NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) have signed a memorandum of understanding affirming the agencies’ intent to continue their longstanding partnership in mutually beneficial research activities advancing space, Earth, biological, and physical sciences to further U.S. national space policy and promote the progress of science.

The agreement addresses a broad range of research and activities in many areas of science, engineering, and education central to both agencies’ missions.

Over the years, NASA and NSF have had a successful cooperative relationship that has supported further research and understanding related to a variety of disciplines. This includes research activities related to astrophysics, astrochemistry, planetary science, astrobiology, and heliophysics with the goal of understanding space weather, exoplanets, gravitational waves, and the origins of life.

Through the agreement, NASA and NSF will continue working together to advance NASA- and NSF-sponsored science programs in astrophysics, planetary science, astrobiology, quantum technology, heliophysics, and Earth science, with special emphasis on those activities that continue to make use of NSF-managed facilities, including those in the Antarctic. The agencies also will continue the NASA-NSF partnership for exoplanet research; coordinate efforts to enable a full integration of Earth’s ecosystem and biodiversity observations from ground-based, aerial, and space-based sensing systems; continue interagency efforts to develop a space weather research-to-operations-to-research framework to establish principles for interagency collaboration on advancing and predicting Sun-Earth space weather; and continue collaboration between the NSF and the ISSNL; among other activities.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.