August 2021
What does “STTR” stand for?
A. Small Technology Transfer Research
B. Supporting Technology Transfer Recipients
C. Small Business Technology Transfer (Correct Answer)
D. Science and Technology Teaching Resources
True or False: “IP” is short for “investor potential.”
A. True
B. False (Correct Answer) — Typically this is an acronym for “intellectual property.”
What does “TM” stand for?
A. Technology Manager (Correct Answer)
B. Technology Moderator
C. Technology Modifier
D. Technology Magician
July 2021
Which patented Goddard technology with applications in cooling electronics was licensed to a Florida-based company called Protodromics LLC in 2020?
A. SpaceCube
B. MERRA Analytic Services
C. Lotus Coating
D. Microscale Electrohydrodynamic Pump (Correct Answer)
True or False: There is only one type of license agreement available to licensees of Goddard technology.
A. True
B. False (Correct Answer) — License agreements can take multiple forms, such as evaluation licenses or exclusive licenses.
What type of technology did Goddard license to Concentric Real Time LLC for search and rescue applications?
A. Spectrometer
B. Receiver (Correct Answer)
C. Radiometer
D. Altimeter
June 2021
Which Goddard-developed software won NASA’s Software of the Year Award in 2020?
A. NOS^3
B. NASTRAN
C. cFS (Correct Answer)
D. GMSEC
True or False: Goddard-invented Aeropods won a Federal Labs Consortium Award in 2020.
A. True (Correct Answer)
B. False
Which Goddard-developed technology won NASA’s Invention of the Year Award in 2019?
A. Compact Thermal Imager
B. Molecular Adsorber Coating
C. Aeropods
D. Modulated X-Ray Source (Correct Answer)
April/May 2021
Who is responsible for reviewing your NTR?
A. Strategic Partnerships Office (Correct Answer)
B. Office of the Chief Technologist
C. Office of General Counsel
D. Software developers
True or False: You only need to submit an NTR if you plan to release your software publicly.
A. True
B. False (Correct Answer) — Any time you develop new software or update existing software, you need to report it through a New Technology Report.
Which one of these entities does NOT need to review your software release package?
A. 508 Compliance
B. Office of General Counsel
C. Office of Small Business Programs (Correct Answer)
D. IT Security
March 2021
Who is responsible for choosing a software release level?
A. Strategic Partnerships Office
B. Interested parties external to NASA
C. Office of General Counsel
D. Software developers (Correct Answer)
True or False: You must submit an NTR before you can begin the software release process.
A. True (Correct Answer) — Your New Technology Report kicks off the entire software release process.
B. False
Who needs to review your Software Release Request Application?
A. IT Security Office
B. Office of General Counsel
C. Export Control Office
D. All of the above (Correct Answer)
February 2021
What does “prior art” mean in the context of pursuing a patent?
A. Prototypes of the claimed invention
B. Pre-existing references or documents that can help determine the novelty and non-obviousness of the claimed invention (Correct Answer)
C. Patent illustrations that have the same or similar name as the claimed invention
D. Artwork of the claimed invention created prior to submission of the patent application
True or False: The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 fundamentally changed technology transfer in the United States.
A. True (Correct Answer)
B. False
What is the name for the process that turns an invention into a product that can be manufactured and sold by the private sector?
A. Commercialization (Correct Answer)
B. Transfiguration
C. Spinification
D. Privatization
January 2021
Which of these is NOT a way you can benefit from participating in technology transfer?
A. Inventors share in royalties from licensed inventions
B. Inventors can earn awards related to technology transfer
C. Inventors can win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas (Correct Answer)
D. Inventors positively contribute to society by helping “spinoff” NASA innovations
True or False: The SBIR/STTR program has a “blackout” period where innovators should not communicate with applicants.
A. True (Correct Answer) — For more information on the SBIR/STTR program schedule, contact quenton.bonds@nasa.gov.
B. False
If you are contacted by SPO, what should you do?
A. Begin negotiations with them
B. Contact SPO (Correct Answer)
C. Tell them your technology isn’t available
D. Ignore them
December 2020
Which of these is NOT a technology category used in NASA Technology Transfer Program’s patent portfolio?
