NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Principal Investigator (PI) Team Masters Forums are a collaborative effort between the Academy and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The purpose of these forums is to enable NASA’s PI-led mission teams to engage, share with, and learn from fellow practitioners from a broad range of science missions through their stories, shared experiences, and lessons learned.

PIs occupy a challenging role that is highly interactive and demands excellent communication skills, team building, and management. The Academy features first-person accounts from PIs, Project Scientists, Project Managers, and other veterans of PI-led missions to share their stories and transfer their knowledge.

NASA’s success depends on how well it develops, acquires, and uses knowledge. The PI Team Masters Forums are an adaptation of the popular Masters Forum format to meet a unique set of learning needs. The objectives of these forums are: to increase attendees’ understanding of program/project management, systems engineering, and science mission design best practices and lessons learned; to cultivate a community of reflective practitioners within teams; and to help solidify cross-organizational relationships in support of agency projects.