Title 32—National Defense--Volume 1
PART 21—DoD GRANTS AND AGREEMENTS—GENERAL MATTERS
§ 21.100   What are the purposes of this part?
This part of the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations:
(a) Provides general information about the Defense Grant and Agreement Regulatory System (DGARS).
(b) Sets forth general policies and procedures related to DoD Components' overall management of functions related to assistance and certain other nonprocurement instruments subject to the DGARS ( see § 21.205(b)).
§ 21.200   What is the Defense Grant and Agreement Regulatory System (DGARS)?
The Defense Grant and Agreement Regulatory System (DGARS) is the system of regulatory policies and procedures for the award and administration of DoD Components' assistance and other nonprocurement awards. DoD Directive 3210.6 1 established the DGARS.
1 Electronic copies may be obtained at the Washington Headquarters Services Internet site http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives. Paper copies may be obtained, at cost, from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161.
§ 21.205   What types of instruments are covered by the DGARS?
The Defense Grant and Agreement Regulatory System (DGARS) applies to the following types of funding instruments awarded by DoD Components:
(a) All grants, cooperative agreements, and technology investment agreements.
(b) Other nonprocurement instruments, as needed to implement statutes, Executive orders, or other Federal Governmentwide rules that apply to those other nonprocurement instruments, as well as to grants and cooperative agreements.
§ 21.210   What are the purposes of the DGARS?
The purposes of the DGARS are to provide uniform policies and procedures for DoD Components' awards, in order to meet DoD needs for:
(a) Efficient program execution, effective program oversight, and proper stewardship of Federal funds.
(b) Compliance with relevant statutes; Executive orders; and applicable guidance, such as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars.
(c) Collection from DoD Components, retention, and dissemination of management and fiscal data related to awards.
§ 21.215   Who is responsible for the DGARS?
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)), or his or her designee, develops and implements DGARS policies and procedures. He or she does so by issuing and maintaining the DoD publications that comprise the DGARS.
§ 21.220   What publications are in the DGARS?
The DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations comprise the principal element of the DGARS. The ASD(R&E) also may publish DGARS policies and procedures in DoD instructions and other DoD publications, as appropriate.
§ 21.300   What instruments are subject to the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations (DoDGARs)?
(a) The types of instruments that are subject to the DoDGARs vary from one portion of the DoDGARs to another. The types of instruments include grants, cooperative agreements, and technology investment agreements. Some portions of the DoDGARs apply to other types of assistance or nonprocurement instruments. The term “awards,” as defined in subpart F of this part, is used in this part to refer collectively to all of the types of instruments that are subject to one or more portions of the DoDGARs.
(b) Note that each portion of the DoDGARs identifies the types of instruments to which it applies.
(c) For convenience, the table in Appendix A to this part provides an overview of the applicability of the various portions of the DoDGARs.
§ 21.305   What is the purpose of the DoDGARs?
The DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations provide uniform policies and procedures for the award and administration of DoD Components' awards. The DoDGARs are the primary DoD regulations for achieving the DGARS purposes described in § 21.210.
§ 21.310   Who ensures DoD Component compliance with the DoDGARs?
The Head of each DoD Component that makes or administers awards, or his or her designee, is responsible for ensuring compliance with the DoDGARs within that DoD Component.
§ 21.315   May DoD Components issue supplemental policies and procedures to implement the DoDGARs?
Yes, Heads of DoD Components or their designees may issue regulations, procedures, or instructions to implement the DGARS or supplement the DoDGARs to satisfy needs that are specific to the DoD Component, as long as the regulations, procedures, or instructions do not impose additional costs or administrative burdens on recipients or potential recipients.
§ 21.320   Are there areas in which DoD Components must establish policies and procedures to implement the DoDGARs?
Yes, Heads of DoD Components or their designees must establish policies and procedures in areas where uniform policies and procedures throughout the DoD Component are required, such as for:
(a) Requesting class deviations from the DoDGARs ( see §§ 21.335(b) and 21.340(a)) or exemptions from the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 6301 through 6308, that govern the appropriate use of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements ( see 32 CFR 22.220).
