Keith’s note: According to a Mon 6/9/2025 3:24 PM email from Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) “NASA’s new Deferred Resignation Program, plus VERA and VSIP offerings”: “Per the Acting Administrator’s email, “New NASA DRP Opportunity,” all NASA employees are eligible to apply for the new NASA Deferred Resignation Program (DRP). Employees may also be eligible to participate in a voluntary separation incentive payment (VSIP) and/or voluntary early retirement (VERA). Participation in the DRP, VERA, or VSIP is voluntary. The application window for DRP, VERA, and VSIP is open now and will close on July 25, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET. No applications for these programs will be accepted after the window closes.” (More below)

Benefits of the new NASA DRP include receiving pay and benefits through your retirement or resignation date (up to Jan. 9, 2026), exemption from in-person work during your transition of duties, and avoiding any potential reduction in force (RIF) action. For your awareness, the NASA DRP Agreement and additional information required per the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 are attached to this email Employees interested in DRP must apply in the DRP tool to be considered. Links and more information are available on the NASA Deferred Resignation Program page.

Employees eligible for VERA can benefit from early retirement, and employees eligible for VSIP may receive an incentive payment of up to $25,000 upon separation. Employees interested in VERA or VSIP must apply in the My Buyout / Early Out tool to be considered. Please review the eligibility requirements and application process on the NASA VERA and VSIP page.

NASA leadership and OCHCO are unable to make recommendations on whether an employee should elect to participate in these programs; please review the resources provided in this email carefully prior to making your decision, and I encourage you to register for an upcoming Retirement and Benefits Counseling event.

Thank you for your careful consideration as you make this important decision.

Kelly Elliott

Chief Human Capital Officer