system to reflect current asset values for agency financial statement purposes. Therefore, it is essential that required reports be received no later than October 15. A final report is required within 30 days after expiration of the agreement. (c) Equipment with a unit price of $5,000 or less (unless a lower threshold has been established by the recipient) is properly classified as “supplies,” is not subject to transfer to the Agency, and will be titled to the recipient in accordance with §1260.135. (d) Title to Federally-owned property remains with the Government, and is subject to the following additional requirements: (1) In accordance with Public Law 94–519, NASA will not acquire property from other agencies for use on NASA grants. (2) Government property provided to a grant recipient for use under a grant will be identified through inclusion of the special condition at §1260.66, Listing of Reportable Equipment and Other Property. (3) When Federally-owned property is reported excess by a recipient, the administrative grant officer will report the equipment to the center industrial property officer, who will consult with the technical officer concerning property disposition. (4) NASA policy encourages the donation of existing, excess NASA property to nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is the conduct of scientific research. (e) When two or more components are fabricated into a single coherent system in such a way that the components lose their separate identities, and their separation would render the system useless for its original purpose, the components will be considered as integral parts of a single system. If such a system includes recipient-owned components, the property will be considered to be exempt. The requirement for agreement regarding NASA's retention of its option to take title shall further apply where it is expected that one or more recipient-acquired components costing $5,000 or less will be fabricated into a single coherent system costing in excess of $5,000. However, an item that is used ancillary to a system, without loss of its separate identity and usefulness, will be considered as a separate item and not as an integral component of the system. (f) Property administration and plant clearance for all grants and cooperative agreements will be delegated to the appropriate ONR office. (g) NASA grant officers will provide copies of property related grant documentation to the center industrial property officer and to the Office of Naval Research (at time of award or modification) when the NASA program office elects to retain title to an existing item of Government property, to furnish the property to the recipient in lieu of donation, or to take title to property acquired by the recipient. When NASA acquires title to items of recipient acquired equipment or when NASA transfers an item of Government property to a recipient as Federally owned property, the NASA grant officer shall notify the cognizant NASA center financial management officer, the industrial property officer and Office of Naval Research to ensure proper entries in financial and property accounting records. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 41936, July 13, 2004] (a) Report responsibilities of the grant officer are set forth as follows: (1) The grant officer is responsible for submitting the Individual Procurement Action Report (NF 507) for all grant and cooperative agreement actions. (2) The Committee on Academic Science and Engineering (CASE) Report (NF 1356), for grants and cooperative agreements awarded to educational institutions, is submitted by the program office with the basic award procurement request and completed by the grant officer. The grant officer should initiate an amendment to the NF 1356 whenever the principal investigator or the technical officer changes. (b) Intermediate report responsibilities of the recipient are as follows: (1) The Federal Cash Transactions Report (SF 272) shall be submitted by the recipient, in accordance with §1260.26, as a condition of receiving advance payments. Instructions and answers to payment questions will be provided by the NASA Financial Management Office of the Center that has been assigned financial cognizance of the grant. (See §1260.152.) (2) The annual Inventory Report of Federally Owned Property in Custody of the Recipient will be submitted by the recipient as required by §1260.27(e). The listing shall include information specified in §1260.134(f) together with beginning and ending dollar value totals for the reporting period. Negative reports (i.e., where no property has been acquired or provided, or where all acquired property has been titled to the recipient as exempt) are not required. Please note that any property acquired by the recipient and not titled to the recipient as exempt, must be reported, even when titled to the recipient as non-exempt property in accordance with the procedures set forth at §1260.134. (3) A Progress Report shall be submitted in accordance with §§1260.22 and 1260.151. Recipients are not required to submit more than the original and two copies. At the request of the technical officer, technical reports can be submitted as new findings are made rather than on a predetermined time schedule, by use of the special condition at §1260.55, entitled “Reports Substitution.” (4) An Educational Activity Report is required annually for education grants in accordance with §1260.22. The report is due 60 days prior to the anniversary date of the grant or cooperative agreement. (5) A Disclosure of Subject Invention or a Disclosure of Reportable Item is required, as applicable, in accordance with §1260.28 for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants) with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and small businesses, and §1260.57 for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants) with large businesses, respectively. The reporting of a subject invention under §1260.28 shall be made within two months after the inventor discloses it to the recipient. The reporting of a reportable item under §1260.57 shall be made within two months after the inventor discloses it to the recipient or, if earlier, within six months after the recipient becomes aware that a reportable item has been made. Disclosures of subject inventions and reportable items will be reported using either the electronic or paper version of NASA Form 1679, “Disclosure of Invention and New Technology (Including Software)”. Electronic disclosures may be submitted at the electronic New Technology Reporting web site (eNTRe) at: http://invention.nasa.gov. (6) An Election of Title to a Subject Invention is required for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants), as applicable, in accordance with §1260.28. The notice is due within two years of disclosure of a subject invention being elected, except in any case where publication, on sale or public use of the subject invention being elected has initiated the one year statutory period wherein valid patent protection can still be obtained in the United Stated, notice is due at least 60 days prior to the end of the statutory period. (7) An Interim Summary Report listing all subject inventions or reportable items required to be disclosed during the preceding year is required for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants), in accordance with §1260.28 or §1260.57, respectively. The listing is due annually. Interim Summary Reports may be submitted electronically on the electronic New Technology Reporting web site (eNTRe) at: http://invention.nasa.gov. (8) A Notification of Decision to Forego Patent Protection is required for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants), as applicable, in accordance with §1260.28. The notification is due not less than thirty days before the expiration of the response period required by the relevant patent office. (9) A Utilization of Subject Invention Report is required for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants) where the recipient has elected title to a subject invention in accordance with §1260.28. The report is due annually from the election date. (10) An Annual NASA Form 1018, NASA Property in the Custody of Contractors, is required for all grants and cooperative agreements with commercial organizations. The reports are due October 31st of each year. Negative reports (i.e. no reportable property) are required. (c) Final report responsibilities of the recipient are as follows: (1) A Final Summary Report listing all subject inventions or reportable items, or certifying that there are none, is required for all grants and cooperative agreements (except Education and Training Grants), in accordance with §1260.28 or §1260.57, respectively. The report is due within 90 days after the expiration of the grant or cooperative agreement. The Final Summary Report may be submitted electronically on the electronic New Technology Reporting web site (eNTRe) at: http://invention.nasa.gov. (2) A Final Federal Cash Transactions Report, SF 272, is required from the recipient for each grant, in accordance with §§1260.26 and 1260.152. The report is due within 90 calendar days after the expiration date of the grant or cooperative agreement. (3) A Summary of Research is required for all research grants in accordance with §1260.22. Citation of publications resulting from research, or abstracts thereof, may serve as all or part of the Summary of Research. The Summary of Research shall also include a complete list of all subject inventions (or negative statement) required to be disclosed that resulted from the work (see the provision at §1260.28). (4) A Final Inventory Report of Federally Owned Property, including equipment where title was taken by the Government, is required for all grants and cooperative agreements, where property or equipment has been provided by the government or acquired by the recipient, §1260.27. The report is due within 60 days after the expiration of the grant or cooperative agreement. Negative reports (i.e., where no property has been acquired or provided) are required. (5) A Final Educational Activity Report is required for all education grants or cooperative agreements. The report is due within 90 days after the expiration of the grant or cooperative agreement. (6) A Faculty Advisor Survey is required for all training grants. The report is due from the student's faculty advisor within 60 days after the expiration of the training grant. (7) A Summary of Research is required for all training grants. The report is due from the student within 90 days after the expiration of the training grant. (8) An Administrative Report is required for all training grants. The report is due within 90 days after the expiration of the training grant. (9) A Student Evaluation Form is required for all training grants. The form is due from the student within 90 days after the expiration of the training grant. (10) A Final NASA Form 1018, NASA Property in the Custody of Contractors, is required for all grants and cooperative agreements with commercial organizations. The report is due within 30 days after the expiration of the grant or cooperative agreement. (d) To clarify report requirements to grant and cooperative agreement recipients, the grant officer will include the “Required Publications and Reports” form (Exhibit G to subpart A of this part 1260) as part of the award document. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 50469, Aug. 21, 2003; 69 FR 41936, July 13, 2004; 70 FR 46079, Aug. 9, 2005] (a) Suspension or termination of a grant prior to the planned expiration date must be reserved for exceptional situations that cannot be handled any other way (see §1260.160). (b) The Director, Program Operations Division (Code HS), shall provide to the General Services Administration information concerning all NASA debarments, suspensions, determinations of ineligibility, and voluntary exclusions of persons in accordance with 14 CFR 1265.505. (c) Remedies for Noncompliance are delineated in §1260.162. (d) Failure of the recipient to provide a required report can result in the Agency and the public being denied information about grant activities, NASA officials having less information for making decisions, grant closeout being delayed, and confidence being undermined as to whether the recipient will meet the requirements under other grants. Because NASA grants provide for advance payments, a recipient could be fully paid before final reports are due. At this point, it is too late to withhold payment on the existing grant. Consistent with §§1260.122(h) and 1260.162(a), NASA may suspend or terminate advance payments from recipients that fail to comply with reporting requirements. (e) To remedy failure to furnish timely reports, special condition at §1260.56, Withholding, should be used when awarding a new grant or modifying an existing grant with non-responsive organizations. Special condition at §1260.56 allows NASA to suspend or terminate advance payments under an institution's letter of credit pending receipt of the satisfactorily completed reports required in §1260.75. (f) The NASA Financial Management Office, notifying the Grant Officer, shall take action to either suspend or terminate a recipient's advance payments when— (1) A recipient organization is unwilling or unable to establish a financial management system that meets the requirements of advance payments as evidenced by an audit report or failure to comply with the NASA requirements; (2) A recipient organization is unwilling or unable to report, on an accurate and timely basis, cash disbursements or cash balances as required by NASA. Advance payments shall be temporarily suspended when two (2) successive quarterly reports are late or when two (2) reports are late in a fiscal year; or (3) A recipient organization has demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to establish procedures that will minimize time elapsing between drawdowns and related disbursements. (g) In addition to the situations delineated in paragraph (f) of this section, the NASA Grant Officer may direct the NASA Financial Management Office to either suspend or terminate a recipient's advance payments under circumstances where a recipient has otherwise failed to comply with the project objectives, the terms and conditions of the award, or NASA reporting requirements. (h) The Financial Management Office (for the cases set forth in paragraph (f) of this section) or the Grant Officer (for all other cases) may resume advance payments and may release any previously withheld amounts when the recipient has taken corrective action that makes suspension or withholding no longer necessary. To release for payment amounts they have previously withheld, grant officers shall send a memorandum to the Financial Management Office. The Financial Management Office shall likewise coordinate any release of withheld payments with the grant officer. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 50469, Aug. 21, 2003] Closeout is the process by which NASA determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work under the instrument have been completed by both the recipient and NASA and no further activity is expected (see §1260.171). (a) Closeout will begin within 90 days after the expiration date of the grant. NASA's goal for closeout to be completed is within 180 days after the expiration of the grant. (b) Those who are designated to receive NASA reports (except for CASI, which only acknowledges receipt) must provide certification to the NASA grant officer that the reports have been received and satisfactorily completed. Electronic certifications are acceptable. See §§1260.75 and 1260.171(a). The property certification should indicate that disposal of any remaining Government property has been made as directed and that NASA has been compensated for any residual inventory. (c) When ONR has been delegated grant and cooperative agreement administration duties as listed on the NF 1674, and has completed its actions, the NASA grant officer is to receive from ONR all of the following: (1) For notification of the completion of property administration duties, a DD Form 1593 Contract Administration Completion Record (or equivalent electronic notification), without supporting or backup documents, indicating property administration is complete. (2) For other administration duties, an electronic notification confirming that all assigned administration duties have been completed is sufficient. Although a DD Form 1594 is not required, ONR may use this form if they choose. (d) A grant is administratively complete and ready for closeout by NASA when: (1) Property disposition has been completed. (2) The grant officer has obtained from the NASA technical officer certifications that all reports have been received. (3) When administration duties have been delegated to ONR, an electronic notification confirming the completion of all assigned administration duties has been received. Although not required, a DD Form 1594 may be used by ONR in lieu of the electronic notification. (4) Payments have been made for allowable reimbursable costs, and refunds have been received for any balance of unobligated cash advanced that is not authorized to be retained for use on other grants (see §§1260.171 through 1260.173). (e) Grants will not be closed out if litigation or an appeal is pending, or when termination action has not been completed. (f) Records will be retained in accordance with §1260.153 and NPG 1441.1, Record Retention Schedules. As set forth in the NPG, grant files are generally retired to the Federal Records Center 2 years after completion of the grant or agreement, and destroyed when 6 years, 3 months old. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 30545, May 7, 2002] Exhibit A—Budget Summary Exhibit B—Standard Grant and Cooperative Agreement Cover Page Exhibit C—Provisions Exhibit D—Federal Demonstration Partnership Terms and Conditions Exhibit E—Special Conditions for Cooperative Agreements between NASA and the Commercial Space Centers Exhibit F—NASA 1674 Letter of Delegation for the Administration of Grants and Cooperative Agreements Exhibit G—Required Publications and Reports Note: Exhibits are available at NASA Headquarters, Code HC, Washington, D.C. 20546. This subpart implements OMB Circular No. A–110 and establishes uniform administrative requirements for NASA grants and agreements awarded to institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations. NASA shall not impose additional or inconsistent requirements, except as provided in §§1260.104 and 1260.114 or unless specifically required by Federal statute or executive order. Non-profit organizations that implement Federal programs for the States are also subject to State requirements. Accrued expenditures means the charges incurred by the recipient during a given period requiring the provision of funds for: (1) Goods and other tangible property received; (2) Services performed by employees, contractors, subcontractors, and other payees; and (3) Other amounts becoming owed under programs for which no current services or performance is required. Accrued income means the sum of: (1) Earnings during a given period from services performed by the recipient, and goods and other tangible property delivered to purchasers; and (2) Amounts becoming owed to the recipient for which no current services or performance is required by the recipient. Acquisition cost of equipment means the net invoice price of the equipment, including the cost of modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make the property usable for the purpose for which it was acquired. Other charges, such as the cost of installation, transportation, taxes, duty or protective in-transit insurance, shall be included or excluded from the unit acquisition cost in accordance with the recipient's regular accounting practices. Advance means a payment made by Treasury check or other appropriate payment mechanism to a recipient upon its request either before outlays are made by the recipient or through the use of predetermined payment schedules. Award means a grant or cooperative agreement that provides support or stimulation to accomplish a public purpose. Awards include research grants, training grants, facilities grants, educational grants, and cooperative agreements in the form of money or property in lieu of money, by NASA to an eligible recipient. The term does not include: Technical assistance, which provides services instead of money; other assistance in the form of loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, or insurance; direct payments of any kind to individuals; and, contracts which are required to be entered into and administered under procurement laws and regulations. Cash contributions means the recipient's cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the recipient by third parties. Closeout means the process by which NASA determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the award have been completed by the recipient and NASA. Contract means a procurement contract under an award, and a procurement subcontract under a recipient's contract. Cost sharing or matching means that portion of project or program costs not borne by NASA. Date of completion means the date on which all work under an award is completed or the date on the award document, or any supplement or amendment thereto, on which NASA sponsorship ends. Disallowed costs means those charges to an award that NASA determines to be unallowable, in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles or other terms and conditions contained in the award. Equipment means tangible nonexpendable personal property including exempt property charged directly to the award having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. However, consistent with recipient policy, lower limits may be established. Excess property means property under the control of any Federal awarding agency that, as determined by the head thereof, is no longer required for its needs or the discharge of its responsibilities. Exempt property means tangible personal property acquired in whole or in part with Federal funds, where a Federal awarding agency has statutory authority to vest title in the recipient without further obligation to the Federal Government. An example of exempt property authority is contained in the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act (31 U.S.C. 6306) for property acquired under an award to conduct basic or applied research by a non-profit institution of higher education or non-profit organization whose principal purpose is conducting scientific research. Federal funds authorized means the total amount of Federal funds obligated by the Federal Government for use by the recipient. This amount may include any authorized carryover of unobligated funds from prior funding periods when permitted by agency regulations or agency implementing instructions. Federal share of real property, equipment, or supplies means that percentage of the property's acquisition costs and any improvement expenditures paid with Federal funds. Funding period means the period of time when NASA funding is available for obligation by the recipient. Intangible property and debt instruments means, but is not limited to, trademarks, copyrights, patents and patent applications and such property as loans, notes and other debt instruments, lease agreements, stock and other instruments of property ownership, whether considered tangible or intangible. NASA means the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), including its authorized representatives. Obligations mean the amounts of orders placed, contracts and grants awarded, services received and similar transactions during a given period that require payment by the recipient during the same or a future period. Outlays or expenditures means charges made to the project or program. They may be reported on a cash or accrual basis. For reports prepared on a cash basis, outlays are the sum of cash disbursements for direct charges for goods and services, the amount of indirect expense charged, the value of third party in-kind contributions applied and the amount of cash advances and payments made to subcontractors. For reports prepared on an accrual basis, outlays are the sum of cash disbursements for direct charges for goods and services, the amount of indirect expense incurred, the value of in-kind contributions applied, and the net increase (or decrease) in the amounts owed by the recipient for goods and other property received, for services performed by employees, contractors, subcontractors and other payees and other amounts becoming owed under programs for which no current services or performance are required. Personal property means property of any kind except real property. It may be tangible, having physical existence, or intangible, having no physical existence, such as copyrights, patents, or securities. Prior approval means written approval by an authorized official evidencing prior consent. Program income means gross income earned by the recipient that is directly generated by a supported activity or earned as a result of the award (see exclusions in §1260.124(c) and (f)). Program income includes, but is not limited to, income from fees for services performed, the use or rental of real or personal property acquired under federally-funded projects, the sale of commodities or items fabricated under an award, license fees and royalties on patents and copyrights, and interest on loans made with award funds. Interest earned on advances of NASA funds is not program income. Except as otherwise provided in the regulations in this subpart or the terms and conditions of the award, program income does not include the receipt of principal on loans, rebates, credits, discounts, etc., or interest earned on any of them. Project costs means all allowable costs, as set forth in the applicable Federal cost principles, incurred by a recipient and the value of the contributions made by third parties in accomplishing the objectives of the award during the project period. Project period means the period established in the award document during which NASA sponsorship begins and ends. Property means, unless otherwise stated, real property, equipment, intellectual property and debt instruments. Real property means land, including land improvements, structures and appurtenances thereto, but excludes movable machinery and equipment. Recipient means an organization receiving an award directly from NASA to carry out a project or program. The term includes public and private institutions of higher education, public and private hospitals, and other quasi-public and private non-profit organizations such as, but not limited to, community action agencies, research institutes, educational associations, and health centers. The term may include commercial organizations, foreign or international organizations (such as agencies of the United Nations) which are recipients, subcontractors, or contractors or subcontractors of recipients. The term does not include government-owned contractor-operated facilities or research centers providing continued support for mission-oriented, large-scale programs that are government-owned or controlled, or are designated as federally-funded research and development centers. Research and development means all research activities, both basic and applied, and all development activities that are supported at universities, colleges, and other nonprofit institutions. “Research” is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. “Development” is the systematic use of knowledge and understanding gained from research directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods, including design and development of prototypes and processes. The term “research” also included activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques where such activities utilize the same facilities as other research and development activities and where such activities are not included in the instruction function. Research misconduct is defined in 14 CFR 1275.101. NASA policies and procedures regarding Research misconduct are set out in 14 CFR part 1275, “Investigation of Research Misconduct.” Small awards means a grant or cooperative agreement not exceeding the small purchase threshold. Subaward means an award of financial assistance in the form of money, or property in lieu of money, made under an award by a recipient to an eligible subrecipient or by a subrecipient to a lower tier subrecipient. The term includes financial assistance when provided by any legal agreement, even if the agreement is called a contract, but does not include procurement of goods and services nor does it include any form of assistance which is excluded from the definition of “award” of this section. Subrecipient means the legal entity to which a subaward is made and which is accountable to the recipient for the use of the funds provided. The term may include foreign or international organizations (such as agencies of the United Nations). Supplies means all personal property excluding equipment, intellectual property, and debt instruments as defined in this section, and inventions of a contractor conceived or first actually reduced to practice in the performance of work under a funding agreement (“subject inventions”), as defined in 37 CFR part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts, and Cooperative Agreements.” Suspension means an action by NASA that temporarily withdraws NASA sponsorship under an award, pending corrective action by the recipient or pending a decision to terminate the award by NASA. Suspension of an award is a separate action from suspension under Federal agency regulations implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, “Debarment and Suspension.” Termination means the cancellation of Federal sponsorship, in whole or in part, under an agreement at any time prior to the date of completion. Third party in-kind contributions means the value of non-cash contributions provided by non-Federal third parties. Third party in-kind contributions may be in the form of real property, equipment, supplies and other expendable property, and the value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the project or program. Unliquidated obligations, for financial reports prepared on a cash basis, means the amount of obligations incurred by the recipient that have not been paid. For reports prepared on an accrued expenditure basis, they represent the amount of obliga tions incurred by the recipient for which an outlay has not been recorded. Unobligated balance means the portion of the funds authorized by NASA that has not been obligated by the recipient and is determined by deducting the cumulative obligations from the cumulative funds authorized. Unrecovered indirect cost means the difference between the amount awarded and the amount which could have been awarded under the recipient's approved negotiated indirect cost rate. Working capital advance means a procedure whereby funds are advanced to the recipient to cover its estimated disbursement needs for a given initial period. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 70 FR 28808, May 19, 2005] For awards subject to this subpart, the requirements of this subpart apply, except to the extent that any administrative requirements of codified program regulations, program manuals, handbooks and other nonregulatory materials are required by statute, or are authorized in accordance with the deviations provision in §1260.104. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may grant exceptions for classes of grants or recipients subject to the requirements of this subpart when exceptions are not prohibited by statute. However, in the interest of maximum uniformity, exceptions from the requirements of this subpart shall be permitted only in unusual circumstances. NASA may apply more restrictive requirements to a class of recipients when approved by OMB. NASA may apply less restrictive requirements when awarding small awards, except for those requirements which are statutory. Exceptions on a case-by-case basis may also be made by NASA. See §1260.6(c). Unless sections of this subpart specifically exclude subrecipients from coverage, the provisions of this subpart shall be applied to subrecipients performing work under awards if such subrecipients are institutions of higher education, hospitals or other non-profit organizations. State and local government subrecipients are subject to the provisions of 14 CFR part 1273, “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.” Sections 1260.111 through 1260.117 prescribe forms and instructions and other pre-award matters to be used in applying for NASA awards. (a) Use of grants and cooperative agreements, and contracts. In each instance, NASA shall decide on the appropriate award instrument (i.e. grant, cooperative agreement, or contract). The Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act (31 U.S.C. 6301–08) governs the use of grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. A grant or cooperative agreement shall be used only when the principal purpose of a transaction is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal statute. The statutory criterion for choosing between grants and cooperative agreements is that for the latter, “substantial involvement is expected between the executive agency and the State, local government, or other recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated in the agreement.” Contracts shall be used when the principal purpose is acquisition of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government. (b) Public notice and priority setting. NASA notifies the public of its intended funding priorities for discretionary grant programs through Broad Agency Announcements, Cooperative Agreement Notices, Agency-Wide program announcements, and other approved forms of announcements. (a) NASA shall comply with the applicable report clearance requirements of 5 CFR part 1320, “Controlling Paperwork Burdens on the Public,” with regard to all forms used by the NASA in place of or as a supplement to the Standard Form 424 (SF 424) series. (b) Applicants shall use those forms and instructions prescribed by NASA in §1260.10. NASA and recipients shall comply with the nonprocurement debarment and suspension rule, 14 CFR part 1265, “Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants),” implementing Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, “Debarment and Suspension.” This rule restricts contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. If an applicant or recipient has a history of poor performance, is not financially stable, has a management system that does not meet the standards prescribed in this subpart, has not conformed to the terms and conditions of a previous award, or is not otherwise responsible, NASA may impose additional requirements as needed. Such applicant or recipient will be notified in writing as to the nature of the additional requirements, the reason why the additional requirements are being imposed, the nature of the corrective action needed, the time allowed for completing the corrective actions, and the method for requesting reconsideration of the additional requirements imposed. Any special conditions shall be promptly removed once the conditions that prompted them have been corrected. The Metric Conversion Act, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act (15 U.S.C. 205) declares that the metric system is the preferred measurement system for U.S. trade and commerce. The Act requires each Federal agency to establish a date or dates in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, when the metric system of measurement will be used in the agency's procurements, grants, and other business-related activities. Metric implementation may take longer where the use of the system is initially impractical or likely to cause significant inefficiencies in the accomplishment of federally-funded activities. NASA follows the provisions of Executive Order 12770, “Metric Usage in Federal Government Programs.” NASA's policy with respect to the metric measurement system is stated in NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 8010.2, Use of the Metric System of Measurement in NASA Programs. Under the RCRA (Pub. L. 94–580 codified at 42 U.S.C. 6962), any State agency or agency of a political subdivision of a State which is using appropriated Federal funds must comply with section 6002 of the RCRA (42 U.S.C. 6962). Section 6002 requires that preference be given in procurement programs to the purchase of specific products containing recycled materials identified in guidelines developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR parts 247 through 254). Accordingly, State and local institutions of higher education, hospitals, and non-profit organizations that receive direct Federal awards or other Federal funds shall give preference in their procurement programs funded with Federal funds to the purchase of recycled products pursuant to the EPA guidelines. Unless prohibited by statute or codified regulation, NASA will allow recipients to submit certain certifications and representations required by statute, executive order, or regulation on an annual basis, if the recipients have ongoing and continuing relationships with the agency. Annual certifications and representations shall be signed by responsible officials with the authority to ensure recipients' compliance with the pertinent requirements. Sections 1260.121 through 1260.128 prescribe standards for financial management systems, methods for making payments and rules for: satisfying cost sharing and matching requirements, accounting for program income, budget revision approvals, making audits, determining allowability of cost, and establishing fund availability. (a) Recipients shall relate financial data to performance data and develop unit cost information whenever practical. For awards that support research, it should be noted that it is generally not appropriate to develop unit cost information. (b) Recipients' financial management systems shall provide for the following. (1) Accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of each federally-sponsored project or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §1260.152. If NASA requires reporting on an accrual basis from a recipient that maintains its records on other than an accrual basis, the recipient shall not be required to establish an accrual accounting system. These recipients may develop such accrual data for its reports on the basis of an analysis of the documentation on hand. (2) Records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for federally-sponsored activities. These records shall contain information pertaining to Federal awards, authorizations, obligations, unobligated balances, assets, outlays, income and interest. (3) Effective control over and accountability for all funds, property and other assets. Recipients shall adequately safeguard all such assets and assure they are used solely for authorized purposes. (4) Comparison of outlays with budget amounts for each award. Whenever appropriate, financial information should be related to performance and unit cost data. (5) Written procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds to the recipient from the U.S. Treasury and the issuance or redemption of checks, warrants or payments by other means for program purposes by the recipient. To the extent that the provisions of the Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) (Pub. L. 101–453) govern, payment methods of State agencies, instrumentalities, and fiscal agents shall be consistent with CMIA Treasury-State Agreements or the CMIA default procedures codified at 31 CFR part 205, “Withdrawal of Cash from the Treasury for Advances under Federal Grant and Other Programs.” (6) Written procedures for determining the reasonableness, allocability and allowability of costs in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Federal cost principles and the terms and conditions of the award. (7) Accounting records including cost accounting records that are supported by source documentation. (c) Where the Federal Government guarantees or insures the repayment of money borrowed by the recipient, NASA, at its discretion, may require adequate bonding and insurance if the bonding and insurance requirements of the recipient are not deemed adequate to protect the interest of the Federal Government. (d) NASA may require adequate fidelity bond coverage where the recipient lacks sufficient coverage to protect the Federal Government's interest. (e) Where bonds are required in the situations described in this section, the bonds shall be obtained from companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable sureties, as prescribed in 31 CFR part 223, “Surety Companies Doing Business with the United States.” (a) Payment methods shall minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and the issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payment by other means by the recipients. Payment methods of State agencies or instrumentalities shall be consistent with Treasury-State CMIA agreements or default procedures codified at 31 CFR part 205. (b)(1) Recipients are to be paid in advance, provided they maintain or demonstrate the willingness to maintain: (i) Written procedures that minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement by the recipient; and (ii) Financial management systems that meet the standards for fund control and accountability as established in §1260.121. (2) Cash advances to a recipient organization shall be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the recipient organization in carrying out the purpose of the approved program or project. The timing and amount of cash advances shall be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the recipient organization for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. (c) Whenever possible, advances shall be consolidated to cover anticipated cash needs for all awards made by NASA to the recipient. (1) Advance payments will be made by electronic funds transfer. (2) Advance payment mechanisms are subject to 31 CFR part 205. (d) [Reserved. Not used by NASA.] (e) Reimbursement is the preferred method when the requirements in paragraph (b) of this section cannot be met. NASA may also use this method on any construction agreement, or if the major portion of the construction project is accomplished through private market financing or Federal loans, and the Federal assistance constitutes a minor portion of the project. When the reimbursement method is used, NASA shall make payment within 30 days after receipt of the billing, unless the billing is improper. (f) If a recipient cannot meet the criteria for advance payments and NASA has determined that reimbursement is not feasible because the recipient lacks sufficient working capital, NASA may provide cash on a working capital advance basis. Under this procedure, NASA shall advance cash to the recipient to cover its estimated disbursement needs for an initial period generally geared to the awardee's disbursing cycle. Thereafter, NASA shall reimburse the recipient for its actual cash disbursements. The working capital advance method of payment shall not be used for recipients unwilling or unable to provide timely advances to their subcontractor to meet the subcontractor's actual cash disbursements. (g) To the extent available, recipients shall disburse funds available from repayments to an interest earned on a revolving fund, program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments. (h) Unless otherwise required by statute, NASA will not withhold payments for proper charges made by recipients at any time during the project period unless the conditions in paragraphs (h)(1) or (2) of this section apply. (1) A recipient has failed to comply with the project objectives, the terms and conditions of the award, or NASA reporting requirements. (2) The recipient is delinquent in a debt to the United States as defined in OMB Circular A–129, “Managing Federal Credit Programs.” Under such conditions, NASA may, upon reasonable notice, inform the recipient that payments shall not be made for obligations incurred after a specified date until the conditions are corrected or the indebtedness to the Federal Government is liquidated. (i) Standards governing the use of banks and other institutions as depositories of funds advanced under awards are as follows. (1) Except for situations described in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, NASA shall not require separate depository accounts for funds provided to a recipient or establish any eligibility requirements for depositories for funds provided to a recipient. However, recipients must be able to account for the receipt, obligation and expenditure of funds. (2) Advances of Federal funds shall be deposited and maintained in insured accounts whenever possible. (j) Consistent with the national goal of expanding the opportunities for women-owned and minority-owned business enterprises, recipients shall be encouraged to use women-owned and minority-owned banks (a bank which is owned at least 50 percent by women or minority group members). (k) Recipients shall maintain advances of Federal funds in interest bearing accounts, unless the conditions in paragraphs (k)(1), (2), or (3) of this section apply. (1) The recipient receives less than $120,000 in Federal awards per year. (2) The best reasonably available interest bearing account would not be expected to earn interest in excess of $250 per year on Federal cash balances. (3) The depository would require an average or minimum balance so high that it would not be feasible within the expected Federal and non-Federal cash resources. (l) Interest earned on Federal advances deposited in interest-bearing accounts in excess of $250 per year shall be remitted annually to Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Payment Management System, Rockville, MD 20852. Interest amounts up to $250 per year may be retained by the recipient for administrative expense. In accordance with 31 CFR part 206, interest should be remitted electronically through the Automated Clearing House (ACT) to DHHS. Recipients without this capability may make the remittance by check. In either case, the remittance should be payable to DHHS and should indicate the recipient's Entity Identification Number (EIN) and reason, i.e., “Interest earned.” (m) Except as noted elsewhere in this subpart, only the following forms shall be authorized for the recipients in requesting advances and reimbursements. Federal agencies shall not require more than an original and two copies of these forms. (1) SF–270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement. [Reserved. Not used by NASA.] (2) SF–271, Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement for Construction Programs. The SF–271 may be used for requesting reimbursement for NASA construction programs. (a) All contributions, including cash and third party in-kind, shall