(b) Designating one or more Grant Appeal Authorities to resolve claims, disputes, and appeals ( see 32 CFR 22.815).
(c) Reporting data on assistance awards and programs, as required by 31 U.S.C. chapter 61 ( see subpart E of this part).
§ 21.325   Do acquisition regulations also apply to DoD grants and agreements?
Unless the DoDGARs specify that they apply, policies and procedures in the following acquisition regulations that apply to procurement contracts do not apply to grants, cooperative agreements, technology investment agreements, or to other assistance or nonprocurement awards:
(a) The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)(48 CFR parts 1-53).
(b) The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)(48 CFR parts 201-270).
(c) DoD Component supplements to the FAR and DFARS.
§ 21.330   How are the DoDGARs published and maintained?
(a) The DoD publishes the DoDGARs in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
(b) The location of the DoDGARs in the CFR currently is in transition. The regulations are moving from chapter I, subchapter C, title 32, to a new location in chapter XI, title 2 of the CFR. During the transition, there will be some parts of the DoDGARs in each of the two titles.
(c) The DoD publishes updates to the DoDGARs in the Federal Register for public comment.
(d) A standing working group recommends revisions to the DoDGARs to the ASD(R&E). The ASD(R&E), Director of Defense Procurement, and each Military Department must be represented on the working group. Other DoD Components that make or administer awards may also nominate representatives. The working group meets when necessary.
§ 21.335   Who can authorize deviations from the DoDGARs?
(a) The Head of the DoD Component or his or her designee may authorize individual deviations from the DoDGARs, which are deviations that affect only one award, if the deviations are not prohibited by statute, executive order or regulation.
(b) The ASD(R&E) or his or her designee must approve in advance any deviation for a class of awards. Note that, as described at 2 CFR 1126.3, OMB concurrence also is required for some class deviations from requirements included in awards to institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, States, local governments, and Indian tribes.
§ 21.340   What are the procedures for requesting and documenting deviations?
(a) DoD Components must submit copies of justifications and agency approvals for individual deviations and written requests for class deviations to: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, ATTN: Basic Research, 3030 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3030.
(b) Grants officers and agreements officers must maintain copies of requests and approvals for individual and class deviations in award files.
§ 21.400   To what instruments does this subpart apply?
This subpart applies to grants, cooperative agreements, and technology investment agreements, which are legal instruments used to reflect assistance relationships between the United States Government and recipients.
§ 21.405   What is the purpose of this subpart?
This subpart describes the sources and flow of authority to make or administer assistance awards, and assigns the broad responsibilities associated with DoD Components' use of those instruments.
§ 21.410   Must a DoD Component have statutory authority to make an assistance award?
Yes, the use of an assistance instrument to carry out a program requires authorizing legislation. That is unlike the use of a procurement contract, for which Federal agencies have inherent, Constitutional authority.
§ 21.415   Must the statutory authority specifically mention the use of grants or other assistance instruments?
No, the statutory authority described in § 21.410 need not specifically say that the purpose of the program is assistance or mention the use of any type of assistance instrument. However, the intent of the statute must support a judgment that the use of an assistance instrument is appropriate. For example, a DoD Component may judge that the principal purpose of a program for which it has authorizing legislation is assistance, rather than acquisition. The DoD Component would properly use an assistance instrument to carry out that program, in accordance with 31 U.S.C. chapter 63.
§ 21.420   Under what types of statutory authorities do DoD Components award assistance instruments?
DoD Components may use assistance instruments under a number of statutory authorities that fall into three categories:
(a) Authorities that statutes provide to the Secretary of Defense. These authorities generally are delegated by the Secretary of Defense to Heads of DoD Components, usually through DoD directives, instructions, or policy memoranda that are not part of the Defense Grant and Agreement Regulatory System. Examples of statutory authorities in this category are:
(1) Authority under 10 U.S.C. 2391 to award grants or cooperative agreements to help State and local governments alleviate serious economic impacts of defense program changes ( e.g., base openings and closings, contract changes, and personnel reductions and increases).
