The information on this website was
compiled by volunteers and does not represent the views of NASA or the Goddard administration. You should
always check with your lab and/or adviser as some information may be out of date or not applicable to your
situation.
This page was put together with both new and old employees in-mind! Do you see something incorrect or
missing? Let us know.
NASA URLs
Many of NASA's internal websites are inaccessible unless you are on-campus or VPN'd into the network. If you
run into a link that is taking you to a 404 or dead page, that may be the issue. If you are on the network
and still run into problems then you may have found a dead link. We would appreciate it if you reported
those using this form!
Goddard Internal Website
Goddard has its own internal website (must be on the NASA network to access). A lot of up-to-date,
center-specific information can be found on it: internal.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Looking for a colleague's email or phone number? Try looking for them on this
site.
Other Topics
Click on any of the topics below to learn more about them.
Welcome to NASA Goddard! We look forward to meeting you and hope you have a smooth transition into
your new position.
Everyone's situation is different but starting a new position can be
challenging in a lot of ways. Especially for those moving to the area from a different state or
country. We are here to help! We recommend staying in touch and directing any questions or concerns
to your adviser and/or lab chief as well as the primary contact for your contractor (if applicable).
They will be able to provide the best advise for your specific situation. However, if you have any
questions or would just like to chat with fellow early career folks then feel free to contact one of
the NGAPS+ officers and we will try to help you directly or get
you in contact with someone who can better answer your questions.
NGAPS+ Code of Conduct
We expect all NGAPS+ members to abide by our code of conduct.
This code was created to promote and ensure a safe,
respectful, inclusive environment for all NGAPS+ members and associates, regardless of work affiliation
(civil servants, contractors, university co-op scientists, NASA Postdoctoral Program fellows, interns, etc.)
to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), job title, or field.
Create an Email Signature and Update Your NASA Bio
Your NASA Bio page will be a one-stop-shop for NASA management (and external collaborators) to learn more
about you and your research. Keeping it updated will ensure that everyone learns the most up-to-date information
about you. We have put together a short guide on how you can update this page.
This document also describes how you can make an email signature in Microsoft Outlook. These signatures can
link to your NASA bio and any other page you want. This again makes it easier for those you interact with to
quickly learn more about you and your work. This guide was last updated in Fall 2021.
Foreign National Info
Moving to live and work in a new country is incredibly exciting, but it can also be a confusing time when it comes to understanding the different steps needed to move, settle and function in the new place.
It is for this reason that NGAPS+ has created an Informal Guide for Foreign Nationals (FNs) - defined here as non-US citizens - which consists of tips and knowledge gained from other foreign nationals who have already been through the process.
Primarily intended for FNs who are either yet to arrive in the US, or those who may have recently arrived, we hope that this info relevant to all foreign nationals!
While new FNs will hopefully receive lots of useful advice from your advisor/employer and the informal guide mentioned above, we also know from experience that there are often things that your employer
can't help you with, they may forget to tell you, or you may have questions that you simply do not feel comfortable asking them. Our experience is that we typically gained most of our knowledge
informally through our peers and "word of mouth". It is for this reason that we decided to trial a new "buddy" system! We intend to match incoming or "new to the area" FNs with a more established FN
"buddy" who can act as an informal guide to help you with any questions you have about life in the US, life in the DC area, where to find stuff at GSFC, etc. Your "buddy" will have already been through the same
process as you're going through and can hopefully pass on useful tips and advice to help you navigate any of the unique challenges you may face as a FN at GSFC.
New to the US and DC area, and looking for a FN “buddy”? Interested in signing up to be a volunteer and be connected with an incoming FN “buddy”? Sign up here using this form or by
emailing gsfc-ngaps-admin@lists.nasa.gov
Goddard Nomenclature
Building numbers on the Goddard campus are based on when that building's construction
started
and has nothing to do with location. For example, B12 is right next to B36 (36 is just much
newer).
Some buildings are attached to one another like the large fabrication buildings: 7, 10, 15,
and
29.
Getting to Campus
There are four primary gates to get onto campus:
Main Gate - connects the front side of Goddard to Greenbelt Rd. Not too far from the
I-495
ramp, good if you are headed to/from the South.
The Main gate is the only gate you can enter if you do not have a visitor
or regular
badge: Visit the badging
office before coming onto campus.
North-West or "Explorer Road" Gate - connects the back side of Goddard to the
Baltimore-Washington Pkwy with pretty easy access to I-495 if you are headed to/from
the North.
North-East or "Hubble Road" Gate - connects the back side of Goddard to Soil
Conservation Rd.
This road eventually leads to the Baltimore-Washington Pkwy farther north than the
previous gate.
Ideal if headed to/from Laurel or Columbia Maryland.
South or "ICESAT Road" Gate - connects the front side of Goddard to Greenbelt Rd a
few blocks east of the main gate. It is good
if you are headed to/from Bowie, MD. The Goddard
visitor's center is just outside this gate.
Check out the living @Goddard page for more info about getting
around
the DC area.
Goddard Campus Map
A latest version of the campus map can be found using the links on the left-hand-side this site (internal website).
Picnic Pavilion located
behind
the child development center (near Building 18).
The Pavilion has picnic tables that can comfortably seat at least 50 people and in
early
2016 the Pavilion will be updated with both new tables and new charcoal grills.
NASA Gift Stores - There is a gift shop in Building 1 and the Visitor's Center. NASA
employees
who show their badge receive a 20% discount. Find hours and other info here.
General Info
Vending Machine Issue? Check out how to report a malfunction or request a refund here.
On-Campus Options
Cafe hours can be found here.
