Jim Green Clarifies Travel Policy for LPSC 2013

NASA Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green sent a message to the planetary science community today trying to clarify the impact of the new NASA travel regulations on NASA-funded participation in the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference being held this week.

Green said that anyone traveling to the conference using grant money is OK.  “To be perfectly clear, all those traveling to [LPSC] this week using funding on a NASA GRANT please go to the meeting. You are exempt for now from these restrictions.”

As for NASA and JPL employees, the bottom line is that no news is good news.   ” If you have any questions about whether this applies to you or not and have not received work [sic] from NASA please assume that you have permission to attend the meeting.”

Green’s message comes in response to new guidance announced by NASA last week about the impact of the sequester on NASA operations, including participation in conferences.   It was issued as a Special Edition of the Planetary Exploration Newsletter (PEN), a service provided by the Planetary Science Institute.  The full text of Green’s message is as follows:

PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER – SPECIAL EDITION

Volume 7, Number 12 (March 17, 2013)

PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org

Editor: Mark V. Sykes

Co-Editors: Melissa Lane, Susan Benecchi

Email: pen_editor at psi.edu

LPSC TRAVEL CONFUSION UNDER THE SEQUESTER

James L. Green, Director, Planetary Science Division, NASA HQ

Recent guidance has come from the Administration that needs

interpretation relative to supporting travel for all NASA activities.

These rules will go into effect on March 19, 2013. We are in the

process of executing all elements of the guidance and will notify

those that are affected. For instance, we have worked with all the

NASA Centers and JPL employees and have completed an approved list

of attendees. We are working on other clarifications that will be

issued as soon as possible. If you have any questions about whether

this applies to you or not and have not received work from NASA please

assume that you have permission to attend the meeting.

To be perfectly clear, all those traveling to the Lunar and Planetary

Science Conference this week using funding on a NASA GRANT please go to

the meeting. You are exempt for now from these restrictions.