be accepted as part of the recipient's cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the following criteria. (1) Are verifiable from the recipient's records. (2) Are not included as contributions for any other federally-assisted project or program. (3) Are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project or program objectives. (4) Are allowable under the applicable cost principles. (5) Are not paid by the Federal Government under another award, except where authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or matching. (6) Are provided for in the approved budget when required by NASA. (7) Conform to other provisions of this subpart, as applicable. (b) Unrecovered indirect costs may be included as part of cost sharing or matching only with the prior approval of the cognizant NASA grant officer. (c) Values for recipient contributions of services and property shall be established in accordance with the applicable cost principles. If NASA authorizes recipients to donate buildings or land for construction/facilities acquisition projects or long-term use, the value of the donated property for cost sharing or matching shall be the lesser of paragraph (c)(1) or (2) of this section. (1) The certified value of the remaining life of the property recorded in the recipient's accounting records at the time of donation. (2) The current fair market value. However, when there is sufficient justification, NASA may approve the use of the current fair market value of the donated property, even if it exceeds the certified value at the time of donation to the project. (d) Volunteer services furnished by professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor may be counted as cost sharing or matching if the service is an integral and necessary part of an approved project or program. Rates for volunteer services shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the recipient's organization. In those instances in which the required skills are not found in the recipient organization, rates shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the labor market in which the recipient competes for the kind of services involved. In either case, paid fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable may be included in the valuation. (e) When an employer other than the recipient furnishes the services of an employee, these services shall be valued at the employee's regular rate of pay (plus an amount of fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable, but exclusive of overhead costs), provided these services are in the same skill for which the employee is normally paid. (f) Donated supplies may include such items as expendable equipment, office supplies, laboratory supplies or workshop and classroom supplies. Value assessed to donated supplies included in the cost sharing or matching share shall be reasonable and shall not exceed the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation. (g) The method used for determining cost sharing or matching for donated equipment, buildings and land for which title passes to the recipient may differ according to the purpose of the award, if the conditions in paragraph (g)(1) or (2) of this section apply. (1) If the purpose of the award is to assist the recipient in the acquisition of equipment, buildings or land, the total value of the donated property may be claimed as cost sharing or matching. (2) If the purpose of the award is to support activities that require the use of equipment, buildings or land, normally only depreciation or use charges for equipment and buildings may be made. However, the full value of equipment or other capital assets and fair rental charges for land may be allowed, provided that NASA has approved the charges. (h) The value of donated property shall be determined in accordance with the usual accounting policies of the recipient, with the following qualifications: (1) The value of donated land and buildings shall not exceed its fair market value at the time of donation to the recipient as established by an independent appraiser (e.g., certified real property appraiser or General Services Administration representative) and certified by a responsible official of the recipient. (2) The value of donated equipment shall not exceed the fair market value of equipment of the same age and condition at the time of donation. (3) The value of donated space shall not exceed the fair rental value of comparable space as established by an independent appraisal of comparable space and facilities in a privately-owned building in the same locality. (4) The value of loaned equipment shall not exceed its fair rental value. (5) The following requirements pertain to the recipient's supporting records for in-kind contributions from third parties. (i) Volunteer services shall be documented and, to the extent feasible, supported by the same methods used by the recipient for its own employees. (ii) The basis for determining the valuation for personal service, material, equipment, buildings and land shall be documented. (a) The standards set forth in this section shall be used to account for program income related to projects financed in whole or in part with Federal funds. (b) Program income earned during the project period shall be retained by the recipient and added to funds committed to the project by NASA and the recipient, and used to further eligible project or program objectives, unless NASA indicates in the terms and conditions of the award another alternative to account for program income or the recipient is subject to special award conditions, as indicated in §1260.114. (c) Unless program regulations or the terms and conditions of the award provide otherwise, recipients shall have no obligation to the Federal Government regarding program income earned after the end of the project period. (d) Unless program regulations or the terms and conditions of the award provide otherwise, costs incident to the generation of program income may be deducted from gross income to determine program income, provided these costs have not been charged to the award. (e) Proceeds from the sale of property shall be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Property Standards (See §§1260.130 through 1260.137). (f) Unless program regulations or the terms and condition of the award provide otherwise, recipients shall have no obligation to the Federal Government with respect to program income earned from license fees and royalties for copyrighted material, patents, patent applications, trademarks, and inventions produced under an award. However, Patent and Trademark Amendments (35 U.S.C. 18) apply to inventions made under an experimental, developmental, or research award. (a) The budget plan is the financial expression of the project or program as approved during the award process. It may include either the Federal and non-Federal share, or only the Federal share, depending upon requirements in the regulations in this subpart. It shall be related to performance for program evaluation purposes whenever appropriate. (b) Recipients are required to report deviations from budget and program plans, and request prior approvals for budget and program plan revisions, in accordance with this section. (c) For nonconstruction awards, recipients shall request prior approvals from NASA for the following program or budget related reasons, except the item in paragraph (c)(5) of this section, which is waived by NASA. (1) Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program (even if there is no associated budget revision requiring prior written approval). (2) Change in a key person specified in the application or award document. (3) The absence for more than three months, or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project, by the approved project director or principal investigator. (4) The need for additional Federal funding. (5) The transfer of amounts budgeted for indirect costs to absorb increases in direct costs, or vice versa.
(6) The inclusion of costs that require prior approval in accordance with OMB Circular A–21, “Cost Principles for Institutions of Higher Education”; OMB Circular A–122, “Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations”; 45 CFR part 74 appendix E, “Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals”; or 48 CFR part 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,” as applicable. (7) The transfer of funds allotted for training allowances (direct payment to trainees) to other categories of expense. (8) Unless described in the application and funded in the approved awards, the subaward, transfer or contracting out of any work under an award. This provision does not apply to the purchase of supplies, material, equipment or general support services. (d) No other prior approval requirements for specific items will be imposed unless a deviation has been approved by OMB. (e) NASA has determined to waive the following cost-related and administrative prior written approvals otherwise required by OMB Circulars A–21, A–110 and A–122 to allow recipients to do the following: (1) Incur pre-award costs 90 calendar days prior to award or more than 90 calendar days with the prior approval of NASA. All pre-award costs are incurred at the recipient's risk (i.e., NASA is under no obligation to reimburse such costs if for any reason the recipient does not receive an award or if the award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs). (2) Initiate a one-time extension of the expiration date of the award of up to 12 months unless one or more of the following conditions apply. For one-time extensions, the recipient must notify NASA in writing with the supporting reasons and revised expiration date at least 10 days before the expiration date specified in the award. This one-time extension may not be exercised merely for the purpose of using unobligated balances. (i) The terms and conditions of award prohibit the extension. (ii) The extension requires additional Federal funds. (iii) The extension involves any change in the approved objectives or scope of the project. (3) Unless directed otherwise by the grant officer, carry forward unobligated balances to subsequent funding periods. (f) Program regulations may restrict the transfer of funds among direct cost categories or programs, functions and activities for awards in which NASA's share of the project exceeds $100,000 and the cumulative amount of such transfers exceeds or is expected to exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last approved by NASA. NASA will ensure that any such program regulation requirements are announced in program guidelines or are incorporated as special conditions in award documents. No program regulation shall permit a transfer that would cause any Federal appropriation or part thereof to be used for purposes other than those consistent with the original intent of the appropriation. (g) All other changes to nonconstruction budgets, except for the changes described in paragraph (j) of this section, do not require prior approval. (h) For construction awards, recipients shall request prior written approval promptly from NASA for budget revisions whenever the conditions in paragraphs (h) (1), (2) or (3) of this section apply. (1) The revision results from changes in the scope or the objective of the project or program. (2) The need arises for additional Federal funds to complete the project. (3) A revision is desired which involves specific costs for which prior written approval requirements may be imposed consistent with applicable OMB cost principles listed in §1260.127. (i) No other prior approval requirements for specific items will be imposed unless a deviation has been approved by OMB. (j) When NASA makes an award that provides support for both construction and nonconstruction work, NASA requires the recipient to request prior approval from NASA before making any fund or budget transfers between the two types of work supported. (k) For both construction and nonconstruction awards, NASA requires recipients to notify NASA in writing promptly whenever the amount of Federal authorized funds is expected to exceed the needs of the recipient for the project period by more than $5,000 or five percent of the Federal award, whichever is greater. This notification shall not be required if an application for additional funding is submitted for a continuation award. (l) When requesting approval for budget revisions, recipients shall use the budget forms that were used in the application unless NASA indicates a letter of request suffices. (m) Within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the request for budget revisions, NASA shall review the request and notify the recipient whether the budget revisions have been approved. If the revision is still under consideration at the end of 30 calendar days, NASA shall inform the recipient in writing of the date when the recipient may expect the decision. (a) Recipients and subrecipients that are institutions of higher education or other non-profit organizations (including hospitals) shall be subject to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1966 (31 U.S.C. 7501–7507) and revised OMB Circular A–133, “Audits of States, Local Governments, and Other Non-Profit Institutions.” (b) State and local governments shall be subject to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1966 (31 U.S.C. 7501–7507) and revised OMB Circular A–133, “Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.” (c) For-profit hospitals not covered by the audit provisions of revised OMB Circular A–133 shall be subject to the audit requirements of NASA. (d) Commercial organizations shall be subject to the audit requirements of NASA or the prime recipient as incorporated into the award document. For each kind of recipient, there is a set of Federal principles for determining allowable costs. Allowability of costs shall be determined in accordance with the cost principles applicable to the entity incurring the costs. Thus, allowability of costs incurred by State, local or federally-recognized Indian tribal governments is determined in accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A–87, “Cost Principles for State and Local Governments.” The allowability of costs incurred by non-profit organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A–122, “Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations.” The allowability of costs incurred by institutions of higher education is determined in accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular A–21, “Cost Principles for Educational Institutions.” The allowability of costs incurred by hospitals is determined in accordance with the provisions of appendix E of 45 CFR part 74, “Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals.” The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations and those non-profit organizations listed in Attachment C to Circular A–122 is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR part 31. Where a funding period is specified, a recipient may charge to the grant only allowable costs resulting from obligations incurred during the funding period and any pre-award costs authorized by NASA. Sections 1260.131 through 1260.137 set forth uniform standards governing management and disposition of property furnished by the Federal Government whose cost was charged to a project supported by a Federal award. Recipients shall observe these standards under awards and NASA will not impose additional requirements, unless specifically required by Federal statute. The recipient may use its own property management standards and procedures provided it observes the provisions of §§1260.131 through 1260.137. Recipients