In this Section
FAQs for Advisors
General Information | Funding | Eligibility | Appointments | Travel
General Information
Who do I contact for more information?
Advisors should send questions to Martha.Hammond@orau.org or Larry.Voorhees@orau.org.
Who administers the NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP)?
The program is administered for NASA by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry.
How does someone become an NPP Advisor?
An Advisor must be associated with a ‘research opportunity’ that meets the goals and missions of the current research at a Center. The interested person should contact the NPP Center Representative to provide the research opportunity and to discuss the desire to become an Advisor. The NPP Center Representative will provide the approved research opportunity and Advisor’s name and contact information to ORAU for posting on the NPP Web site.
Can research opportunities be restricted to U.S. citizens only?
Yes, due to the nature of the research at a Center or the difficulty in obtaining security clearances for visitors and program participants, research opportunities can be designated “For U.S. citizens Only.” In some cases, it may be appropriate to restrict the opportunity to U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents.
What is the role of the NPP Advisor?
The NPP Advisor serves as a mentor and professional colleague, but does not act as a supervisor. The Advisor will guide the Fellow in all aspects of the research or management activities and help to acquire office space and equipment, as well as provide information on security, safety, expected attendance schedules, and other requirements of the assigned facility.
What is the role of an NPP Advisor in the application review?
A two-stage review process is used; i.e., (1) NASA Center Review (performed by the Advisor) and (2) Peer Review. The Advisor reviews the technical merit of the application, as well as how well the proposed research would support NASA’s missions and goals. Questions addressed by the Advisors include:
- Are the proposed objectives realistic?
- Does the proposal reflect innovative thinking?
- Is the technical work plan sound, and does it incorporate state-of-the-art methods?
- Can the research be accomplished in the proposed timeframe?
- Does the proposed research have relevance to NASA’s mission?
- Do you recommend the proposal for review, and if not, explain why.
Applications recommended by the Advisor for review are evaluated by at least three peer reviewers. The Advisor’s review becomes part of the application that is peer reviewed and is, therefore, analogous to a ‘reference’ from the Center.
To what degree should an applicant confer with the Advisor before submitting an application?
An applicant should communicate directly with the Advisor for the research opportunity before writing a proposal. The Advisor can provide more specific information on current research and available technical facilities, whether or not the research opportunity is open to foreign nationals, and offer scientific support for proposal development.
Funding
Can I fund an NPP Fellow with grant funds?
Yes, Fellowships may be funded by an Advisor’s project funds. The NPP candidate must meet the Program’s selection criteria, and the Advisor and the NPP Center Representative must ensure that the funds have been placed onto the NPP contract. Even though NPP appointments are made for a period of one year, they are expected to be renewed for a second year (and possibly a third), assuming acceptable performance by the Fellow and continued relevance of the research to NASA’s goals and missions. Therefore, funding should be identified to support the Fellowship appointment for a minimum of two years. Funds may be placed on the contract for one year at a time. The NPP Center Representative and NASA Headquarters can advise you on how funds are placed onto the contract.
What does it cost to support an NPP Fellow?
The costs for NPP Fellows can vary widely, depending on several factors; e.g., when the person received the Ph.D., degree discipline, relocation costs, type of medical insurance coverage, etc. First-year total costs could be as low as $65,000 or more than $150,000. The NPP Center Representative can request cost estimates for an eligible candidate from ORAU.
Can a Fellow be funded for less than a full third year?
Yes, an appointment may be renewed for less than a full third year; however, funds may be added to the NPP contract only one time in order to cover the third-year cost; i.e., an appointment may not be renewed for a few months at a time during the third year of the Fellowship.
Are publication charges covered by the award?
Publication charges are not a part of the NPP award budget. Such costs should be provided by the NPP Advisor’s project funds or host facility. The Fellow should discuss the host facility’s publication policy with the NASA Advisor and the NPP Center Representative.
Does the program provide funds for purchasing equipment, software, books, etc., needed for the proposed research?