A. Manufacturing
B. Artificial Intelligence (Correct Answer)
C. Health, Medicine, and Biotechnology
D. Optics
True or False: Since 1976, NASA has documented more than 2,000 spinoff technologies.
A. True — Visit https://spinoff.nasa.gov to read more about NASA innovations that have turned into commercial products.
B. False
What is the name of NASA’s program for startup companies to license technologies with no up-front costs?
A. Launching Startups
B. Tech Matchup
C. Tech for Small Business
D. Startup NASA (Correct Answer)
November 2020
As of November 2020, how many software packages does Goddard have listed in NASA’s online software catalog?
A. 102
B. 136
C. 155 (Correct Answer)
D. 187
True or False: Innovators will receive aware money for winning NASA’s Software of the Year or Invention of the Year awards.
A. True — In fact, innovators can be eligible for award money just for participating in the nomination process. Please see SPO’s website for more information.
B. False
What Goddard-developed software won NASA’s Software of the Year Aware in 2020?
A. core Flight System (Correct Answer)
B. Worldview
C. General Mission Analysis Tool
D. Core Hierarchical Segmentation Software Package
October 2020
Which Spinoff was recently inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame?
A. Improved Firefighters Breathing System
B. Audio Conference Bridge Technology (Correct Answer)
C. Liquid Cooled Garments
D. Cochlear Implant
You should only contact SPO with questions AFTER submitting your NTR.
A. True
B. False – It often saves both you and SPO time if you get in touch with any questions before sending your NTR. (Correct Answer)
What is the name of SPO’s achievement-based program to recognize innovator participation in technology transfer?
A. Tech Transfer Experts Program
B. Achievers in Innovation Program
C. Innovation Genius Program
D. Master Innovator Program (Correct Answer)
September 2020
What type of intellectual property protection is used for creative works, such as novels, screenplays, or poems?
A. Trademark
B. Copyright (Correct Answer)
C. Patent
D. Trade Secret
Publishing your work in a paper is enough to protect it legally.
A. True
B. False –You need to disclose innovations through New Technology Reports before publishing in order to protect your intellectual property. (Correct Answer)
What type of intellectual property protection is used to distinguish one product name or logo from another?
A. Trademark (Correct Answer)
B. Copyright
C. Patent
D. Trade Secret
August 2020
What year was Robert Goddard’s “Rocket Apparatus” invention patented?
A. 1909
B. 1912
C. 1914 (Correct Answer)
D. 1920
If your name is on the NTR, it will also be on the issued patent.
A. True
B. False – You only become an inventor if your invention is claimed in the issued patent. (Correct Answer)
Which of these is NOT important to include in a lab notebook?
A. Photos from your vacation (Correct Answer)
B. Specific dates and times
C. Names of contributors
D. Timeline of developments
July 2020
How many Phase I proposals did the NASA SBIR/STTR program select for funding in 2020?
A. 203
B. 325
C. 409 (Correct Answer)
D. 828
How many research institutions across the country are partnering with this year’s Phase I STTR recipients?
A. 18
B. 24
C. 39
D. 45 (Correct Answer)
What is the upper limit of funding that each 2020 Phase I company will receive?
A. $25,000
B. $75,000
C. $100,000
D. $125,000 (Correct Answer)
June 2020
As of June 1, 2020, how many NTRs have Goddard innovators submitted for Fiscal Year 2020?
A. 152
B. 193
C. 206 (Correct Answer)
D. 217
On June 1, 2019, how many NTRs had Goddard innovators submitted for Fiscal Year 2019?
A. 122 (Correct Answer)
B. 146
C. 189
D. 204
Compared to other NASA centers, where does Goddard currently rank in number of NTRs submitted for Fiscal Year 2020?
A. First Place
B. Second Place (Correct Answer)
C. Third Place
D. Fourth Place
May 2020
What is the name of the individual at each NASA center who is designated to address software release concerns and questions?
A. Administrator of Software Release (ASR)
B. Representative for Releasing Software (RRS)
C. Official Representative for Software (ORS)
D. Software Release Authority (SRA) (Correct Answer)
What does “SRRA” stand for?