shall, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage for real property and equipment acquired with Federal funds as provided for property owned by the recipient. Federally-owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the award. Unless otherwise provided by statute, the requirements concerning the use and disposition of real property acquired in whole or in part under awards are as follows: (a) Title to real property shall vest in the recipient subject to the condition that the recipient shall use the real property for the authorized purpose of the project as long as it is needed and shall not encumber the property without approval of NASA. (b) The recipient shall obtain written approval by NASA for the use of real property in other federally-sponsored projects when the recipient determines that the property is no longer needed for the purpose of the original project. Use in other projects shall be limited to those under federally-sponsored projects (i.e., awards) or programs that have purposes consistent with those authorized for support by NASA. (c) When the real property is no longer needed as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the recipient shall request disposition instructions from NASA or its successor Federal awarding agency. NASA shall observe one or more of the following disposition instructions. (1) The recipient may be permitted to retain title without further obligation to the Federal Government after it compensates the Federal Government for that percentage of the current fair market value of the property attributable to the Federal participation in the project. (2) The recipient may be directed to sell the property under guidelines provided by NASA and pay the Federal Government for that percentage of the current fair market value of the property attributable to the Federal participation in the project (after deducting actual and reasonable selling and fix-up expenses, if any, from the sales proceeds). When the recipient is authorized or required to sell the property, proper sales procedures shall be established that provide for competition to the extent practicable and result in the highest possible return. (3) The recipient may be directed to transfer title to the property to the Federal Government or to an eligible third party provided that, in such cases, the recipient shall be entitled to compensation for its attributable percentage of the current fair market value of the property. (a) Federally-owned property. (1) Title to federally-owned property remains vested in the Federal Government. Recipients shall submit annually an inventory listing of federally-owned property in their custody to NASA. Upon completion of the award or when the property is no longer needed, the recipient shall report the property to NASA for further Federal agency utilization. (2) If NASA has no further need for the property, it shall be declared excess and reported to the General Services Administration, unless NASA has statutory authority to dispose of the property by alternative methods (e.g., the authority provided by the Federal Technology Transfer Act (15 U.S.C. 3710 (I)) to donate research equipment to educational and non-profit organizations in accordance with Executive Order 12821, “Improving Mathematics and Science Education in Support of the National Education Goals.”) Appropriate instructions shall be issued to the recipient by NASA. (b) Exempt property. Under the authority of the Childs Act, 31 U.S.C. 6301 to 6308, NASA has determined to vest title to property acquired with Federal funds in the recipient without further obligation to NASA, including reporting requirements. (a) For grants and cooperative agreements for the purpose of research, NASA's policy is to vest title to property acquired with Federal funds in the recipient without further obligation to NASA, including reporting requirements, as set forth at §1260.133(b). For grants and cooperative agreements for non-research purposes, and in the exceptional circumstance where a deviation is requested for a grant or cooperative agreement for research to not vest title in the recipient as exempt, equipment shall vest in the recipient subject to conditions of this section. These policies are not applicable to grants and cooperative agreements with commercial firms (see §1260.74(b)(2) and §1274.401.) (b) The recipient shall not use equipment acquired with Federal funds to provide services to non-Federal outside organizations for a fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services, unless specifically authorized by Federal statute, for as long as the Federal Government retains an interest in the equipment. (c) The recipient shall use the equipment in the project or program for which it was acquired as long as needed, whether or not the project or program continues to be supported by Federal funds and shall not encumber the property without approval of NASA. When no longer needed for the original project or program, the recipient shall use the equipment in connection with its other federally-sponsored activities, in the following order of priority: (1) Activities sponsored by NASA, then (2) Activities sponsored by other Federal agencies. (d) During the time that equipment is used on the project or program for which it was acquired, the recipient shall make it available for use on other projects or programs if such other use will not interfere with the work on the project or program for which the equipment was originally acquired. First preference for such other use shall be given to other projects or programs sponsored by NASA; second preference shall be given to projects or programs sponsored by other Federal agencies. If the equipment is owned by the Federal Government, use on other activities not sponsored by the Federal Government shall be permissible if authorized by NASA. User charges shall be treated as program income. (e) When acquiring replacement equipment, the recipient may use the equipment to be replaced as trade-in or sell the equipment and use the proceeds to offset the costs of the replacement equipment subject to the approval of NASA. (f) The recipient's property management standards for equipment acquired with Federal funds and federally-owned equipment shall include all of the following: (1) Equipment records shall be maintained accurately and shall include the following information. (i) A description of the equipment. (ii) Manufacturer's serial number, model number, Federal stock number, national stock number, or other identification number. (iii) Source of the equipment, including the award number. (iv) Whether title vests in the recipient or the Federal Government. (v) Acquisition date (or date received, if the equipment was furnished by the Federal Government) and cost. (vi) Information from which one can calculate the percentage of Federal participation in the cost of the equipment (not applicable to equipment furnished by the Federal Government). (vii) Location and condition of the equipment and the date the information was reported. (viii) Unit acquisition cost. (ix) Ultimate disposition data, including date of disposal and sales price or the method used to determine current fair market value where a recipient compensates NASA for its share. (2) Equipment owned by the Federal Government shall be identified to indicate Federal ownership. (3) A physical inventory of equipment shall be taken and the results reconciled with the equipment records at least once every two years. Any differences between quantities determined by the physical inspection and those shown in the accounting records shall be investigated to determine the causes of the difference. The recipient shall, in connection with the inventory, verify the existence, current utilization, and continued need for the equipment. (4) A control system shall be in effect to insure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the equipment. Any loss, damage, or theft of equipment shall be investigated and fully documented; if the equipment was owned by the Federal Government, the recipient shall promptly notify NASA. (5) Adequate maintenance procedures shall be implemented to keep the equipment in good condition. (6) Where the recipient is authorized or required to sell the equipment, proper sales procedures shall be established which provide for competition to the extent practicable and result in the highest possible return. (g) When the recipient no longer needs the equipment, the equipment may be used for other activities in accordance with the following standards. For equipment with a current per unit fair market value of $5,000 or more, the recipient may retain the equipment for other uses provided that compensation is made to the original Federal awarding agency or its successor. The amount of compensation shall be computed by applying the percentage of Federal participation in the cost of the original project or program to the current fair market value of the equipment. If the recipient has no need for the equipment, the recipient shall request disposition instructions from NASA. NASA shall determine whether the equipment can be used to meet NASA's requirements. If no requirement exists within NASA, the availability of the equipment shall be reported to the General Services Administration by NASA to determine whether a requirement for the equipment exists in other Federal agencies. NASA shall issue instructions to the recipient no later than 120 calendar days after the recipient's request and the following procedures shall govern. (1) If so instructed or if disposition instructions are not issued within 120 calendar days after the recipient's request, the recipient shall sell the equipment and reimburse NASA an amount computed by applying to the sales proceeds the percentage of Federal participation in the cost of the original project or program. However, the recipient shall be permitted to deduct and retain from the Federal share $500 or ten percent of the proceeds, whichever is less, for the recipient's selling and handling expenses. (2) If the recipient is instructed to ship the equipment elsewhere, the recipient shall be reimbursed by the Federal Government by an amount which is computed by applying the percentage of the recipient's participation in the cost of the original project or program to the current fair market value of the equipment, plus any reasonable shipping or interim storage costs incurred. (3) If the recipient is instructed to otherwise dispose of the equipment, the recipient shall be reimbursed by NASA for such costs incurred in its disposition. (4) NASA may reserve the right to transfer the title to the Federal Government or to a third party named by NASA when such third party is otherwise eligible under existing statutes. Such transfer shall be subject to the following standards. (i) The equipment shall be appropriately identified in the award or otherwise made known to the recipient in writing. (ii) NASA shall issue disposition instructions within 120 calendar days after receipt of a final inventory. The final inventory shall list all equipment acquired with grant funds and federally-owned equipment. If NASA fails to issue disposition instructions within the 120 calendar day period, the recipient shall apply the standards of this section, as appropriate. When NASA exercises its right to take title, the equipment shall be subject to the provisions for federally-owned equipment. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 54125, Oct. 26, 2001] (a) Title to supplies and other expendable property shall vest in the recipient upon acquisition. If there is a residual inventory of unused supplies exceeding $5,000 in total aggregate value upon termination or completion of the project or program and the supplies are not needed for any other federally-sponsored project or program, the recipient shall retain the supplies for use on non-Federal sponsored activities or sell them, but shall, in either case, compensate the Federal Government for its share. The amount of compensation shall be computed in the same manner as for equipment. (b) The recipient shall not use supplies acquired with Federal funds to provide services to non-Federal outside organizations for a fee that is less than private companies charge for equivalent services, unless specifically authorized by Federal statute as long as the Federal Government retains an interest in the supplies. (a) The recipient may assert copyright in any work that is copyrightable and was created, or for which copyright ownership was purchased, under an award. NASA is granted a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, prepare derivative works or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so. (b) Recipients are subject to applicable regulations governing patents and inventions, including government-wide regulations issued by the Department of Commerce at 37 CFR part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements.” (c) NASA has the right to: (1) Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data first produced under an award; and (2) Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes. (d)(1) In addition, in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used by the Federal Government in developing an agency action that has the force and effect of law, NASA shall request, and the recipient shall provide, within a reasonable time, the research data so that they can be made available to the public through the procedures established under the FOIA. If NASA obtains the research data solely in response a FOIA request, NASA may charge the requester a reasonable fee equaling the full incremental cost of obtaining the research data. This fee should reflect costs incurred by NASA, the recipient, and applicable subrecipients. This fee is in addition to any fees the agency may assess under the FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(A)). (2) The following definitions apply for purposes of this paragraph (d): (i) Research data is defined as the recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings, but not any of the following: Preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, or communications with colleagues. This “recorded” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data does not include: (A) Trade secrets, commercial information, materials necessary to be held confidential by a researcher until they are published, or similar information which is protected under law; and (B) Personnel and medical information and similar information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed scientific or technical journal; or (B) A Federal agency publicly and officially cites the research findings in support of an agency action that has the force and effect of law. (iii) Used by the Federal Government in developing an agency action that has the force and effect of law is defined as when an agency publicly and officially cites the research findings in support of an agency action that has the force and effect of law. (e) Title to intangible property and debt instruments acquired under an award or subcontract vests upon acquisition in the recipient. The recipient shall use that property for the originally-authorized purpose, and the recipient shall not encumber the property without approval of NASA. When no longer needed for the originally authorized purpose, disposition of the intangible property shall occur in accordance with the provisions of §1260.134(g). (f) Due to the substantial involvement on the part of NASA under a cooperative agreement, intellectual property may be produced by Federal employees and NASA contractors tasked to perform NASA assigned activities. Title to intellectual property created under the cooperative agreement by NASA or its contractors