Anticipated research needs and special requirements necessary to conduct the proposed research should be identified in the NPP application (see the Research Proposal section of the application). The NPP Advisor or NASA Center must provide all hardware, software, books, publication charges, printing/laminating of posters and or handouts for presentations at conferences or meetings, professional society membership fees, and other equipment needed for the proposed research. Programmatic funds (e.g., travel budget) cannot be used to pay for these and other items needed for the proposed research.
Eligibility
How long is an applicant eligible for an award?
Applications that are reviewed favorably remain eligible for awards for one year from the application deadline.
Can foreign national apply without the correct visa status?
Yes, an applicant may apply for a Fellowship without having the correct visa status at the time the application is submitted; however, if an applicant receives an award, he/she may not begin the appointment without having either a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status, an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) pending LPR status, or a J-1 visa status as a Research Scholar.
What is the difference between the NASA Postdoctoral Research Program and the NASA Postdoctoral Management Program, and who is eligible for each?
The NASA Postdoctoral Management Program is an adjunct to the NASA Postdoctoral Research Program and is designed to provide valuable research management experience for some of the Research Program Fellows. A Fellow must have at least one year of experience as a Research Program participant before he/she can apply to the Postdoctoral Management Program.
Who decides if an applicant is selected for an NPP Fellowship?
Each NASA Center makes selections based on NASA’s needs, available funding, and the application review results of the pool of candidates. An applicant must achieve a minimum score to be eligible for an award. The NPP Center Representative communicates the award decisions to ORAU. ORAU notifies the applicant of the Centers’ decisions.
What are the eligibility requirements for the program?
Fellowships are available to U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens who have J-1 visa status as a Research Scholar, Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status, or have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with pending LPR status. An H-1B Visa status is not acceptable, because the NPP is not an employment program. Non-U.S. citizens selected for an appointment must contact ORAU concerning their visa status and provide evidence that they have the required status before they can begin an NPP appointment. See Section 13, Non-U.S. citizens, in the NPP Policies and Procedures for more information.
A Fellow must complete all requirements for a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctorate degree before beginning the Fellowship.
NPP Fellows are eligible for another award five years after the end of the previous appointment.
Is any special documentation required from non-U.S. citizens who are selected for an appointment?
Non-U.S. citizens with either a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status, an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) pending LPR status, or a J-1 visa status as a Research Scholar are eligible to receive an NPP Fellowship. Non-U.S. citizens selected for an appointment must contact ORAU concerning their visa status and provide evidence that they have the required status before they can begin an NPP appointment.
Appointments
How long is an NPP Fellowship appointment and what is the process for requesting a renewal?
A Fellowship appointment is awarded for a 12-month period. The appointment may be renewed two times for a total of three years, contingent upon the approval of NASA, the research needs of the Center or facility, and the availability of funds. (Note: NPP Fellowships associated with the NAI are generally limited to a total of two years.) The first and second years of the appointment are typically supported by NPP programmatic funds. Support for a third year, however, is generally provided by the NPP Advisor’s project funds. The renewal process must be initiated by the Fellow with the Advisor at least two months prior to the Fellow's appointment termination date. The Fellow completes an Application for Renewal form, and the Advisor completes the Advisor Evaluation of Fellow form. The Advisor sends the completed forms to the NPP Center Representative for final approval and submission to ORAU.
What determines the start and end dates for the Fellowship, and can they be changed?
The appointment start date (the first day a Fellow reports to the appointment facility to officially begin the appointment) should be within a few weeks or no later than six months from the date of the ORAU Offer Letter. The Offer Letter will include the approximate start date that the Fellow provides for the appointment. If there are special circumstances, such as visa requirements, that require a Fellow to change the start date, he/she must notify the NPP Advisor, the NPP Center Representative, and ORAU to obtain approval.
The termination or end date is the last day the Fellow will be at the appointment facility. It may be amended for early departure or for appointment renewals.
Is a security clearance required before beginning an NPP Fellowship?
NASA Centers require a security clearance before a Fellow may start an appointment. The Fellow will be notified in advance by the Center regarding security clearance requirements.
Who takes care of the security requirements, badging, and computer access for a new Fellow?
