ROSES 2010 Living with a Star Targeted Research and Technology | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the ROSES 2010 LWSTRT opportunity?

ROSES 2010 Living with a Star Targeted Research and Technology (LWSTRT) is a funding opportunity released under NASA's broader Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2010 solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number NNH10ZDA001N). LWSTRT is one specific program area within the larger ROSES 2010 framework.

2) How does LWSTRT relate to ROSES 2010 overall?

LWSTRT sits inside the ROSES 2010 umbrella, which spans multiple NASA science divisions and topics (including Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics). Even though LWSTRT is identified as a Living with a Star targeted area, it follows the general ROSES 2010 rules, timelines, and submission infrastructure described for ROSES 2010 as a whole.

3) What kinds of work does ROSES 2010 generally fund?

ROSES 2010 broadly supports research and technology activities that strengthen current and future NASA science missions. Examples explicitly included in the solicitation description include:

• Theory, modeling, and analysis of NASA science data (theoretical and computational work)
• Suborbital platforms such as aircraft, stratospheric balloons, sounding rockets, and commercial reusable suborbital systems
• New experimental techniques and instrumentation relevant to future space missions
• Early mission concept studies
• Advanced technology development aligned with NASA science mission needs
• Laboratory and analytical work tied to returned extraterrestrial samples and terrestrial analog samples used to validate mission observations
• Determination of fundamental atomic and compositional parameters needed to interpret space-based measurements
• Earth science work such as Earth surface observations and field campaigns, integrated Earth system modeling, and applied systems that translate Earth science results into societal benefits and usable information products

4) What is LWSTRT generally focused on within that larger ROSES scope?

Within the ROSES landscape, Living with a Star Targeted Research and Technology generally aligns with heliophysics and space weather objectives, focusing on research and technology that improves understanding and prediction of solar and geospace conditions and their impacts. Applicants were expected to rely on the LWSTRT appendix text in ROSES 2010 for the exact scope, priorities, and deliverables.

5) What is the official funding opportunity number?

The broader ROSES 2010 solicitation is identified as Funding Opportunity Number NNH10ZDA001N.

6) When was this opportunity released?

The ROSES 2010 opportunity was released on February 12, 2010.

7) What were the Notice of Intent (NOI) timeframes mentioned?

Notices of Intent (NOIs) were requested for most program elements beginning March 15, 2010, and continuing through February 9, 2011. Specific NOI dates depended on the individual program element and were provided in the ROSES tables and appendices.

8) What were the proposal due dates?

Full proposals were due on a rolling schedule starting April 30, 2010 through April 30, 2011. The exact due date depended on the specific program element and was listed in the ROSES due date tables and appendices.

9) Why do the Grants.gov dates look different from the broader ROSES timeline?

In the Grants.gov posting metadata for the LWSTRT entry, the posted and creation dates appear as August 23, 2010, with an original and current closing date of October 30, 2010, and an archive date of November 29, 2010. These reflect how the opportunity was indexed and tracked in Grants.gov, even though the ROSES 2010 umbrella solicitation ran across a longer window with multiple rolling deadlines.

10) What award amounts were anticipated?

ROSES 2010 described award sizes as flexible. Awards could range from under $100,000 per year for narrowly scoped efforts such as data analysis, to more than $1,000,000 per year for large and complex activities such as development of science experiment hardware.

11) How much total funding was available?

Available funding varies by program element. The solicitation description indicates program elements could range from less than $1 million to several million dollars. Because of this, the number of selections could range from a few to several dozen depending on the element's goals and the quality and volume of submissions.

12) What funding instruments could NASA use?

The opportunity explicitly listed grants and cooperative agreements as possible instruments. The ROSES framework also noted that contracts or inter- or intra-agency transfers could potentially be used depending on the proposing organization and program needs.

13) What period of performance was typical?

The typical period of performance was described as four years. Some program elements could allow shorter or longer periods, up to a five-year maximum.

14) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility under ROSES was described as broad: many organization types could apply, including government and private entities, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and domestic and foreign organizations.

15) Are there limits on the number of proposals or teaming arrangements?

The description states there was no stated restriction on the number of proposals or teaming arrangements.

16) Can non-U.S. organizations apply or participate?

The description notes that, while eligibility is broad in principle, NASA generally funds U.S. institutions. Non-U.S. organizations may participate under NASA's long-standing "no exchange of funds" policy, meaning they typically must support their participation with non-NASA resources unless a specific joint solicitation or special arrangement applies.

17) Where are the detailed LWSTRT requirements and priorities defined?

The short synopsis did not contain the full actionable requirements. NASA indicated that the program details, including scope, priorities, deliverables, and element-specific instructions, were contained in the ROSES 2010 appendices and in the ROSES due date tables.

18) What system was used to submit proposals?

Submission was electronic and tied closely to NASA's NSPIRES system.

19) Is registration in NSPIRES required?

Yes. Any organization intending to submit needed to be registered in NSPIRES.

20) If submitting via Grants.gov, are both systems required?

Yes. The description states that anyone submitting through Grants.gov had to be registered in both Grants.gov and NSPIRES.

21) Who is allowed to submit the proposal?

NASA emphasized that an authorized organizational representative must submit the proposal.

22) Do principal investigators and co-investigators need NSPIRES registration?

Yes. All principal investigators and other key participants (such as co-investigators) must be individually registered in NSPIRES regardless of whether the final proposal package is transmitted via NSPIRES or Grants.gov.

23) What should applicants do to avoid last-minute submission issues?

Prospective applicants were encouraged to start registrations and become familiar with the submission systems early to avoid last-minute issues.

24) Were amendments or updates expected during the open period?

Yes. NASA advised applicants to monitor the NSPIRES solicitation page and the ROSES amendment archive/RSS feed for updates, clarifications, and corrections through February 2011.

25) Who should applicants contact with questions?

For element-specific guidance, applicants were directed to the program officers listed within each appendix. For general ROSES policies and procedures, the announcement pointed to Dr. Max Bernstein at NASA Headquarters (with contact available via the SARA email address and a listed phone number in the notice).

26) What document is referenced for proposer rules and non-U.S. participation details?

Prospective non-U.S. proposers were directed to the NASA Guidebook for Proposers for detailed rules, including special instructions for cases involving U.S. personnel for whom NASA support is requested as part of a proposal led by a non-U.S. organization.