ROSES 2008 Guest Investigator Studies with C/NOFS | Apply Online

FAQs: ROSES 2008 Guest Investigator Studies with C/NOFS (NNH08ZDA001N)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the "ROSES 2008 Guest Investigator Studies with C/NOFS" element under NASA solicitation NNH08ZDA001N, part of NASA's broader Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences 2008 (ROSES 2008) NASA Research Announcement (NRA).

What does ROSES 2008 support overall?

ROSES 2008 is designed to support a wide span of basic and applied research and technology development aligned with NASA Science Mission Directorate priorities across Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics.

What is the focus of the "Guest Investigator Studies with C/NOFS" element?

This element focuses on research that makes scientific use of data and mission resources associated with the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS), which is relevant to ionospheric and space weather research themes (heliophysics and related near-Earth space environment studies).

What kinds of activities or research approaches are supported?

Within ROSES, NASA supports activities including theory, modeling, and analysis of NASA science data; development and improvement of measurement and experiment techniques; concept and technology development that could feed future missions; and efforts that connect scientific results to practical applications. For this C/NOFS Guest Investigator element, proposals may range from focused studies analyzing existing C/NOFS observations to more expansive efforts integrating modeling, validation, or method development, as long as they fit the element's objectives and the NRA rules.

Is this opportunity only for data analysis projects using existing C/NOFS data?

The listing is labeled as a Guest Investigator program with C/NOFS and explicitly emphasizes scientific use of C/NOFS data and mission resources. At the same time, the broader ROSES framework welcomes both contained data-analysis investigations and larger efforts (for example, integrating modeling, validation, or method development) when they align with the objectives of the selected program element and the NRA requirements.

How flexible are budgets under ROSES 2008?

Funding levels and award structures are intentionally flexible. Typical annual budgets can be under 100,000 dollars per year for limited-scope efforts such as data analysis, and can exceed 1 million dollars per year for larger projects such as hardware or major technology development, depending on what the specific program element is seeking and what is appropriate for the proposed work.

How much total funding might be available for a program element?

The amount available for any given ROSES program element can range from under one million to several million dollars total. As a result, NASA may select only a few awards in some elements or several dozen in others, depending on the element and available funds.

What types of awards might NASA use for this opportunity?

Awards may be issued as grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or inter- and intra-agency transfers. The specific instrument depends on the applicant organization and the nature of the work.

How long is the typical period of performance?

Periods of performance are commonly around four years, although some ROSES elements may specify different timelines.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and essentially unrestricted across organization types. NASA allows proposals from universities and other educational institutions, private industry, nonprofit organizations, NASA centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other government agencies.

Are there restrictions on teaming arrangements or the number of submissions?

NASA does not impose limits on teaming arrangements or the number of submissions beyond what an individual program element might specify.

Can non-US organizations participate?

Non-US organizations may participate, but NASA notes a key policy constraint: collaborations involving non-US organizations must be conducted on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. That means NASA does not send grant funds to those foreign entities.

How do applicants submit proposals?

The solicitation emphasizes electronic submission. Organizations must be registered in NSPIRES (NASA's proposal system). Anyone submitting via Grants.gov must also be registered there. Submissions must be made electronically by an authorized organizational representative, and all principal investigators and co-investigators must be registered in NSPIRES.

What is NSPIRES and why is it required?

NSPIRES is NASA's proposal system. The announcement states that organizations must be registered in NSPIRES and that principal investigators and co-investigators need NSPIRES registration, reflecting NASA's expectation that proposal preparation and submission will be handled through NASA's electronic systems.

Do I need Grants.gov registration?

If you are submitting via Grants.gov, you must also be registered in Grants.gov in addition to NSPIRES.

Who must submit the proposal?

Proposals must be submitted electronically by an authorized organizational representative.

What are the key dates mentioned for this opportunity?

For ROSES 2008 overall, the solicitation became available around February 15, 2008. Notices of intent were requested for many elements beginning as early as March 14, 2008. Proposal due dates across ROSES elements span from May 9, 2008 through March 27, 2009. For the specific Grants.gov posting tied to this "ROSES 2008 Guest Investigator Studies with C/NOFS" entry, the posted date is July 25, 2008 and the closing date shown is October 17, 2008 (with an archive date of November 16, 2008).

Where do I find the correct application package and instructions for this specific element?

Applicants are directed to find individual program elements through NSPIRES or via Grants.gov search, using the funding opportunity number format that lists ROSES elements associated with NNH08ZDA001N. You then select the program element that matches your intended topic to download the correct application package and instructions.

Who should I contact with scientific questions about the C/NOFS Guest Investigator element?

The announcement indicates that questions specific to a program element's scientific scope should be directed to the program officers listed in that element's summary of key information.

Who should I contact for general policy or procedural questions about the ROSES 2008 NRA?

General policy and procedural questions for the NRA are directed to NASA's Science Mission Directorate contact listed in the notice: Dr. Max Bernstein, Senior Advisor for Research and Analysis.

What is C/NOFS in the context of this opportunity?

C/NOFS stands for the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System. In this opportunity, it is the mission whose data and mission resources are intended to be used for ionospheric and space weather related research.

Why does NASA emphasize early administrative preparation?

NASA strongly encourages applicants to complete registrations and become familiar with NSPIRES and (if applicable) Grants.gov well ahead of deadlines to avoid last-minute eligibility or technical issues.