(2) Authority under 10 U.S.C. 2413 to enter into cooperative agreements with entities that furnish procurement technical assistance to businesses.
(b) Authorities that statutes may provide directly to Heads of DoD Components. When a statute authorizes the Head of a DoD Component to use a funding instrument to carry out a program with a principal purpose of assistance, use of that authority requires no delegation by the Secretary of Defense. For example, 10 U.S.C. 2358 authorizes the Secretaries of the Military Departments, in addition to the Secretary of Defense, to perform research and development projects through grants and cooperative agreements. Similarly, 10 U.S.C. 2371 provides authority for the Secretaries of the Military Departments and Secretary of Defense to carry out basic, applied, or advanced research projects using assistance instruments other than grants and cooperative agreements. A Military Department's use of the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2358 or 10 U.S.C. 2371 therefore requires no delegation by the Secretary of Defense.
(c) Authorities that arise indirectly as the result of statute. For example, authority to use an assistance instrument may result from:
(1) A federal statute authorizing a program that is consistent with an assistance relationship ( i.e., the support or stimulation of a public purpose, rather than the acquisition of a good or service for the direct benefit of the Department of Defense). In accordance with 31 U.S.C. chapter 63, such a program would appropriately be carried out through the use of grants or cooperative agreements. Depending upon the nature of the program ( e.g., research) and whether the program statute includes authority for any specific types of instruments, there also may be authority to use other assistance instruments.
(2) Exemptions requested by the Department of Defense and granted by the Office of Management and Budget under 31 U.S.C. 6307, as described in 32 CFR 22.220.
§ 21.425   How does a DoD Component's authority flow to awarding and administering activities?
The Head of a DoD Component, or his or her designee, may delegate to the heads of contracting activities (HCAs) within the Component, that Component's authority to make and administer awards, to appoint grants officers and agreements officers ( see §§ 21.435 through 21.450), and to broadly manage the DoD Component's functions related to assistance instruments. The HCA is the same official (or officials) designated as the head of the contracting activity for procurement contracts, as defined at 48 CFR 2.101. The intent is that overall management responsibilities for a DoD Component's functions related to nonprocurement instruments be assigned only to officials that have similar responsibilities for procurement contracts.
§ 21.430   What are the responsibilities of the head of the awarding or administering activity?
When designated by the Head of the DoD Component or his or her designee (see 32 CFR 21.425), the head of the awarding or administering activity ( i.e., the HCA) is responsible for the awards made by or assigned to that activity. He or she must supervise and establish internal policies and procedures for that activity's awards.
§ 21.435   Must DoD Components formally select and appoint grants officers and agreements officers?
Yes, each DoD Component that awards grants or enters into cooperative agreements must have a formal process (see § 21.425) for selecting and appointing grants officers and for terminating their appointments. Similarly, each DoD Component that awards or administers technology investment agreements must have a process for selecting and appointing agreements officers and for terminating their appointments.
§ 21.440   What are the standards for selecting and appointing grants officers and agreements officers?
In selecting grants officers and agreements officers, DoD Components must use the following minimum standards:
(a) In selecting a grants officer, the appointing official must judge whether the candidate has the necessary experience, training, education, business acumen, judgment, and knowledge of assistance instruments and contracts to function effectively as a grants officer. The appointing official also must take those attributes of the candidate into account when deciding the complexity and dollar value of the grants and cooperative agreements to be assigned.
(b) In selecting an agreements officer, the appointing official must consider all of the same factors as in paragraph (a) of this section. In addition, the appointing official must consider the candidate's ability to function in the less structured environment of technology investment agreements, where the rules provide more latitude and the individual must have a greater capacity for exercising judgment. Agreements officers therefore should be individuals who have demonstrated expertise in executing complex assistance and acquisition instruments.