will initially vest with the creating party. Certain rights may be exchanged with the recipient. Real property, equipment, intangible property and debt instruments that are acquired or improved with Federal funds shall be held in trust by the recipient as trustee for the beneficiaries of the project or program under which the property was acquired or improved. NASA may require recipients to record liens or other appropriate notices of record to indicate that personal or real property has been acquired or improved with Federal funds and that use and disposition conditions apply to the property. Sections 1260.141 through 1260.148 set forth standards for use by recipients in establishing procedures for the procurement of supplies and other expendable property, equipment, real property and other services with Federal funds. These standards are furnished to ensure that such materials and services are obtained in an effective manner and in compliance with the provisions of applicable Federal statutes and executive orders. No additional procurement standards or requirements shall be imposed by NASA upon recipients, unless specifically required by Federal statute or executive order or approved in accordance with the deviation procedures of §1260.6. The standards contained in this section do not relieve the recipient of the contractual responsibilities arising under its contract(s). The recipient is the responsible authority, without recourse to NASA, regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues arising out of procurements entered into in support of an award or other agreement. This includes disputes, claims, protests of award, source evaluation or other matters of a contractual nature. Matters concerning violation of statute are to be referred to such Federal, State or local authority as may have proper jurisdiction. The recipient shall maintain written standards of conduct governing the performance of its employees engaged in the award and administration of contracts. No employee, officer, or agent shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by Federal funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved. Such a conflict would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for an award. The officers, employees, and agents of the recipient shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors, or parties to subagreements. However, recipients may set standards for situations in which the financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. The standards of conduct shall provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by officers, employees, or agents of the recipient. All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition. The recipient shall be alert to organizational conflicts of interest as well as noncompetitive practices among contractors that may restrict or eliminate competition or otherwise restrain trade. In order to ensure objective contractor performance and eliminate unfair competitive advantage, contractors that develop or draft specifications, requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids and/or requests for proposals shall be excluded from competing for such procurements. Awards shall be made to the bidder or offeror whose bid or offer is responsive to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the recipient, price, quality and other factors considered. Solicitations shall clearly set forth all requirements that the bidder or offeror shall fulfill in order for the bid or offer to be evaluated by the recipient. Any and all bids or offers may be rejected when it is in the recipient's interest to do so. (a) All recipients shall establish written procurement procedures. These procedures shall provide for, at a minimum, that the conditions in paragraphs (a)(1), (2) and (3) of this section apply. (1) Recipients avoid purchasing unnecessary items. (2) Where appropriate, an analysis is made of lease and purchase alternatives to determine which would be the most economical and practical procurement for the Federal Government. (3) Solicitations for goods and services provide for all of the following: (i) A clear and accurate description of the technical requirements for the material, product or service to be procured. In competitive procurements, such a description shall not contain features which unduly restrict competition. (ii) Requirements which the bidder/offeror must fulfill and all other factors to be used in evaluating bids or proposals. (iii) A description, whenever practicable, of technical requirements in terms of functions to be performed or performance required, including the range of acceptable characteristics or minimum acceptable standards. (iv) The specific features of “brand name or equal” descriptions that bidders are required to meet when such items are included in the solicitation. (v) The acceptance, to the extent practicable and economically feasible, of products and services dimensioned in the metric system of measurement. (vi) Preference, to the extent practicable and economically feasible, for products and services that conserve natural resources and protect the environment and are energy efficient. (b) Positive efforts shall be made by recipients to utilize small businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's business enterprises, whenever possible. Recipients of NASA awards shall take all of the following steps to further this goal. (1) Ensure that small businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's business enterprises are used to the fullest extent practicable. (2) Make information on forthcoming opportunities available and arrange time frames for purchases and contracts to encourage and facilitate participation by small businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's business enterprises. (3) Consider in the contract process whether firms competing for larger contracts intend to subcontract with small businesses, minority-owned firms, and women's business enterprises. (4) Encourage contracting with consortiums of small businesses, minority-owned firms and women's business enterprises when a contract is too large for one of these firms to handle individually. (5) Use the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency in the solicitation and utilization of small businesses, minority-owned firms and women's business enterprises. (c) The type of procuring instruments used (e.g., fixed price contracts, cost reimbursable contracts, purchase orders, and incentive contracts) shall be determined by the recipient but shall be appropriate for the particular procurement and for promoting the best interest of the program or project involved. The “cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost” or “percentage of construction cost” methods of contracting shall not be used. (d) Contracts shall be made only with responsible contractors who possess the potential ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed procurement. Consideration shall be given to such matters as contractor integrity, record of past performance, financial and technical resources or accessibility to other necessary resources. In certain circumstances, contracts with certain parties are restricted by 14 CFR part 1265, the implementation of Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, “Debarment and Suspension.” (e) Recipients shall, on request, make available for NASA, pre-award review and procurement documents, such as request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc., when any of the following conditions apply. (1) A recipient's procurement procedures or operation fails to comply with the procurement standards in NASA's implementation of this subpart. (2) The procurement is expected to exceed the small purchase threshold and is to be awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in response to a solicitation. (3) The procurement, which is expected to exceed the small purchase threshold, specifies a “brand name” product. (4) The proposed award over the small purchase threshold is to be awarded to other than the apparent low bidder under a sealed bid procurement. (5) A proposed contract modification changes the scope of a contract or increases the contract amount by more than the amount of the small purchase threshold. Some form of cost or price analysis shall be made and documented in the procurement files in connection with every procurement action. Price analysis may be accomplished in various ways, including the comparison of price quotations submitted, market prices and similar indicia, together with discounts. Cost analysis is the review and evaluation of each element of cost to determine reasonableness, allocability and allowability. Procurement records and files for purchases in excess of the small purchase threshold shall include the following at a minimum: (a) Basis for contractor selection, (b) Justification for lack of competition when competitive bids or offers are not obtained, and (c) Basis for award cost or price. A system for contract administration shall be maintained to ensure contractor conformance with the terms, conditions and specifications of the contract and to ensure adequate and timely follow up of all purchases. Recipients shall evaluate contractor performance and document, as appropriate, whether contractors have met the terms, conditions and specifications of the contract. The recipient shall include, in addition to provisions to define a sound and complete agreement, the following provisions in all contracts. The following provisions shall also be applied to subcontracts. (a) Contracts in excess of the small purchase threshold shall contain contractual provisions or conditions that allow for administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances in which a contractor violates or breaches the contract terms, and provide for such remedial actions as may be appropriate. (b) All contracts in excess of the small purchase threshold shall contain suitable provisions for termination by the recipient, including the manner by which termination shall be effected and the basis for settlement. In addition, such contracts shall describe conditions under which the contract may be terminated for default as well as conditions where the contract may be terminated because of circumstances beyond the control of the contractor. (c) Except as otherwise required by statute, an award that requires the contracting (or subcontracting) for construction or facility improvements shall provide for the recipient to follow its own requirements relating to bid guarantees, performance bonds, and payment bonds unless the construction contract or subcontract exceeds $100,000. For those contracts or subcontracts exceeding $100,000, NASA may accept the bonding policy and requirements of the recipient, provided the NASA has made a determination that the Federal Government's interest is adequately protected. If such a determination has not been made, the minimum requirements shall be as follows. (1) A bid guarantee from each bidder equivalent to five percent of the bid price. The “bid guarantee” shall consist of a firm commitment such as a bid bond, certified check, or other negotiable instrument accompanying a bid as assurance that the bidder shall, upon acceptance of his bid, execute such contractual documents as may be required within the time specified. (2) A performance bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent of the contract price. A “performance bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the contractor's obligations under such contract. (3) A payment bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent of the contract price. A “payment bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to assure payment as required by statute of all persons supplying labor and material in the execution of the work provided for in the contract. (4) Where bonds are required in the situations described in this section, the bonds shall be obtained from companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable sureties pursuant to 31 CFR part 223, “Surety Companies Doing Business with the United States.” (d) All negotiated contracts (except those for less than the small purchase threshold) awarded by recipients shall include a provision to the effect that the recipient, NASA, the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall have access to any books, documents, papers and records of the contractor which are directly pertinent to a specific program for the purpose of making audits, examinations, excerpts and transcriptions. (e) All contracts, including small purchases, awarded by recipients and their contractors shall contain the procurement provisions of appendix A to this subpart, as applicable. Sections 1260.151 through 1260.153 set forth the procedures for monitoring and reporting on the recipient's financial and program performance and the necessary standard reporting forms. They also set forth record retention requirements. (a) Recipients are responsible for managing and monitoring each project, program, subcontract, function or activity supported by the award. Recipients shall monitor subcontracts to ensure subcontractors have met the audit requirements as delineated in §1260.126. (b) The terms and conditions of the award shall prescribe the frequency with which the performance reports shall be submitted. Except as provided in 1260.151(f), performance reports shall not be required more frequently than quarterly or, less frequently than annually. Annual reports shall be due 90 calendar days after the grant year; quarterly or semi-annual reports shall be due 30 days after the reporting period. NASA may require annual reports before the anniversary dates of multiple year awards in lieu of these requirements. The final performance reports are due 90 calendar days after the expiration or termination of the award. (c) If inappropriate, a final technical or performance report shall not be required after completion of the project. (d) When required, performance reports shall generally contain, for each award, brief information on each of the following. (1) A comparison of actual accomplishments with the goals and objectives established for the period, the findings of the investigator, or both. Whenever appropriate and the output of programs or projects can be readily quantified, such quantitative data should be related to cost data for computation of unit costs. (2) Reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate. (3) Other pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs. (e) Recipients shall not be required to submit more than the original and two copies of performance reports. (f) Recipients shall immediately notify NASA of developments that have a significant impact on the award-supported activities. Also, notification shall be given in the case of problems, delays, or adverse conditions which materially impair the ability to meet the objectives of the award. This notification shall include a statement of the action taken or contemplated, and any assistance needed to resolve the situation. (g) NASA may make site visits, as needed. (h) NASA shall comply with clearance requirements of 5 CFR part 1320 when requesting performance data from recipients. (a) When funds are advanced to recipients, each recipient is required to submit the SF 272, Report of Federal Cash Transactions, and, when necessary, its continuation sheet, SF 272a. NASA uses this report to monitor cash advanced to the recipient and obtain disbursement information for each agreement with the recipient. (b) Recipients are required to submit the report electronically to the Department of Health and Human Services' Payment Management System (DHHS/PMS) within 15 working