Appendix IX: Comments from the National 

 Aeronautics and Space Administration 



National Aeronautics and 

 Space Administration 

 Office of the Administrator 

 Washington, DC 20546-0001 



July 13, 2004 



Mr. Bryon Gordon 



Assistant Director, Education Workforce 



and Income Security Group 



U.S. General Accounting Office 



441 G Street NW 



Rm.5C47 



Washington. DC 20548 



Dear Mr. Gordon: 



NASA appreciates the opportunity to conunent on the drafl General Accounting 

 Office (GAO) report cntiUed, "Gender Issues: Women's Participation in the Sciences 

 Has Increased, but Agencies Need to Do More to Ensure Compliance with Title DC' 

 (GAO-04-639). 



We agree generally with the report's recommendation that "the Administrator of 

 NASA implement its compliance review program to ensure that compUance reviews of 

 grantees are periodically conducted," but suggest that the recommendation be revised to 

 recognize st^ we have akeady taken to address the issues you raise. 



The following paragraphs provide the suggested revisions to the report's 

 recommendation regarding NASA, as well as the current status and planned approach 

 for addressing this recommendation. 



B«-«mn,fndatlon: GAO recommends that to fully comply with Title DC regulations 

 the NASA Administrator should implement its compUance review program to 

 ensure that Title K compUance reviews of grantees are periodlcaHy conducted. 



TOs recommendation is consistent with current NASA poUcy on its administrative 

 mandates regarding equal opporwnity in NASA assisted and conducted programs and 

 activities. TOs recommendation validates and reinforces the miportance of acdvides 

 already underway at NASA to improve our compUance program for TiUe IX ot me 

 Education AmendmenU Act of 1972. 



We beUeve that NASA, while stiU pursuing important improvements in our 

 compliance activities regarding Title DC and other grant related equal opportumty laws, 

 has already made significant improvements in iB TiUe DC compliance program. To more 

 accurately describe our progress in implementing Title DC compUance poUcy, we 

 recommend revising the proposed recommendation in the following manner 



Page 45 



GAO-04-639 Gender Issues 



