NASA ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE MINORITY INSTITUTION RESEARCH SUPPORT MIRS PROGRAM | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This NASA opportunity is a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) from the NASA Ames Research Center, issued through the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), to select an organization to run and administer the Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program on a nationwide basis. The central purpose of MIRS is to help address the persistent underrepresentation of minority students in U.S. STEM fields by creating structured, practical ways for talented faculty and students affiliated with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to connect and collaborate with established astrobiology investigators. In other words, NASA is not primarily seeking a single research project here; it is seeking a capable program administrator that can manage an ongoing pipeline-building effort tied to NASA astrobiology priorities.

The program being administered has a track record and a clear model: it has historically supported MSI faculty in launching collaborative relationships with astrobiology researchers through summer sabbaticals (giving faculty time in a research environment to build skills and relationships), follow-on support after the sabbatical period (so collaborations do not end when the summer does), and travel support for both faculty and students (so participants can visit labs, attend meetings, and maintain active collaboration). The intended outcome is sustained partnership and workforce development: stronger research engagement for MSI faculty, meaningful research exposure for students, and a broader, more diverse talent pool entering or staying in STEM disciplines relevant to astrobiology and NASA.

NASA is asking proposing organizations to demonstrate that they have the capacity and proven experience to operate a high-quality, nationwide program with strong connections to NASA's short- and long-term research interests. While the detailed eligibility rules are referenced in Section 3.0 of the full announcement on NSPIRES, the summary indicates participation is open to all organizations that meet those eligibility provisions. Because this is structured as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the expectation is typically that NASA will have a more involved partnership role in the program's execution (for example, coordination, shared oversight, or collaboration on implementation details), consistent with how cooperative agreements are commonly used for jointly managed activities.

Key logistics and dates are clearly laid out. The CAN was scheduled for release on July 9, 2010, and is available electronically through NSPIRES at http://nspires.nasaprs.com. NASA requested electronically submitted Notices of Intent by August 6, 2010, with full proposals due October 7, 2010. By the proposal deadline, electronic submission of the Cover Page, Proposal Summary, and Budget Summary is required. NASA anticipated making one award under this solicitation, underscoring that this is a single administrator selection rather than multiple parallel awards to different institutions.

On compliance and legal framework, the solicitation is issued under 14 CFR Part 1260 for educational and nonprofit institutions and under 14 CFR Part 1274 for commercial organizations. A cost sharing requirement applies to commercial organizations pursuant to 14 CFR 1274, meaning a for-profit applicant should expect to contribute a defined share of project costs rather than relying solely on federal funds. The notice also states that, regardless of where the opportunity is posted (FedBizOpps.gov, Grants.gov, or both), NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for any selected proposal. Another procedural point is that oral communications are not acceptable in response to the notice, so all responses and formal interactions must be handled through the written and electronic channels specified.

For reference and identification, the Funding Opportunity Number is NNA10339208C and the title is NASA ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE MINORITY INSTITUTION RESEARCH SUPPORT MIRS PROGRAM. The opportunity category is discretionary, the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The posting date is July 8, 2010, with the closing date remaining October 7, 2010, and an archive date of July 8, 2011. Questions specific to the solicitation are directed to the NASA Ames grant officer Beatrice Morales at 650-604-2074 or Beatrice.M.Morales@nasa.gov, and applicants who have trouble accessing the announcement electronically are also instructed to contact her.

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