days following the end of each Federal fiscal quarter. Reports are required for each quarter whether or not advances have been made during that quarter. (c) Additionally, recipients shall submit a final SF 272 in paper form to the NASA Financial Management Office, and shall furnish a copy of the final SF 272 to the appropriate grant officer. [65 FR 62900, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 54125, Oct. 26, 2001; 68 FR 50470, Aug. 21, 2003] (a) This section sets forth requirements for record retention and access to records for awards to recipients. NASA shall not impose any other record retention or access requirements upon recipients. (b) Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report or, for awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual financial report, as authorized by NASA. The only exceptions are the following. (1) If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the three-year period, the records shall be retained until all litigation, claims or audit findings involving the records have been resolved and final action taken. (2) Records for real property and equipment acquired with Federal funds shall be retained for 3 years after final disposition. (3) When records are transferred to or maintained by NASA, the 3-year retention requirement is not applicable to the recipient (4) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc. as specified in §1260.153(g). (c) NASA authorizes that copies of original records may be substituted for the original records. (d) NASA shall request transfer of certain records to its custody from recipients when it determines that the records possess long term retention value. However, in order to avoid duplicate record keeping, NASA may make arrangements for recipients to retain any records that are continuously needed for joint use. (e) NASA, the Inspector General, Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, have the right of timely and unrestricted access to any books, documents, papers, or other records of recipients that are pertinent to the awards, in order to make audits, examinations, excerpts, transcripts and copies of such documents. This right also includes timely and reasonable access to a recipient's personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion related to such documents. The rights of access in this paragraph are not limited to the required retention period, but shall last as long as records are retained. (f) Unless required by statute, NASA shall place no restrictions on recipients that limit public access to the records of recipients that are pertinent to an award, except when NASA can demonstrate that such records shall be kept confidential and would have been exempted from disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) if the records had belonged to NASA. (g) Indirect cost rate proposals, cost allocations plans, etc. Paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of this section apply to the following types of documents, and their supporting records: Indirect cost rate computations or proposals, cost allocation plans, and any similar accounting computations of the rate at which a particular group of costs is chargeable (such as computer usage chargeback rates or composite fringe benefit rates). (1) If submitted for negotiation. If the recipient submits to NASA or the subrecipient submits to the recipient the proposal, plan, or other computation to form the basis for negotiation of the rate, then the 3-year retention period for its supporting records starts on the date of such submission. (2) If not submitted for negotiation. If the recipient is not required to submit to NASA or the subrecipient is not required to submit to the recipient the proposal, plan, or other computation for negotiation purposes, then the 3-year retention period for the proposal, plan, or other computation and its supporting records starts at the end of the fiscal year (or other accounting period) covered by the proposal, plan, or other computation. Sections 1260.61 and 1260.62 set forth uniform suspension, termination and enforcement procedures. (a) Awards may be terminated in whole or in part only if the conditions in paragraph (a)(1), (2) or (3) of this section apply. (1) By NASA, if a recipient materially fails to comply with the terms and conditions of an award. (2) By NASA with the consent of the recipient, in which case the two parties shall agree upon the termination conditions, including the effective date and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. (3) By the recipient upon sending to NASA written notification setting forth the reasons for such termination, the effective date, and, in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated. However, if NASA determines in the case of partial termination that the reduced or modified portion of the grant will not accomplish the purposes for which the grant was made, it may terminate the grant in its entirety under either paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section. (b) If costs are allowed under an award, the responsibilities of the recipient referred to in §1260.171(a), including those for property management as applicable, shall be considered in the termination of the award, and provision shall be made for continuing responsibilities of the recipient after termination, as appropriate. (a) Remedies for noncompliance. If a recipient materially fails to comply with the terms and conditions of an award, whether stated in a Federal statute, regulation, assurance, application, or notice of award, NASA may, in addition to imposing any of the special conditions outlined in §1260.114, take one or more of the following actions, as appropriate in the circumstances. (1) Temporarily withhold cash payments pending correction of the deficiency by the recipient or more severe enforcement action by NASA. (2) Disallow (that is, deny both use of funds and any applicable matching credit for) all or part of the cost of the activity or action not in compliance. (3) Wholly or partly suspend or terminate the current award. (4) Withhold further awards. (5) Take other remedies that may be legally available. (b) Hearings and appeals. In taking an enforcement action, NASA shall provide the recipient an opportunity for hearing, appeal, or other administrative proceeding to which the recipient is entitled under any statute or regulation applicable to the action involved. (c) Effects of suspension and termination. Costs of a recipient resulting from obligations incurred by the recipient during a suspension or after termination of an award are not allowable unless NASA expressly authorizes them in the notice of suspension or termination or subsequently. Other recipient costs during suspension or after termination which are necessary and not reasonably avoidable are allowable if the conditions in paragraph (c)(1) and (2) of this section apply. (1) The costs result from obligations which were properly incurred by the recipient before the effective date of suspension or termination, are not in anticipation of it, and in the case of a termination, are noncancellable. (2) The costs would be allowable if the award were not suspended or expired normally at the end of the funding period in which the termination takes effect. (d) Relationship to debarment and suspension. The enforcement remedies identified in this section, including suspension and termination, do not preclude a recipient from being subject to debarment and suspension under Executive Orders 12549 and 12689 and 14 CFR part 1265 (see §1260.113). Sections 1260.171 through 1260.173 contain closeout procedures and other procedures for subsequent disallowances and adjustments. (a) Recipients shall submit, within 90 calendar days after the date of completion of the award, all financial, performance, and other reports as required by the terms and conditions of the award. NASA may approve extensions when requested by the recipient. (b) Unless NASA authorizes an extension, a recipient shall liquidate all obligations incurred under the award not later than 90 calendar days after the funding period or the date of completion as specified in the terms and conditions of the award or in agency implementing instructions. (c) NASA shall make prompt payments to a recipient for allowable reimbursable costs under the award being closed out. (d) The recipient shall promptly refund any balances of unobligated cash that NASA has advanced or paid and that is not authorized to be retained by the recipient for use in other projects. OMB Circular A–129 governs unreturned amounts that become delinquent debts. (e) When authorized by the terms and conditions of the award, NASA shall make a settlement for any upward or downward adjustments to the Federal share of costs after closeout reports are received. (f) The recipient shall account for any real and personal property acquired with Federal funds or received from the Federal Government in accordance with §§1260.131 through 1260.137. (g) In the event a final audit has not been performed prior to the closeout of an award, NASA shall retain the right to recover an appropriate amount after fully considering the recommendations on disallowed costs resulting from the final audit. (a) The closeout of an award does not affect any of the following. (1) The right of NASA to disallow costs and recover funds on the basis of a later audit or other review. (2) The obligation of the recipient to return any funds due as a result of later refunds, corrections, or other transactions. (3) Audit requirements in §1260.126. (4) Property management requirements in §§1260.131 through 1260.137. (5) Records retention as required in §1260.153. (b) After closeout of an award, a relationship created under an award may be modified or ended in whole or in part with the consent of the NASA and the recipient, provided the responsibilities of the recipient referred to in §1260.173(a), including those for property management as applicable, are considered and provisions made for continuing responsibilities of the recipient, as appropriate. (a) Any funds paid to a recipient in excess of the amount to which the recipient is finally determined to be entitled under the terms and conditions of the award constitute a debt to the Federal Government. If not paid within a reasonable period after the demand for payment, NASA may reduce the debt by the provisions of paragraph (a)(1), (2) or (3) of this section (1) Making an administrative offset against other requests for reimbursements. (2) Withholding advance payments otherwise due to the recipient. (3) Taking other action permitted by statute. (b) Except as otherwise provided by law, NASA shall charge interest on an overdue debt in accordance with 4 CFR chapter II, “Federal Claims Collection Standards.” All contracts awarded by a recipient, including small purchases, shall contain the following provisions as applicable: 1. Equal Employment Opportunity. All contracts shall contain a provision requiring compliance with Executive Order 11246, “Equal Employment Opportunity,” as amended by Executive Order 11375, “Amending Executive Order 11246 Relating to Equal Employment Opportunity,” and as supplemented by regulations at 41 CFR part 60, “Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Equal Employment Opportunity, Department of Labor.” 2. Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (18 U.S.C. 874 and 40 U.S.C. 276c). All contracts in excess of $2,000 for construction or repair awarded by recipients shall include a provision for compliance with the Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (18 U.S.C. 874), as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR part 3, “Contractors and Subcontractors on Public Building or Public Work Financed in Whole or in Part by Loans or Grants from the United States”). The Act provides that each contractor shall be prohibited from inducing, by any means, any person employed in the construction, completion, or repair of public work, to give up any part of the compensation to which he is otherwise entitled. The recipient shall report all suspected or reported violations to NASA. 3. Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 276a to a–7). When required by Federal program legislation, all construction contracts awarded by the recipients of more than $2,000 shall include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276a to a–7) and as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Governing Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). Under this Act, contractors shall be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the minimum wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors shall be required to pay wages not less than once a week. The recipient shall place a copy of the current prevailing wage determination issued by the Department of Labor in each solicitation and the award of a contract shall be conditioned upon the acceptance of the wage determination. The recipient shall report all suspected or reported violations to the NASA. 4. Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327–333). Where applicable, all contracts awarded by recipients in excess of $2,000 for construction contracts and in excess of $2,500 for other contracts that involve the employment of mechanics or laborers shall include a provision for compliance with sections 102 and 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327–333), as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR part 5). Under subsection 102 of the Act, each contractor shall be required to compute the wages of every mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of the standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of not less than 1 5. Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement. Contracts or agreements for the performance of experimental, developmental, or research work shall provide for the rights of the Federal Government and the recipient in any resulting invention in accordance with 37 CFR part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the awarding agency. 6. Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), as amended. Contracts of amounts in excess of $100,000 shall contain a provision that requires the recipient to agree to comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.). Violations shall be reported to NASA and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 7. Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352). Contractors who apply or bid for an award of $100,000 or more shall file the required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier shall also disclose any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from tier to tier up to the recipient. 8. Debarment and Suspension (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689). No contract shall be made to parties listed on the General Services Administration's List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Nonprocurement Programs in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, “Debarment and Suspension.” This list contains the names of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, and contractors declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549. Contractors with awards that exceed the small purchase threshold shall provide the required certification regarding its exclusion status and that of its principal employees.
Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 1260—GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS
Section Contents
§ 1260.1 Authority.
§ 1260.2 Purpose.
§ 1260.3 Definitions.
§ 1260.4 Applicability.
§ 1260.5 Amendment.
§ 1260.6 Publication.
§ 1260.7 Deviations.
§ 1260.8 Announcements.
§ 1260.9 Synopses requirements.
