Audit of SETI Institute (IG-19-011)
NASA Office of Inspector General National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Audits AUDIT OF SETI INSTITUTE March 6, 2019 Report No. IG-19-011 Office of Inspector General To report, fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement, contact the NASA OIG Hotline at 800-424-9183 or 800-535-8134 (TDD) or visit https://oig.nasa.gov/hotline.html. You can also write to NASA Inspector General, P.O. Box 23089, L’Enfant Plaza Station, Washington, D.C. 20026. The identity of each writer and caller can be kept confidential, upon request, to the extent permitted by law. To suggest ideas for or to request future audits contact the Assistant Inspector General for Audits at https://oig.nasa.gov/aboutAll.html. RESULTS IN BRIEF Audit of SETI Institute NASA Office of Inspector General Office of Audits March 6, 2019 IG-19-011 (A-18-010-00) WHY WE PERFORMED THIS AUDIT Supporting scientific and technological research to reveal the unknown about Earth, its Sun and solar system, and the universe for the benefit of humankind is an important part of NASA’s mission. In 2017, NASA spent approximately $600 million on this type of research largely through grants and cooperative agreements. Among these recipients is the SETI Institute, a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 to advance understanding of the universe through research into technosignatures, which includes the direct search for evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations using radio and optical telescopes. However, since that time the Institute’s work has expanded beyond technosignatures research to include astronomy and astrophysics, exoplanets, astrobiology, climate and geoscience, and planetary exploration.
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