Federation Institute for Paranormal Aptitude

The Federation Institute for Paranormal Aptitude (FIPA) was an institution and body within the United Federation of Planets that monitored the development of psionics amongst the member faces of the Federation. It was stationed at Terra in North California where it was based at the foot of Mount Shasta. However, it also included branches and offices on major Federation worlds such as Andor, Alpha Centauri IV, Bolarus IX

It was created to aid and help those with such abilities in order for them to cope with their powers. Amongst the staff of the Institute included members of the Vulcan, Betazoid, Napean and other psionic races. Part of the program run by this institution was teachings psionics how to use their abilities as well as to learn new abilities. In addition, it was responsible for teachings their students to respect the mental privacy of other beings. Induction involved a test of which any individual could take part in with positive results leading to the person either attending classes or being taught in special classes at more convinient locations. Many of the students that joined FIPA where young due to the fact that their psionic abilities often manifested during early adolescence. Despite this being the case, there were noted cases where more older individuals joined the Institute due to the late development of their abilities.

A number of psionic individuals were also known to attend classes at FIPA in order to learn difficult to master abilities. Whilst others came to the institution in order to seek treatment for maladies related to psionic phenomena.