Pre-Award Requirements
§ 1260.10 Proposals.
§ 1260.11 Evaluation and selection.
§ 1260.12 Choice of award instrument.
§ 1260.13 Award procedures.
§ 1260.14 Limitations.
§ 1260.15 Format and numbering.
§ 1260.16 Distribution.
§ 1260.17 Evaluation and selection of unsolicited proposals.
Provisions
§ 1260.20 Provisions.
§ 1260.21 Compliance With OMB Circular A–110.
§ 1260.22 Technical publications and reports.
§ 1260.23 Extensions.
§ 1260.24 Termination and enforcement.
§ 1260.25 Change in principal investigator or scope.
§ 1260.26 Financial management.
§ 1260.27 Equipment and other property.
§ 1260.28 Patent rights.
§ 1260.29 [Reserved]
§ 1260.30 Rights in data.
§ 1260.31 National security.
§ 1260.32 Nondiscrimination.
§ 1260.33 Subcontracts.
§ 1260.34 Clean air and water.
§ 1260.35 Investigative Requirements.
§ 1260.36 Travel and transportation.
§ 1260.37 Safety.
§ 1260.38 Drug-free workplace.
§ 1260.39 Buy American encouragement.
§ 1260.40 Investigation of research misconduct.
Special Conditions
§ 1260.50 Special conditions.
§ 1260.51 Cooperative agreement special condition.
§ 1260.52 Multiple year grant or cooperative agreement.
§ 1260.53 Incremental funding.
§ 1260.54 Cost sharing.
§ 1260.55 Reports substitution.
§ 1260.56 Withholding.
§ 1260.57 New technology.
§ 1260.58 Designation of new technology representative and patent representative.
§ 1260.59 Choice of law.
§ 1260.59A Invention reporting and rights.
§ 1260.60 Public information.
§ 1260.61 Allocation of risk/liability.
§ 1260.62 Payment—to foreign organizations.
§ 1260.63 Customs clearance and visas.
§ 1260.64 Taxes.
§ 1260.65 Exchange of technical data and goods.
§ 1260.66 Listing of reportable equipment and other property.
§ 1260.67 Equipment and other property under grants with commercial firms.
§ 1260.68 Invoices and payments under grants with commercial firms.
§ 1260.69 Electronic funds transfer payment methods.
Post-Award Requirements
§ 1260.70 Delegation of administration.
§ 1260.71 Supplements and renewals.
§ 1260.72 Adherence to original budget estimates.
§ 1260.73 Transfers, novations, and change of name agreements.
§ 1260.74 Property use, disposition, and vesting of title.
§ 1260.75 Summary of report requirements.
§ 1260.76 Termination and enforcement.
§ 1260.77 Closeout procedures.
Appendix to Subpart A of Part 1260—Listing of Exhibits
General
§ 1260.101 Purpose.
§ 1260.102 Definitions.
§ 1260.103 Effect on other issuances.
§ 1260.104 Deviations.
§ 1260.105 Subawards.
Pre-Award Requirements
§ 1260.110 Purpose.
§ 1260.111 Pre-award policies.
§ 1260.112 Forms for applying for Federal assistance.
§ 1260.113 Debarment and suspension.
§ 1260.114 Special award conditions.
§ 1260.115 Metric system of measurement.
§ 1260.116 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
§ 1260.117 Certifications and representations.
Post-Award Requirements
Financial and Program Management
§ 1260.120 Purpose of financial and program management.
§ 1260.121 Standards for financial management systems.
§ 1260.122 Payment.
§ 1260.123 Cost sharing or matching.
§ 1260.124 Program income.
§ 1260.125 Revision of budget and program plans.
§ 1260.126 Non-Federal audits.
§ 1260.127 Allowable costs.
§ 1260.128 Period of availability of funds.
Property Standards
§ 1260.130 Purpose of property standards.
§ 1260.131 Insurance coverage.
§ 1260.132 Real property.
§ 1260.133 Federally-owned and exempt property.
§ 1260.134 Equipment.
§ 1260.135 Supplies and other expendable property.
§ 1260.136 Intangible property.
§ 1260.137 Property trust relationship.
Procurement Standards
§ 1260.140 Purpose of procurement standards.
§ 1260.141 Recipient responsibilities.
§ 1260.142 Codes of conduct.
§ 1260.143 Competition.
§ 1260.144 Procurement procedures.
§ 1260.145 Cost and price analysis.
§ 1260.146 Procurement records.
§ 1260.147 Contract administration.
§ 1260.148 Contract provisions.
Reports and Records
§ 1260.150 Purpose of reports and records.
§ 1260.151 Monitoring and reporting program performance.
§ 1260.152 Financial reporting.
§ 1260.153 Retention and access requirements for records.
Termination and Enforcement
§ 1260.160 Purpose of termination and enforcement.
§ 1260.161 Termination.
§ 1260.162 Enforcement.
After-the-Award Requirements
§ 1260.170 Purpose.
§ 1260.171 Closeout procedures.
§ 1260.172 Subsequent adjustments and continuing responsibilities.
§ 1260.173 Collection of amounts due.
Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 1260—Contract Provisions
Subpart A—General
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§ 1260.1 Authority.
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§ 1260.2 Purpose.
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§ 1260.3 Definitions.
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§ 1260.4 Applicability.
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§ 1260.5 Amendment.
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§ 1260.6 Publication.
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§ 1260.7 Deviations.
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§ 1260.8 Announcements.
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§ 1260.9 Synopses requirements.
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Pre-Award Requirements
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§ 1260.10 Proposals.
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§ 1260.11 Evaluation and selection.
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§ 1260.12 Choice of award instrument.
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§ 1260.13 Award procedures.
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§ 1260.14 Limitations.
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§ 1260.15 Format and numbering.
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§ 1260.16 Distribution.
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§ 1260.17 Evaluation and selection of unsolicited proposals.
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Provisions
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§ 1260.20 Provisions.
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§ 1260.21 Compliance With OMB Circular A–110.
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§ 1260.22 Technical publications and reports.
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§ 1260.23 Extensions.
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§ 1260.24 Termination and enforcement.
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§ 1260.25 Change in principal investigator or scope.
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§ 1260.26 Financial management.
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§ 1260.27 Equipment and other property.
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§ 1260.28 Patent rights.
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§ 1260.29 [Reserved]
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§ 1260.30 Rights in data.
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§ 1260.31 National security.
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§ 1260.32 Nondiscrimination.
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§ 1260.33 Subcontracts.
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§ 1260.34 Clean air and water.
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§ 1260.35 Investigative Requirements.
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§ 1260.36 Travel and transportation.
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§ 1260.37 Safety.
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§ 1260.38 Drug-free workplace.
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§ 1260.39 Buy American encouragement.
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§ 1260.40 Investigation of research misconduct.
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Special Conditions
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§ 1260.50 Special conditions.
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§ 1260.51 Cooperative agreement special condition.
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§ 1260.52 Multiple year grant or cooperative agreement.
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§ 1260.53 Incremental funding.
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§ 1260.54 Cost sharing.
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§ 1260.55 Reports substitution.
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§ 1260.56 Withholding.
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§ 1260.57 New technology.
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§ 1260.58 Designation of new technology representative and patent representative.
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§ 1260.59 Choice of law.
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§ 1260.59A Invention reporting and rights.
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§ 1260.60 Public information.
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§ 1260.61 Allocation of risk/liability.
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§ 1260.62 Payment—to foreign organizations.
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§ 1260.63 Customs clearance and visas.
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§ 1260.64 Taxes.
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§ 1260.65 Exchange of technical data and goods.
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§ 1260.66 Listing of reportable equipment and other property.
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§ 1260.67 Equipment and other property under grants with commercial firms.
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§ 1260.68 Invoices and payments under grants with commercial firms.
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§ 1260.69 Electronic funds transfer payment methods.
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Post-Award Requirements
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§ 1260.70 Delegation of administration.
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§ 1260.71 Supplements and renewals.
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§ 1260.72 Adherence to original budget estimates.
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§ 1260.73 Transfers, novations, and change of name agreements.
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§ 1260.74 Property use, disposition, and vesting of title.
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§ 1260.75 Summary of report requirements.
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§ 1260.76 Termination and enforcement.
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§ 1260.77 Closeout procedures.
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Appendix to Subpart A of Part 1260—Listing of Exhibits
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Subpart B—Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations
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General
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§ 1260.101 Purpose.
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§ 1260.102 Definitions.
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§ 1260.103 Effect on other issuances.
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§ 1260.104 Deviations.
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§ 1260.105 Subawards.
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Pre-Award Requirements
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§ 1260.110 Purpose.
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§ 1260.111 Pre-award policies.
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§ 1260.112 Forms for applying for Federal assistance.
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§ 1260.113 Debarment and suspension.
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§ 1260.114 Special award conditions.
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§ 1260.115 Metric system of measurement.
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§ 1260.116 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
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§ 1260.117 Certifications and representations.
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Post-Award Requirements
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Financial and Program Management
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§ 1260.120 Purpose of financial and program management.
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§ 1260.121 Standards for financial management systems.
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§ 1260.122 Payment.
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§ 1260.123 Cost sharing or matching.
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§ 1260.124 Program income.
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§ 1260.125 Revision of budget and program plans.
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§ 1260.126 Non-Federal audits.
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§ 1260.127 Allowable costs.
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§ 1260.128 Period of availability of funds.
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Property Standards
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§ 1260.130 Purpose of property standards.
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§ 1260.131 Insurance coverage.
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§ 1260.132 Real property.
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§ 1260.133 Federally-owned and exempt property.
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§ 1260.134 Equipment.
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§ 1260.135 Supplies and other expendable property.
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§ 1260.136 Intangible property.
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§ 1260.137 Property trust relationship.
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Procurement Standards
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§ 1260.140 Purpose of procurement standards.
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§ 1260.141 Recipient responsibilities.
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§ 1260.142 Codes of conduct.
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§ 1260.143 Competition.
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§ 1260.144 Procurement procedures.
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§ 1260.145 Cost and price analysis.
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§ 1260.146 Procurement records.
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§ 1260.147 Contract administration.
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§ 1260.148 Contract provisions.
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Reports and Records
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§ 1260.150 Purpose of reports and records.
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§ 1260.151 Monitoring and reporting program performance.
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§ 1260.152 Financial reporting.
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§ 1260.153 Retention and access requirements for records.
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Termination and Enforcement
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§ 1260.160 Purpose of termination and enforcement.
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§ 1260.161 Termination.
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§ 1260.162 Enforcement.
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After-the-Award Requirements
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§ 1260.170 Purpose.
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§ 1260.171 Closeout procedures.
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§ 1260.172 Subsequent adjustments and continuing responsibilities.
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§ 1260.173 Collection of amounts due.
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Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 1260—Contract Provisions
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