§ 21.445   What are the requirements for a grants officer's or agreements officer's statement of appointment?
A statement of a grants officer's or agreements officer's appointment:
(a) Must be in writing.
(b) Must clearly state the limits of the individual's authority, other than limits contained in applicable laws or regulations. Information on those limits of a grants officer's or agreements officer's authority must be readily available to the public and agency personnel.
(c) May, if the individual is a contracting officer, be incorporated into his or her statement of appointment as a contracting officer ( i.e., there does not need to be a separate written statement of appointment for assistance instruments).
§ 21.450   What are the requirements for a termination of a grants officer's or agreements officer's appointment?
A termination of a grants officer's or agreements officer's authority:
(a) Must be in writing, unless the written statement of appointment provides for automatic termination.
(b) May not be retroactive.
(c) May be integrated into a written termination of the individual's appointment as a contracting officer, as appropriate.
§ 21.455   Who can sign, administer, or terminate assistance instruments?
Only grants officers are authorized to sign, administer, or terminate grants or cooperative agreements (other than technology investment agreements) on behalf of the Department of Defense. Similarly, only agreements officers may sign, administer, or terminate technology investment agreements.
§ 21.460   What is the extent of grants officers' and agreements officers' authority?
Grants officers and agreements officers may bind the Government only to the extent of the authority delegated to them in their written statements of appointment ( see § 21.445).
§ 21.465   What are grants officers' and agreements officers' responsibilities?
Grants officers and agreements officers should be allowed wide latitude to exercise judgment in performing their responsibilities, which are to ensure that:
(a) Individual awards are used effectively in the execution of DoD programs, and are made and administered in accordance with applicable laws, Executive orders, regulations, and DoD policies.
(b) Sufficient funds are available for obligation.
(c) Recipients of awards receive impartial, fair, and equitable treatment.
§ 21.500   What is the purpose of this subpart?
This subpart prescribes policies and procedures for compiling and reporting data related to DoD awards and programs that are subject to information reporting requirements of 31 U.S.C. chapter 61. That chapter of the U.S. Code requires the Office of Management and Budget to maintain a Governmentwide information system to collect data on Federal agencies' domestic assistance awards and programs.
§ 21.505   What is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)?
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a Governmentwide compilation of information about assistance programs. It covers all assistance programs and activities, regardless of the number of awards made under the program, the total dollar value of assistance provided, or the duration. In addition to programs using grants and agreements, covered programs include those providing assistance in other forms, such as payments in lieu of taxes or indirect assistance resulting from Federal operations.
§ 21.510   Why does the DoD report information to the CFDA?
The Federal Program Information Act (31 U.S.C. 6101 through 6106), as implemented through OMB guidance at 2 CFR 200.202 requires the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies to provide certain information about their assistance programs to the OMB and the General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA makes this information available to the public by publishing it in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
§ 21.515   Who reports the information for the CFDA?
(a) Each DoD Component that provides financial assistance must:
(1) Report to the Defense Assistance Awards Data System (DAADS) Administrator all new programs and changes as they occur or as the DoD Component submits its annual updates to existing CFDA information. DAADS is further described in §§ 21.520 through 21.555.
(2) Identify to the DAADS Administrator a point-of-contact who will be responsible for reporting the program information and for responding to inquiries related to it.
(b) The DAADS Administrator is the Department of Defense's single liaison with whom DoD Components that collect and compile such program information work to report the information to OMB and GSA.
§ 21.520   What are the purposes of the Defense Assistance Awards Data System (DAADS)?
Data from the Defense Assistance Awards Data System (DAADS) are used to provide:
(a) DoD inputs to meet statutory requirements for Federal Governmentwide reporting of data related to obligations of funds by assistance instrument.
(b) A basis for meeting Governmentwide requirements to report to USASpending.gov (or any successor site designated by OMB) and for preparing other recurring and special reports to the President, the Congress, the Government Accountability Office, and the public.
(c) Information to support policy formulation and implementation and to meet management oversight requirements related to the use of awards.
