NASA Advisory Council Recommendation 

Education and Public Outreach Funding 

for NASA Science Mission Directorate 

2013-03-02 (SC-02) 

Recommendation: The Council recommends that NASA restore the original Education and 

Public Outreach funding to all NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) programs. 

Major Reasons for Proposing the Recommendation: SMD's Education and Public Outreach 

(EPO) efforts have been critical to the national interest and have proved to be effective in 

communicating science and inspiring and educating the public. The EPO funding situation 

remains ambiguous. Budgetary authority was removed from all of the NASA EPO programs, 

but because of the Continuing Resolution, SMD was able to authorize a small fraction of its 

EPO programs to continue. Restoration by NASA across all SMD EPO programs is needed to 

fulfill NASA's vibrant and highly effective mission of education and public outreach. 

Consequences of No Action on the Proposed Recommendation: The nation is already 

losing a critical and inspirational opportunity for involving our citizens in science. NASA has 

previously trained a capable EPO workforce directly involved in NASA's missions that is 

already being lost. This incredible capability, developed over more than a decade, will 

disappear in a much shorter amount of time. 

NASA Response: 

NASA partially concurs with the recommendation. As previously noted in response to prior 

NAC recommendations (2013-02-08 (EPOC-02) and 2013-02-09 (EPOC-03)), NASA 

recognizes the value of education and outreach activities conducted by the Science Mission 

Directorate (SMD) and other Agency offices and Mission Directorates. 

On September 5, 2013, the NASA Executive Council issued direction EC-2013-09-001, 

directing Mission Directorates, Centers, and offices to continue executing education and public 

outreach activities as approved by the Communications and Education process under the 

FY 2013 appropriations structure. The Agency is still adjusting its education portfolio in 

alignment with the White House National Science and Technology Council's Committee on 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) strategic plan. On 

the same day, further guidance was released by the Associate Administrators for Education and 

Communication describing the process to review and approve activities during a continuing 

resolution. Authority for approval of SMD education activities during this period was 

delegated to the SMD Education Lead. 

Consistent with the Administration and CoSTEM efforts to coordinate science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) efforts across the U.S. Government, the Associate 

Administrator for Education utilizes the NASA Education Coordinating Council (ECC) to 

review the Agency's investments in STEM education and to prioritize the education portfolio. 

The Science, Human Exploration and Operations, Aeronautics Research, and Space 

Enclosure 
Technology Mission Directorates each has identified a Headquarters Education Lead, who is 

responsible for the coordination of all education activities funded by their directorates. These 

efforts are brought into the Agency-wide education portfolio through the ECC. 

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Education activities occurring after January 15, 2014, are subject to guidance provided to the 

Agency through the FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriation. The ECC is reviewing the guidance and 

will provide recommendations to the Associate Administrator for Education on modifications 

and implementation strategies for the portfolio.