Approval to Exceed GSA Lodging for LPSC 2022

This is a waiver for those with SMD federal assistance awards allowing them to be reimbursed for up to $239/night plus tax for lodging for The Lunar and Planetary Science Conference on March 7-11, 2022, if not contradicted by the travel policy of their organization. Note, I have specified grants (including cooperative agreements) not contracts. This may also apply to those traveling on NASA contracts, but they must communicate with their contracting officers.

The host hotel for the 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference on March 7-11, 2022, is The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Hotel information for this meeting maybe found at https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/plan/.

The GSA-allowed daily lodging expense for March 2022 for zip code 77380 (for The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center) is $122 per night. Many of the hotels may be significantly higher than the GSA allowed $122. Grantees may need a waiver to cover lodging in excess of the GSA value, depending on the travel policy of your organization. This waiver does not supersede the travel policy of your institution if it is more restrictive.

By the power invested in me by the NSSC to issue approval of the actual lodging costs for a conference in "bulk" instead of individual approvals, I hereby affirm that for the 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference NASA SMD grants may be charged up to $239/night plus tax, consistent with the average actual cost of the conference hotel, even though this exceeds the $122 allotted for lodging by GSA for The Woodlands for March 2022.