The Office of Management and Budget has asked NASA to study the feasibility of transforming several of the space agency’s field centers into federally funded research and development centers to support the National Space Strategy and National Space Policy Directive 1, SpaceNews reported Thursday.
OMB included the proposal along with 30 other initiatives to reform and reorganize the federal government in a report published Thursday.
The report noted that an FFRDC operating model may help NASA align the agency’s priorities with workforce skills and promote an entrepreneurial culture meant to attract talent from the private sector.
Companies manage and maintain such centers for the federal government.
OMB wants the space agency to submit the findings of its study by the end of August and to also examine the possibility of implementing new programs and projects with the FFRDC structure.