Nutritional facts and weekly menus can be found here.
Building 21 Main Cafeteria (Monday - Friday; 7am - 2:30pm). Lots of seating.
Building 1 Food Court (Monday - Friday; Hours vary): Subway, Starbucks, Hana Noodles &
Sushi,
ILC Mexican grill. Lots of seating.
Building 33 Grab & Go Cafe (Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 2:30pm. Limited seating.
Building 34 Grab & Go Cafe (Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 2:30pm. Limited seating.
IL Creations offers catering for events, find out more info at the bottom of this page.
Off-Campus Options
Check out this map
for some recommendations of local restaurants.
The NGAPS+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee has put
together three guides to help you better understand compensation, taxes, and benefits that affect early career
scientists as well as tips to plan for your retirement. These resources were put together
by volunteers for informational purposes only. They are not official NASA GSFC
recommendations, and GSFC is not responsible for the conditions and accuracy of the
information provided. None of the volunteers who put these together were tax experts or financial planners.
We recommend using them as starting points but then to do your own research and consult experts before
making final decisions. Content and links found in these documents were compiled in Summer of 2021.
The NGAPS+ community has put together some information for current students or those who think they
may be applying or attending graduate school in the near future.
Check out our Applying and Surviving Graduate School Guide.
GSFC is broken up into codes that generally follow the format XYZ. Where X =
Directorate level, Y = Division level, Z = Laboratory level. Occasionally there will be an
additional decimal like 0.O, this usually represents a special office (generally Admin &
Support).
Overall Division Structure
Code 600 - Sciences and Exploration Directorate - Org Chart
The above listings were made with code 600 staff in mind. Goddard also has several other
directorates (full
listing).
Code 100 - Office of Goddard Space Flight Center's Director
Code 110 - Human Resources Office
Code 120 - Equal Opportunity Programs Office
Code 130 - Office of Communications
Code 140 - Office of Chief Counsel
Code 150 - Office of Chief Financial Officer
Code 160 - Office of Education
Code 200 - Management Operations
Code 300 - Safety & Mission Assurance
Code 400 - Flight Projects
Code 500 - Applied Engineering & Technology
Code 600 - Sciences & Exploration
Code 700 - Information Technology & Communications
Code 800 - Suborbital & Special Orbital Projects
Below is the contact information for 660 and 690's IT help desks. Other divisions may have their own
resources, but feel free to contact these folks and ask to be directed to the correct
department.
When contacting the help desk, in order to expedite the process, please include your name, code,
operating system, machine name, and description of the issue you are having. Also include any
relevant software and any troubleshooting steps you may have already tried.
Solar System Exploration Division (Code 690) IT Help Desk
The approved NASA tools website: https://approvedtools.nasa.gov/ (internal/vpn site),
is a quick way to look up if a piece of software is approved to be used on the NASA network or NASA computers. For example, if you go to
that site and look up "chat" you will learn about various software approved to use for instant messaging like Microsoft Teams.
We expect all NGAPS+ members to abide by our code of conduct.
This Code represents a chance for NGAPS+ co-officers and members to clearly profess our values and our goals for a more equitable, ethical, and compassionate workplace.
This code was created to promote and ensure a safe,
respectful, inclusive environment for all NGAPS+ members and associates, regardless of work affiliation
(civil servants, contractors, university co-op scientists, NASA Postdoctoral Program fellows, interns, etc.)
to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), job title, or field.
LGBTQ+ Support and Networking
LGBTQ Lunch is held on the second Tuesday of each month at 12:30 and rotate between buildings
(B1, B33, B21, B34). Contact one of our social officers for more
information and exact locations.
Cooperative agreements (Co-ops) are formal agreements between lead organizations and NASA. Each
agreement usually has one lead organization and then several partner organizations. Each
agreement outlines the science topical areas where the agreement is to operate. Transitioning
means that a cooperative agreement will hire you as an employee, but your adviser will be
required to allocate funds to pay your salary.
If you feel like transitioning to a cooperative agreement is the next step after your NPP, you
should discuss co-op options with your adviser at the end of the 1st year in the NPP program.
Your advisor must have funding to apply to the cooperative agreement in order to support the
contract.
During your transition, allow plenty of time to resolve any unforeseen
issues. A US citizen can take a couple of months, 60 days or much sooner depending upon the
employment process for the cooperative agreement. A foreign national can take 100 business days
or more.
NASA Postdoctoral Program fellows are not limited to cooperative
agreements after the second year. For example, you can stay on as 3rd year NPP fellows or look
for employment in the academic community. Talk to your adviser about what might be best for
you.
NGAPS+ Advocates
NGAPS+ code of conduct discusses various reporting mechanisms available to early career
scientists in the case of a breach of the code of conduct or when other concerns arise.
One of these mechanisms are NGAPS+ internal and external advocates.
These are trusted allies that you can rely on to offer advice on any problems you face and to guide you through the
process of escalating / officially reporting the concern should you decide to. They are also good mentorship resources if you ever
have general questions about working at GSFC.
Internal Advocates are a subset of NGAPS+ members and co-officers who have chosen to become “allies” for those who wish
to report an incident. They serve as unofficial points of conduct and can provide support and guidance. NGAPS+ Advocates can
respond to misconduct through NGAPS+ (e.g., removing an individual from an event) or can support you through the process if you
choose to escalate a matter (whether related specifically to NGAPS+ or not) to more official channels. They can also provide advice
and mentorship.
External Advocates are chosen from non-early career Goddard employees who have demonstrated strong support for early career
scientists in the past. They can provide similar guidance as that given by NGAPS+ Advocates, though in some cases may be bound by
additional reporting requirements.
