I have to admit I don't know what "FFRDC" stands for - my guess is "Federally Funded Research and Development Center" - which is what Ames is anyhow, though I'm sure that there is some additional specific meaning to the acronym in this instance...

Apparently Hubbard did not follow the "proper" procedure - like there was a "proper" procedure to follow in trying to move Ames over to a JPL model in associaton with Bay Area Universities -

Cowing reported it at NASA Watch, but either its importance was lost on him, or he was cheering it on... As near as I could make out, the nut of it seemed to be that a NASA emplyee was worried about his pension, and claimed that a federal procurement regulation on open bidding applied - NASA management agreed, and Hubbard admitted to not following the regulation - If I remember right what Hubbard had taken was a tenative first step in the process

I guess you know the technology or the federal regs, and it is quite difficult to master both - a new experience for Hubbard, and for NASA as a whole in this regard...

I would be most interested in any details which you might provide... particualarly on what the legislation behind FFRDC is

ep