Sponsors
The bill creates a university‑focused UARC to accelerate cis‑lunar and deep‑space research and expand student and academic opportunities, but it narrows who can participate and creates potential cost, transparency, and administrative risks that could limit competition and strain budgets.
Scientists, researchers, and mission planners will gain a dedicated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) that provides funded analyses and engineering support for cis‑lunar, deep‑space, and interplanetary missions, improving technical capacity for those programs.
Students, universities, and nonprofit research institutions will get expanded research and training opportunities and clearer pathways to partner with NASA through the UARC, increasing education and public‑sector research capacity.
Taxpayers and NASA programs will see research directed toward vetted technical capabilities because the Administrator must set technical requirements and hold the UARC accountable for quality, which can focus investments on mission‑relevant work.
Small businesses, many private‑sector firms, and nascent research organizations will be excluded or disadvantaged because participation is limited to universities, federally funded R&D centers, and nonprofits (and to accredited institutions), reducing competition for contracts and limiting private‑sector access.
Taxpayers and potential contractors face higher cost and lower transparency risks because the UARC structure allows for sole‑source awards (even if governed), which can reduce competitive procurement safeguards.
Taxpayers and NASA program budgets could be affected because creating and operating a new UARC will add administrative and program costs that may increase overall NASA spending or redirect existing funds.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs NASA to create a university‑affiliated research center to support cis‑lunar, deep‑space, and interplanetary research and to set rules for participation and contracting.
Introduced January 3, 2025 by Andrew S. Biggs · Last progress January 3, 2025
Requires the NASA Administrator to create a university-affiliated research center (UARC) to support cis-lunar, deep-space, and interplanetary research and missions, provide engineering analyses and technical support, and convene academic and private-sector partners. It directs NASA to adopt policies on participant selection, cooperative agreements and contracts, competitive and sole‑source awards, and technical accountability, and limits UARC participation to institutions of higher education, operators of federally funded R&D centers, and nonprofit research institutions. A separate short-title provision simply allows the law to be cited by name and makes no programmatic changes.