NextGen Concepts and Technology Development Project (CTD1) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this NASA funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the NextGen Concepts and Technology Development Project (CTD1), which was released under NASA's FY 2014 NASA Research Announcement (NRA) called Research Opportunities in Aeronautics (ROA).

2) Where does CTD1 appear within the ROA 2014 NRA?

CTD1 sits under Appendix C.2 of the ROA 2014 NRA. The ROA is the broader umbrella announcement, and CTD1 is a specific solicitation included in the initial release.

3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for CTD1?

The Funding Opportunity Number is NNH14ZEA001N CTD1.

4) Which NASA organization released this solicitation?

NASA Headquarters released this opportunity through the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD).

5) What is the overall purpose of CTD1?

CTD1 targets foundational, early-stage research intended to advance future air transportation concepts and support modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS), with the intent that successful concepts and enabling technologies could mature into operational improvements for NextGen.

6) What kind of activities does the funding support?

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding for science, technology, and other research and development activities under CFDA 43.002 (Aeronautics).

7) What award instruments did NASA expect to use?

NASA indicated it would make awards using grant and/or cooperative agreement instruments.

8) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. NASA stated that cost sharing or matching was not required for this opportunity.

9) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of organization could apply, subject to any limitations or clarifications in the full announcement text. The description suggests openness to proposals from universities, industry (including small businesses otherwise eligible for federal assistance), nonprofit research organizations, and other capable entities.

10) Was a Notice of Intent (NOI) part of the submission process?

Yes. CTD1 used a two-step submission approach common to NASA NRAs: a Notice of Intent (NOI) followed by a full proposal.

11) What were the due dates for the NOI and full proposal?

NOIs were due January 24, 2014. Full proposals were due February 28, 2014.

12) When was the opportunity posted, and what were the closing and archive dates?

The opportunity was posted January 27, 2014. The closing date was February 28, 2014 (both original and current). The archive date was March 30, 2014.

13) Where were applicants expected to find the full instructions and requirements?

Applicants were directed to the full ROA text and its appendices (including Appendix C.2) in NSPIRES. The appendix text and any subsequent amendments posted in NSPIRES were expected to contain detailed proposal instructions, evaluation criteria, and topic-specific constraints.

14) Does the ROA umbrella announcement change over time?

Yes. The ROA is described as a larger umbrella announcement with requirements that can evolve through appendices and amendments over the year.

15) What research areas/topics were included in CTD1?

CTD1 was organized around six NextGen concepts and technology development topics:

• Methods to increase flexibility and control authority in super-dense terminal airspace for NextGen operations
• Integrated arrival, departure, and surface scheduling research
• Feasibility of using subscale vehicles to flight test advanced air traffic management (ATM) concepts
• Cloud-enabled business models to accelerate NAS modernization
• Concepts and technologies exploring the feasibility of single-pilot operations and/or remotely piloted operations for commercial carriers
• "Similar historical days" and traffic flow management response strategies for future traffic management planning

16) What does the solicitation mean by "super-dense terminal airspace" research?

Based on the description provided, this topic points to challenges near major airports where heavy traffic, runway capacity limits, airspace complexity, wake separation constraints, and mixed equipage can reduce throughput. The focus is on methods that increase flexibility and control authority for NextGen operations in those environments.

17) What is meant by integrated arrival, departure, and surface scheduling?

This topic emphasizes end-to-end coordination from gate or ramp movements through taxi, takeoff, arrival sequencing, and gate assignment. The stated goals include reducing delays, improving predictability, and making better use of airport and airspace capacity.

18) What is the subscale vehicle flight test topic trying to accomplish?

NASA expressed interest in exploring whether subscale vehicles could be used as lower-cost, lower-risk platforms to flight test advanced ATM concepts, validating procedures, automation concepts, and operational ideas in realistic environments before full-scale demonstrations.

19) What are "cloud-enabled business models" in the context of NAS modernization?

In this solicitation, modernization is framed as not only technical but also dependent on deployment and adoption. The description highlights scalable deployment approaches, data-sharing frameworks, service provisioning models, and incentives that could speed modernization across stakeholders.

20) What kinds of issues are implied by single-pilot and/or remotely piloted commercial carrier concepts?

The topic implies research needs across human factors, automation, safety assurance, procedures, communications, and certification considerations related to future airline operational paradigms that could reduce onboard crew and/or rely on remote support.

21) What does "similar historical days" mean for traffic management planning?

This topic aims to improve planning and decision support by using historical analogs and response patterns to anticipate disruptions, demand-capacity imbalances, weather impacts, and effective mitigation strategies for future traffic management.

22) Is CTD1 aimed at near-term deployment or earlier-stage research?

CTD1 is positioned as early-stage, concept-to-methods research, emphasizing foundational work that could mature into operational improvements for NextGen over time.

23) What system is used to access the solicitation and submit materials?

The ROA was posted in NSPIRES, and applicants were directed there for the full ROA text, appendix details, and any amendments.

24) Who are the listed contacts for questions or support?

The provided contacts include Susan Minor (roa@nasa.gov) and NAIS Support (nais.support@nasa.gov) for access and administrative assistance.

25) Where should applicants look for topic-specific constraints and evaluation criteria?

Applicants were expected to consult the Appendix C.2 text for CTD1 and any subsequent ROA amendments posted in NSPIRES for the detailed evaluation criteria, instructions, and constraints.