The Advisor should work with the NPP Center Representative to obtain the required security clearances, computer access, and badge for NPP Fellows.
Can an NPP Fellow receive a monetary award or some other type of award for professional recognition?
NPP Fellows can receive a plaque or certificate of appreciation or recognition, but are not allowed to receive monetary awards in any form for research being supported by the NPP Fellowship.
NPP Fellows are not allowed to supplement their stipends through simultaneous employment, grants, or other sources of income that compete with the Fellowship activities.
NASA requires that the Fellow be fully involved in the research and educational opportunities available in the NPP appointment. During the appointment, the Fellow may not provide services for compensation to a third party. Awards, prizes, review panel honoraria, scholarships, Veterans Administration benefits, sabbatical leave compensation, and any other payments may be accepted by an NPP Fellow, provided these payments do not represent dual payment for the research being supported by the NPP Fellowship. Monetary awards given by the Center for ‘research activities’ may not be accepted.
What if the Fellow has an accident while engaged in activities related to the appointment?
Fellows are covered by accident and death/dismemberment insurance (worker's compensation-type insurance), which covers him/her while engaged in official research/research management activities related to the appointment. This insurance covers allowable expenses that are not covered by a personal health insurance policy. Fellows must immediately report any injury received while engaged in appointment-related research/research management activities to the Advisor, the NPP Center Representative, and the ORAU NPP Director.
Does a Fellow earn vacation or sick leave during the appointment?
Fellows are not employees; therefore, there are no employment-related benefits such as paid vacations, sick leave, or unemployment compensation. With the approval of the NPP Advisor and the NPP Center Representative, however, a Fellow may be excused from participation for brief periods due to illness, personal emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances.
A Fellow may be excused for personal leave for a brief period of time without cessation of his or her stipend, provided the leave and the continuation of the stipend are pre-approved by the Advisor and NPP Center Representative at least two weeks in advance. The NPP Center Representative must notify ORAU of the approved time away from the Center and the continuation of the stipend prior to the start date of the personal leave.
NASA will grant maternity leave approved by the Advisor and NPP Center Representative, but the stipend will be suspended during this time. Also, the Fellow must pay the full insurance premium while on maternity leave; i.e., NASA’s portion and the Fellow’s portion of the premium combined. The Fellow’s appointment will be extended by the number of days of approved maternity leave.
Can NPP Fellows submit grant proposals and serve as Principal Investigators during an NPP appointment?
NPP Fellows are not allowed to supplement their stipends through simultaneous employment, grants, or other sources of income that compete with the Fellowship activities. During their appointments, NPP Fellows shall perform the research activities stated in the proposal submitted with the NPP application.
NASA discourages NPP Fellows to generate and submit proposals in the first year of the appointment, because they are expected to focus on the research proposed in the NPP applications and publish the results in peer-reviewed journals. The NPP Fellows’ Advisors and host NASA Centers or institutions provide the required office, laboratory space, instruments, computers and access, data, supplies, books, publication charges, poster printing, etc., for the Fellow to promptly initiate their research upon their arrival. Therefore, the Fellow shall not need to secure funds to facilitate the research proposed on the application.
NASA understands that proposal writing is part of a science career, and, therefore, Fellows may desire to generate proposals during the second year of the appointment. Since the Fellow does not have an institution affiliation (an institution is needed for proposal submission and funds administration), the NPP Advisor should serve as the official Principal Investigator and the associated NASA Center or affiliated institution should administer the funds. The Fellow may be named Science PI. Funds cannot be used to supplement the Fellow’s NPP stipend.
What is the process for an NPP Fellow to be named Science PI on a proposal submitted to the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)?
If submitting to a NASA solicitation through Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), the NPP Fellow can be named as the Science Principal Investigator (Science PI) or Co-Investigator (Co-I) in the “Add a Team Member” and be provided all the privileges. This should ensure credit for the proposal. In other venues the Fellow may be named as Co-I.