A. Software Reconciling and Redistribution Award
B. Software Responsibility Request Advocate
C. Software Release Request Application (Correct Answer)
D. Software Repository and Release Administration
True or false: You don’t need to file a New Technology Report (NTR) before starting the software release process.
A. True
B. False – An NTR must be in place before you can move forward with releasing your software package. (Correct Answer)
April 2020
What Goddard technology transfer story was featured in the first edition of NASA’s Spinoff publication in 1976?
A. Transducers for artery screening (Correct Answer)
B. Cables for generator efficiency
C. Sensors for emission testing
D. Lasers for cauterizing wounds
True or false: Your invention will be better protected if you file an NTR before speaking publicly about it.
A. True – NTRs help establish a record of your invention, and they are the first step in protecting your invention with a patent. (Correct Answer)
B. False
What does “SAA” stand for?
A. Space Access for All
B. Spectrometer for Accountability Act
C. Sustaining Accelerometer Abilities
D. Space Act Agreement (Correct Answer)
March 2020
When did NASA first start printing Spinoff, an annual publication that highlights technology transfer success stories?
A. 1969
B. 1972
C. 1976 (Correct Answer)
D. 1980
True or false: inventors can be involved in the license negotiation process.
A. True
B. False (Correct Answer)
What does “SBIR” stand for?
A. Standard Business Innovation Routines
B. Simply the Best Inventions on Record
C. Starting Businesses In Robotics
D. Small Business Innovation Research (Correct Answer)
February 2020
How many NTRs do you need to submit to begin participating in the Master Innovator Program?
A. 1
B. 2 (Correct Answer)
C. 3
D. 4
Which NASA center invented the CMOS image sensor, now found in cell phone cameras?
A. Goddard
B. Langley
C. JPL (Correct Answer)
D. Marshall
Which Goddard code submitted the most NTRs in FY2018?
A. Code 550 (Correct Answer)
B. Code 580
C. Code 450
D. Code 560
January 2020
Which Goddard inventor is SPO’s annual technology transfer award named after?
A. Steve Curtis
B. James Kerley (Correct Answer)
C. Jeannette Benavides
D. Norden Huang
What form of intellectual property protection is most commonly used for Goddard technologies?
A. Trademark
B. Patent (Correct Answer)
C. Copyright
D. Trade Secret
Which of these Goddard technologies is protected with a trademark?
A. Recirculating Advanced Coupled-cavity Etalon Receiver (RACER)
B. Aeropod
C. Modulated X-ray Source (MXS)
D. SpaceCube (Correct Answer)
December 2019
What Goddard technology was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1988?
A. AeroPod
B. Groth Algorithm
C. Ingestible Thermometer Pill
D. NASA Structural Analysis Computer Software (Correct Answer)
Which of these examples is NOT a type of NASA patent license?
A. Nonprofit License (Correct Answer)
B. Commercial License
C. Startup NASA License
D. Evaluation License
How many years does it take for a U.S. patent to expire after the application is filed?
A. 5 years
B. 10 years
C. 15 years
D. 20 years (Correct Answer)
November 2019
In FY 2019, how many patents were granted to Goddard technologies?
A. 21
B. 31 (Correct Answer)
C. 41
D. 51
Which Goddard innovator received the 2018 James Kerley Award for excellence in technology transfer?
A. Keith Gendreau
B. Geoff Bland
C. Nithin Abraham (Correct Answer)
D. Mike Krainak
What federal institution collaborated with Goddard in 1982 to preserve thousands of aged books using Goddard’s thermal vacuum chamber?
A. Smithsonian Institution
B. Library of Congress (Correct Answer)
C. National Archives
D. National Agricultural Library
October 2019
How many people have been rescued as a result of Goddard’s Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT)?
A. 500 people
B. 5,500 people
C. 20,000 people
D. 30,000 people (Correct Answer)
Which NASA center submitted the most NTRs for the 2018 fiscal year?
A. Langley
B. Goddard
C. JPL (Correct Answer)
D. Ames
Which NASA centers work resulted in the creation of memory foam?
A. JPL
B. Johnson
C. Ames (Correct Answer)
D. Goddard