§ 21.525   Who issues policy guidance for the DAADS?
The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (PDASD(R&E)), or his or her designee, issues necessary policy guidance for the Defense Assistance Awards Data System.
§ 21.530   What are the responsibilities of the DAADS Administrator?
The DAADS Administrator, consistent with guidance issued by the PDASD(R&E):
(a) Processes DAADS information twice a month and prepares recurring and special reports using such information.
(b) Prepares, updates, and disseminates instructions for reporting information to the DAADS. The instructions are to specify procedures, formats, and editing processes to be used by DoD Components, including record layout, submission deadlines, media, methods of submission, and error correction schedules.
§ 21.535   Do DoD Components have central points for collecting DAADS data?
Each DoD Component must have a central point for collecting DAADS information from contracting activities within that DoD Component. The central points are as follows:
(a) For the Army: As directed by the U.S. Army Contracting Support Agency.
(b) For the Navy: As directed by the Office of Naval Research.
(c) For the Air Force: As directed by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Acquisition Contracting Policy and Implementation Division (SAF/AQCP).
(d) For the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Agencies, and DoD Field Activities: Each Defense Agency must identify a central point for collecting and reporting DAADS information to the DAADS administrator. The DAADS Administrator serves as the central point for offices and activities within the Office of the Secretary of Defense and for DoD Field Activities.
§ 21.540   What are the duties of the DoD Components' central points for the DAADS?
The office that serves, in accordance with § 21.535, as the central point for collecting DAADS information from contracting activities within each DoD Component must:
(a) Establish internal procedures to ensure reporting by contracting activities that make awards subject to 31 U.S.C. chapter 61.
(b) Collect information required by the DAADS User Guide from those contracting activities, and report it to the DAADS Administrator, in accordance with §§ 21.545 through 21.555. Note that the DAADS User Guide, which a registered DAADS user may find at the Resources section of the DAADS website ( https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/daads/ ), provides further information about required data elements and instructions for submitting data.
(c) Submit to the DAADS Administrator any recommended changes to the DAADS.
§ 21.545   Must DoD Components report every obligation to the DAADS?
Yes, DoD Components' central points must collect and report the data required by the DD Form 2566 for each individual action that involves the obligation or deobligation of Federal funds for an award that is subject to 31 U.S.C. chapter 61.
§ 21.550   Must DoD Components relate reported actions to listings in the CFDA?
Yes, DoD Components' central points must report each action as an obligation or deobligation under a specific programmatic listing in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA, see § 21.505). The programmatic listing to be shown is the one that provided the funds being obligated or deobligated. For example, if a grants officer or agreements officer in one DoD Component obligates appropriations of a second DoD Component's programmatic listing, the grants officer or agreements officer must show the CFDA programmatic listing of the second DoD Component on the DD Form 2566.
§ 21.555   When and how must DoD Components report to the DAADS?
DoD Components must report:
(a) Each obligating or deobligating action no later than 15 days after the date of the obligation or deobligation. Doing so enables DAADS to comply with the deadline in the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282; 31 U.S.C. 6101 note) to report to the Governmentwide data system ( USASpending.gov ) established to implement requirements of that Act.
(b) Using a method and in a format permitted either by the DAADS User Guide described in § 21.540(b) or by agreement with the DAADS Administrator.
§ 21.560   Must DoD Components assign numbers uniformly to awards?
Yes, DoD Components must assign identifying numbers to all awards subject to this subpart, including grants, cooperative agreements, and technology investment agreements. The uniform numbering system parallels the procurement instrument identification (PII) numbering system specified in 48 CFR 204.70 (in the “Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement”), as follows:
(a) The first six alphanumeric characters of the assigned number must be identical to those specified by 48 CFR 204.7003(a)(1) to identify the DoD Component and contracting activity.
(b) The seventh and eighth positions must be the last two digits of the fiscal year in which the number is assigned to the grant, cooperative agreement, or other nonprocurement instrument.