During proposal submission in NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com), the PI can go to the "Add Team Member" page, choose “Co-I/Science PI” on the “Role” drop list, and assign the team member with the needed privileges (Proposal Summary, Business Data, Budget, Program Specific Data, Team Members, and Proposal Attachments).
The NPP Fellow should be referred to in the proposal as a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow with a guest researcher appointment at the appropriate host NASA Center or facility. Oak Ridge Associated Universities should not be referred to in the proposal, except (if needed) as the organization that administers the Postdoctoral Program for NASA.
Can an NPP Fellow serve as a ‘peer reviewer’ on a proposal in NSPIRES?
NASA has invited NPP Fellows to volunteer to serve as peer reviewers through the NSPIRES process. When registering on NSPIRES, the Fellows should “affiliate” themselves with the NASA Center at which they reside, not with ORAU. Also, the Fellows should identify themselves in NSPIRES as peer reviewers, rather than principal investigators.
Can NPP Fellows receive compensation from other sources during a Fellowship appointment?
No. NPP Fellows must devote their efforts entirely to the NASA-sponsored research program for which the award was made. An NPP Fellow may not receive funding from another appointment, Fellowship, scholarship, or similar grant during the term of the appointment. NPP Fellows may contribute to proposals as long as the proposed research directly supports the NPP Fellowship appointment, but may not receive compensation for the contributions.
What if the Fellow needs to terminate the appointment before the official end date?
The Fellow must immediately inform the Advisor, the NPP Center Representative, and ORAU. This written notification should be submitted at least 60 days before the early termination date.
If the Fellow terminates the initial appointment with fewer than twelve months of participation, he/she must repay in full any reimbursed relocation expenses and/or stipend advance he/she may have received. The Fellow must also submit a Final Report and settle any outstanding travel expense statements.
Are there guidelines regarding copyrights and patents?
Guidelines and procedures for copyrights and patents should be discussed with the NASA Advisor and NPP Center Representative at the start of the appointment. See Section 2, Publications, Copyrights, Patents, in the NPP Policies and Procedures for more information.
Can there be a break between the second and third years?
No, the appointment must be continuous; therefore, a break between appointment years is not allowed.
Travel
Is professional and programmatic travel paid for during the Fellowship appointment?
Yes. The NPP Fellowship appointment provides $8,000 per appointment year for travel to professional meetings and conferences; to gather research-related data at field sites or observatories; and for required training (including registration fees) related to the research. Any books, workbooks, software, equipment, or other materials required for training, which are not included in the registration fee, must be provided by the NPP Advisor or host facility. Also, travel funds cannot be used to purchase equipment, software, books; pay membership fees in professional societies, publication charges, printing/laminating of posters and/or handouts for presentations at conferences and meetings; or purchase other materials and supplies.
Can I add funds to a Fellow’s travel budget?
NPP Fellows have an annual travel budget of $8,000. Additional funds may not be added to the Fellow’s travel budget. For unusual cases where an NPP Fellow requires additional travel funds, the NASA Center must issue invitational travel orders and cover the expenses. NPP Fellows traveling on invitational travel orders are still required to submit an approved Travel Authorization Request (TAR) to Oak Ridge Associated Universities, but they should indicate on the TAR that the trip will be at “zero cost” and indicate the name of the funding source.
Are the unused travel funds from a previous year carried over when the appointment is renewed?
Yes.
Can a Fellow have personal travel during the appointment?
All personal travel must be coordinated through ORAU and pre-approved by the NPP Advisor and NPP Center Representative at the facility. If the stipend is to be continued during the personal leave, the NPP Center Representative must provide ORAU with approval of the personal travel and the continuation of the stipend at least two weeks in advance of the departure date. If a non-U.S. citizen Fellow and plans to travel outside the United States, he/she must have the proper documents needed to re-enter the United States. See Section 10, Travel During Appointment, of the NPP Policies and Procedures for more information.
How far in advance should the Fellow submit an approved Travel Authorization Request (TAR) to ORAU?
For domestic travel within the U.S., the Fellow should submit the approved TAR request at least 2 weeks in advance. For foreign travel, submit the approved request at least 3 weeks prior to the departure date.