Recommendation: 

NASA Advisory Council Recommendation 

Citizen Engagement 

2013-02-09 (EPOC-03) 

NASA plays a unique role in the inspiration and education of the public about programs in space, 

and has a stellar track record in this area. While the Council acknowledges that efficiencies may 

be gained through consolidation, the Council remains concerned with the proposed transfer of 

responsibility for outreach associated with NASA space missions to agencies and organizations 

with no spaceflight experience. NASA should ensure that funding remains in place for public 

outreach associated with NASA's missions. 

Major Reasons for Proposing the Recommendation: 

NASA, by virtue of its missions, currently plays a unique role in engaging the public in space 

exploration and exposing them to science and technology. These activities take place outside of 

the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities which are being 

consolidated under the FY 2014 reorganization. 

Consequences of No Action on the Proposed Recommendation: 

A unique and important capability to engage and inspire the public outside of the traditional 

education system will be lost. 

NASA Response: 

NASA partially concurs with this recommendation. In May 2013, the National Science and 

Technology Council's Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) released a strategic plan for 

Federal investments in STEM education which can be viewed at: 

http://www. whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem _stratplan _ 2013 .pdf. 

The plan calls for increased coordination among Federal agencies on five major priorities: 

• Improve STEM instruction. 

• Increase and sustain youth and public engagement in STEM. 

• Enhance STEM experiences of undergraduate students. 

• Better serve groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields. 

• Design graduate education for tomorrow's STEM workforce. 

To achieve these goals, the Administration developed a strategy for its FY 2014 President'~ 

Budget Request, which consolidates many education and public outreach activities and 

investments at the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and the Smithsonian 

Institution. NASA will work closely with these three agencies and under further guidance the 

Agency receives through the FY 2014 appropriations process. 

NASA has developed strong working relationships with the three agencies and is working 

closely with them as they develop implementation plans. NASA will bring its vast experience, 

as well as the people, resources, and facilities under its control into the Federal approach to 

STEM, and will ensure that its content is actively integrated into the Federal strategy. 

Enclosure 3 
NASA still has extensive education and outreach efforts that it will implement, including 

relationships with the National Space Grant consortia and through its Minority University 

Research and Education Project. Additionally, the Science Mission Directorate is revising its 

policy directives to ensure education and outreach activities funded by missions in FY 2014 are 

designed to inspire and engage students and the public, while still aligned with the 

Administration and the CoSTEM consolidation efforts. 

Enclosure 3 

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