(c) The 9th position must be a number:
(1) “1” for grants.
(2) “2” for cooperative agreements, including technology investment agreements that are cooperative agreements (see Appendix B to 32 CFR part 37).
(3) “3” for other nonprocurement instruments, including technology investment agreements that are not cooperative agreements.
(d) The 10th through 13th positions must be the serial number of the instrument. DoD Components and contracting activities need not follow any specific pattern in assigning these numbers and may create multiple series of letters and numbers to meet internal needs for distinguishing between various sets of awards.
§ 21.565   Must DoD Components' electronic systems accept Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) numbers?
The DoD Components must comply with paragraph 5.e of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy directive entitled, “Requirement for a DUNS number in Applications for Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements.” 2 Paragraph 5.e requires electronic systems that handle information about grants and cooperative agreements (which, for the DoD, include Technology Investment Agreements) to accept DUNS numbers. Each DoD Component that awards or administers grants or cooperative agreements must ensure that DUNS numbers are accepted by each such system for which the DoD Component controls the system specifications. If the specifications of such a system are subject to another organization's control and the system can not accept DUNS numbers, the DoD Component must alert that organization to the OMB policy directive's requirement for use of DUNS numbers with a copy to: Director for Basic Research, OASD(R&E), 3040 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3040.
2 This OMB policy directive is available at the Internet site http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_docs.html.
§ 21.605   Acquisition.
The acquiring (by purchase, lease, or barter) of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States Government (see more detailed definition at 48 CFR 2.101). In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 6303, procurement contracts are the appropriate legal instruments for acquiring such property or services.
§ 21.610   Agreements officer.
An official with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate technology investment agreements.
§ 21.615   Assistance.
The transfer of a thing of value to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States ( see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)). Grants, cooperative agreements, and technology investment agreements are examples of legal instruments used to provide assistance.
§ 21.620   Award.
A grant, cooperative agreement, technology investment agreement, or other nonprocurement instrument subject to one or more parts of the DoD Grant and Agreement Regulations ( see appendix A to this part).
§ 21.625   Contract.
See the definition for procurement contract in this subpart.
§ 21.630   Contracting activity.
An activity to which the Head of a DoD Component has delegated broad authority regarding acquisition functions, pursuant to 48 CFR 1.601.
§ 21.635   Contracting officer.
A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. A more detailed definition of the term appears at 48 CFR 2.101.
§ 21.640   Cooperative agreement.
A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant (see definition “grant”), except that substantial involvement is expected between the Department of Defense and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the cooperative agreement. The term does not include “cooperative research and development agreements” as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a.
§ 21.645   Deviation.
The issuance or use of a policy or procedure that is inconsistent with the DoDGARs.
§ 21.650   DoD Components.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Departments, the Defense Agencies, and DoD Field Activities.
§ 21.655   Grant.
A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6304, is used to enter into a relationship:
(a) Of which the principal purpose is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the Department of Defense's direct benefit or use.
(b) In which substantial involvement is not expected between the Department of Defense and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the grant.
§ 21.660   Grants officer.
An official with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate grants or cooperative agreements.
§ 21.665   Nonprocurement instrument.
A legal instrument other than a procurement contract. Examples include instruments of financial assistance, such as grants or cooperative agreements, and those of technical assistance, which provide services in lieu of money.
§ 21.670   Procurement contract.
A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6303, reflects a relationship between the Federal Government and a State, a local government, or other recipient when the principal purpose of the instrument is to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Federal Government. See the more detailed definition for contract at 48 CFR 2.101.
§ 21.675   Recipient.
An organization or other entity receiving an award from a DoD Component.
§ 21.680   Technology investment agreements.
A special class of assistance instruments used to increase involvement of commercial firms in defense research programs and for other purposes related to integrating the commercial and defense sectors of the nation's technology and industrial base. Technology investment agreements include one kind of cooperative agreement with provisions tailored for involving commercial firms, as well as one kind of other assistance transaction. Technology investment agreements are described more fully in 32 CFR part 37.