Langley Partnership FAQs

The Framework of NASA Langley Partnerships

NASA's Langley Research Center has outlined the operational definitions and pathways governing its collaborative relationships with external organizations. Under agency guidelines, the term partnership broadly encompasses contractual service providers, technology licensees, and companies engaged in joint aerospace research.

Mechanisms for Technology and Research Collaboration

External entities can collaborate with NASA through formal agreements, direct technology transfer initiatives, or the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs. These pathways enable mutual innovation, granting outside partners access to NASA patents while integrating commercial research into agency projects.

Addressing Strategic Technical Capability Gaps

NASA actively engages in these cooperative agreements to expand collaborative opportunities with domestic and international partners while addressing technical capability gaps essential to mission success. The model accelerates technology readiness across diverse aeronautical and space exploration initiatives.