RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR FLIGHT EXPERIMENTS IN SPACE BIOLOGY | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is this NASA funding opportunity?

This opportunity is a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Research Opportunities for Flight Experiments in Space Biology" (Funding Opportunity Number NNH14ZTT002N). It solicits proposals for hypothesis-driven biological research that will fly and be conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

2. Who is issuing the solicitation?

NASA Headquarters is soliciting proposals under this NRA.

3. What is the main purpose of the research NASA wants to fund?

The central purpose is to use the unique conditions of spaceflight, especially microgravity, to answer fundamental biological questions and to build the knowledge base needed for humans to live and work safely in space for long durations. NASA also emphasizes that results should have practical value on Earth, such as advancing U.S. scientific and technological competitiveness, supporting education, and improving quality of life.

4. Where will the experiments be performed?

The research is expected to fly and be conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

5. What kinds of research are in scope?

The scope is broad within space biology. NASA is seeking experiments that reveal how spaceflight conditions influence biological systems and that use space as a testbed to understand basic biological processes and address operational problems tied to exploration.

6. What organism types are eligible for study?

Studies may involve a wide range of organism types, from microorganisms to plants and animals.

7. Is the solicitation limited to microgravity research only?

No. While microgravity is a central focus, the solicitation also notes interest in altered gravity levels across the full "g spectrum," ranging from microgravity to hypergravity.

8. Are other space-relevant factors besides gravity included in the research interests?

Yes. The announcement highlights interest in characterizing biological effects from additional space-relevant factors such as radiation and magnetic fields.

9. Does NASA express interest in ecological or multi-species studies?

Yes. The solicitation specifically mentions interest in understanding how species interactions may change in the unusual environment of spacecraft and space habitats.

10. Is this a single-deadline opportunity or a multi-step process?

This NRA uses a two-step proposal process with an initial short proposal followed by an invited full proposal for selected teams.

11. What is due in Step 1 and how long should it be?

Step 1 is a short proposal of approximately 1 to 5 pages.

12. When is the Step 1 proposal due?

Step 1 proposals are due March 28, 2014 by 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

13. When is the Step 2 proposal due?

Invited Step 2 proposals are due May 23, 2014 by 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

14. Who submits the proposal to NASA?

Proposals must be submitted electronically by an authorized organizational representative.

15. What submission systems are allowed?

Applicants may submit through either NASA's NSPIRES system (via the NASA Research Opportunities site) or Grants.gov.

16. Are there any registration requirements applicants should plan for?

Yes. Because NSPIRES requires organizational and individual registrations, applicants are encouraged to register early and to ensure principal investigators, co-investigators, and other participants are properly entered in the system ahead of the deadlines.

17. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as essentially unrestricted across U.S. institution types, meaning universities, nonprofits, companies, and government laboratories can all apply, subject to any specifics in the full announcement.

18. Are collaborations allowed?

Yes. Collaboration is explicitly allowed.

19. What types of partners can be included on a collaboration?

Collaborators may include partners from U.S. universities, federal labs, the private sector, state and local laboratories, and international collaborators.

20. What is the procurement/assistance nature of this announcement?

The announcement is issued as a broad agency announcement under FAR 6.102(d)(2). NASA indicates that resulting awards will be made as grants or cooperative agreements, not procurement contracts.

21. Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed for this opportunity.

22. How will NASA inform project selection priorities?

NASA notes that project selection will be informed by the National Research Council's 2011 Decadal Survey report, "Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era," indicating an interest in proposals aligned with community-prioritized research directions for space life and physical sciences.

23. Who should be contacted for technical questions about flight hardware or spaceflight implementation?

The announcement provides technical contacts for guidance on flight hardware and spaceflight implementation considerations: Dr. Howard G. Levine at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Dr. Jeffrey D. Smith at Ames Research Center (ARC).

24. Who should be contacted for programmatic questions about the NRA?

Programmatic questions can be directed to Dr. David L. Tomko at NASA Headquarters.

25. Who should be contacted for contracting-related questions?

Contracting-related questions can be directed to Benjamin S. Benvenutti at the NASA Shared Services Center.

26. Where can the full solicitation be found?

The full solicitation text is accessible through NSPIRES under open solicitations.

27. When was this opportunity posted and when is it archived?

The opportunity was posted February 28, 2014, and has an archive date of February 28, 2015.