FAR 53.235—Research and development contracting (SF 298).
Plain-English Summary
FAR 53.235 is a very short prescription provision that tells contracting officers and contractors when to use Standard Form 298, Report Documentation Page, in research and development contracting. It ties SF 298 to the submission of scientific and technical reports and points readers to the controlling reporting requirements in FAR 35.010 and ANSI Standard Z39.18. In practice, this section matters because it establishes the required cover/documentation page for technical reports so they can be properly identified, routed, indexed, and archived by contracting officers and technical information libraries. The section does not itself describe report content in detail; instead, it functions as a cross-reference that ensures R&D deliverables are submitted in a standardized format consistent with government technical information management requirements. For contractors, the practical significance is that failure to include SF 298 when required can delay acceptance, distribution, or library processing of the report. For agencies, it supports consistent handling of scientific and technical information across programs and repositories.
Key Rules
Use SF 298 for technical reports
SF 298 is the prescribed form for submitting scientific and technical reports in the R&D context. When the reporting requirement applies, the report should be accompanied by the Report Documentation Page.
Follow FAR 35.010
This section does not stand alone; it directs users to FAR 35.010 for the underlying reporting requirements. The need for SF 298 depends on the report submission rules in that section.
Comply with ANSI Z39.18
SF 298 use is also linked to ANSI Standard Z39.18, which governs scientific and technical report preparation and presentation. Contractors should ensure the report package aligns with that standard where applicable.
Submit to CO and libraries
The form is prescribed for reports submitted to contracting officers and to technical information libraries. This means the report is intended not only for contract administration but also for technical recordkeeping and dissemination.
Form is a documentation page
SF 298 is a report documentation page, not the technical report itself. Its role is to capture identifying and indexing information that supports retrieval, cataloging, and management of the report.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Determine whether the R&D contract requires submission of scientific and technical reports and ensure the contractor uses SF 298 when required. The contracting officer also receives the report for contract administration and may direct submission to the appropriate technical information library.
Contractor
Prepare and submit the scientific and technical report with SF 298 when the reporting requirement applies. The contractor must ensure the form is completed accurately and that the report package complies with FAR 35.010 and ANSI Z39.18 as applicable.
Technical Information Library
Receive scientific and technical reports submitted under the applicable reporting requirements and use SF 298 information to catalog, index, and manage the report for retrieval and dissemination.
Agency
Maintain the reporting and technical information management process so that required R&D reports are collected, documented, and routed in a standardized way. The agency must align its internal procedures with FAR 35.010 and the referenced ANSI standard.
Practical Implications
Contractors should treat SF 298 as a required administrative attachment whenever the contract calls for scientific or technical report submission, not as an optional cover sheet.
A common pitfall is assuming the report itself is enough; if SF 298 is required and omitted, the submission may be considered incomplete or may be delayed in processing.
Because this section points to FAR 35.010 and ANSI Z39.18, users must read those authorities together rather than relying on FAR 53.235 alone.
Contracting officers should make sure the contract’s reporting instructions clearly identify when SF 298 is required and where the report must be sent.
The form’s main value is discoverability and record management, so accurate metadata matters; errors in titles, dates, authors, contract numbers, or distribution statements can create downstream indexing and retrieval problems.
Official Regulatory Text
SF 298 (2/89), Report Documentation Page . SF 298 is prescribed for use in submitting scientific and technical reports to contracting officers and to technical information libraries, as specified in 35.010 and ANSI Standard Z39.18.