ROA 2009 C.4 NextGen Airspace Project (AS2R) (Recovery Act) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

It is NASA Headquarters funding opportunity ROA 2009 C.4 NextGen Airspace Project (AS2R) (Recovery Act), Funding Opportunity Number NNH09ZEA001N. It supports aeronautics research and development to advance the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

What is the overall goal of the opportunity?

The goal is to develop and validate core concepts and integrated solutions for how air traffic should be managed in the future, with an emphasis on improving safety, efficiency, and capacity in the National Airspace System (NAS).

What is the central technical theme NASA is emphasizing?

A central theme is the smart allocation of automation between ground-based and airborne systems. NASA is looking for research that helps clarify where automation belongs, when it should be used, how it should behave, and how far it can be trusted to manage aircraft movement while maintaining strong safety margins.

What does NASA mean by 4D Trajectory Operations?

4D Trajectory Operations refers to planning and managing aircraft trajectories in three-dimensional space plus time. The solicitation treats this as a major technical driver for NextGen concepts and technologies.

What kinds of operational problems is this research trying to address?

The work targets demand versus capacity imbalances, especially under real-world constraints such as weather impacts, uncertain forecasts, and the strict requirement to keep aircraft safely separated. It points toward methods that can coordinate many flights at once, adapt plans when conditions change, and maintain orderly, predictable flows through congested airspace.

What is meant by multi-aircraft trajectory optimization in this announcement?

It refers to approaches that optimize trajectories for multiple aircraft simultaneously, rather than planning each flight in isolation, with the intent to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion impacts, and maintain separation under uncertainty (including weather and forecast variability).

Does the opportunity cover both planning and real-time actions?

Yes. It highlights advanced traffic flow management across multiple time horizons, spanning strategic planning (longer-range anticipation of congestion and constraints), near-term tactical actions, and separation assurance as the final safety layer.

What is separation assurance in the context of this opportunity?

Separation assurance is described as the final safety layer ensuring aircraft remain safely apart. The solicitation positions it as part of the end-to-end planning and execution continuum for managing traffic.

How important are human factors and operational roles in this solicitation?

They are explicitly recognized as critical. The announcement notes that the division of roles and responsibilities between humans and automation affects every part of the system, and proposals are expected to consider interactions among controllers, pilots, dispatchers, and automated decision-support systems, including how authority should shift over time or across phases of flight and traffic conditions.

Which specific research area is being solicited under this announcement?

This specific announcement seeks proposals in one NextGen Airspace Project research area: System Level Design, Analysis, and Simulation Tools (SLDAST).

What is SLDAST (System Level Design, Analysis, and Simulation Tools)?

SLDAST focuses on developing tools that can model, analyze, and simulate system-level designs to evaluate how responsibilities and authority are distributed functionally and temporally between people and automated systems.

What kinds of questions should SLDAST tools help answer?

NASA is looking for system-scale methods that can test what happens when certain tasks are automated, when humans remain in the loop, when control authority changes, and how those design choices affect performance, workload, safety, and throughput under realistic operational scenarios.

Is NASA only interested in technology development, or also in evaluation and validation?

Based on the description provided, NASA is interested in developing and validating concepts and integrated solutions, and in rigorous modeling/analysis/simulation methods to evaluate impacts at the system level.

How does this opportunity relate to NASA roadmaps?

The work is described as aligning with milestones shown in NASA Aeronautics project roadmaps available through the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) website.

Will there be other NextGen Airspace Project research areas funded later?

NASA notes that additional research focus areas may be solicited through future announcements.

What is the CFDA number and program name for this opportunity?

The CFDA listing is 43.004, described as Aeronautics, Recovery Act.

Is this opportunity associated with the Recovery Act?

Yes. It is described as a Recovery Act-related aeronautics research and development opportunity.

What is the opportunity category?

The opportunity category is listed as "Other."

What types of award instruments might NASA use?

NASA indicates multiple possible award instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, and procurement contracts.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the information provided.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning proposals may be submitted by a wide range of entity types, with detailed eligibility conditions (if any) expected to be defined in the full announcement text.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on October 20, 2009, created on October 22, 2009, and had an application closing date of December 1, 2009. The archive date is listed as December 31, 2009.

Does NASA plan to do work internally as well?

Yes. NASA indicates it will conduct core research internally using its technical expertise and facilities, while also relying on partnerships for the broader program approach.

How does NASA plan to partner with external organizations?

NASA describes using Space Act Agreements with U.S. industry for system-wide research partnerships (including systems integration and operational applications) and using this NASA Research Announcement (NRA) to leverage foundational research performed by academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and industry teams to close critical technology gaps.

Who are the points of contact for questions?

The listed contacts are Parimal H. Kopardekar (Principal Investigator, Parimal.H.Kopardekar@nasa.gov) and Michael R. Landis (Project Manager, Michael.R.Landis@nasa.gov).

How should applicants submit questions?

Applicants are directed to submit questions in writing online as referenced in the announcement materials.