The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), requested that the IDA
Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) establish a best practices document concerning Federal partnerships for scientific facilities,
infrastructure, and large instrumentation. Federal facility partnerships can be used to leverage the resources of two or more Federal departments or
agencies to develop a project of mutual interest. Although opinions on Federal facility partnerships are mixed, these partnerships may help
agencies realize a project of a scope that is difficult or impossible for a single agency to pursue. However, Federal facility partnerships can be
complicated due to coordinating two or more agency processes, policies, cultures, communication channels, funding streams, and budget cycles,
among other factors. This document describes several best practices and examples that Federal department, agencies, and laboratories could
consider in the planning and implementation of facility partnerships. The best practices described here are derived from discussions with
stakeholders and documentation related to nine Federal facility partnerships pursued across the Government.