ROSES 2011 Atmospheric Composition Laboratory Research | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NASA ROSES 2011 Atmospheric Composition Laboratory Research (ACLR)

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the Atmospheric Composition Laboratory Research (ACLR) element issued by NASA Headquarters under the broader Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011 solicitation. The Funding Opportunity Number is NNH11ZDA001N (ACLR).

2) When was the ROSES 2011 solicitation released?

The ROSES 2011 solicitation was released around February 18, 2011.

3) How does ACLR relate to the broader ROSES 2011 solicitation?

ACLR is a specific labeled opportunity housed within the larger ROSES 2011 umbrella solicitation. The detailed technical requirements, objectives, evaluation information, and program-by-program rules were provided in the relevant ROSES appendices and program element summaries.

4) What is the purpose of ACLR within ROSES 2011?

In practical terms, ACLR was aimed at advancing the scientific foundation and laboratory capabilities needed to understand atmospheric composition and to interpret measurements made by NASA missions and related investigations.

5) What NASA science areas does ROSES 2011 support?

ROSES 2011 supported NASA Science Mission Directorate goals across Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics, with ACLR positioned within that larger framework.

6) What types of work were invited under ROSES 2011?

The ROSES 2011 call covered a wide range of work types, including theoretical studies, modeling, and analysis of NASA science data; development of experiment techniques and instrumentation concepts for future missions; and a variety of investigations and laboratory capabilities aligned to NASA mission needs.

7) Does the solicitation support data analysis and modeling work?

Yes. ROSES 2011 included theoretical studies, modeling, and analysis of NASA science data as supported work types.

8) Does ROSES 2011 support technology or hardware development?

Yes. It included development of experiment techniques and instrumentation concepts for future missions, and it noted that larger awards could support extensive efforts such as development of science experiment hardware or major technology activities.

9) Are aircraft, balloon, or suborbital investigations included?

Yes. ROSES 2011 included aircraft, balloon, suborbital rocket, and commercial reusable rocket investigations.

10) Does ROSES 2011 support laboratory analysis related to returned samples or analog samples?

Yes. It included laboratory analysis techniques for extraterrestrial samples returned by spacecraft and terrestrial analog samples used to help validate Earth-observing mission data.

11) Does ROSES 2011 include work to determine key atomic or compositional parameters?

Yes. It supported determination of key atomic and compositional parameters needed to interpret remote sensing and in situ observations.

12) Does the solicitation support Earth surface observations or field campaigns?

Yes. It supported Earth surface observations and field campaigns tied to NASA mission needs.

13) Does ROSES 2011 support integrated Earth system model development?

Yes. Integrated Earth system model development was explicitly included among supported activities.

14) Does ROSES 2011 include applied research products for societal decision-making?

Yes. It supported applied research products that translate Earth science data into tools and information systems useful for societal decision-making.

15) What are the typical award sizes?

NASA indicated awards could range from under $100,000 per year for narrowly focused efforts (such as data analysis) to more than $1 million per year for large, extensive efforts (such as hardware development or major technology activities).

16) How much total funding was available?

The amount available varied by program element, typically ranging from less than $1 million to several million dollars. This range allowed NASA to select anywhere from a handful to several dozen meritorious proposals depending on priorities and proposal quality.

17) What is the expected period of performance?

For most awards, the expected period of performance was about four years. Some elements allowed shorter or longer durations up to a maximum of five years.

18) What types of funding instruments can NASA use?

Depending on the proposer and the work being performed, NASA could issue awards as grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or inter- or intra-agency transfers.

19) Is cost sharing required?

No. Cost sharing was not required.

20) Were Notices of Intent (NOIs) required?

NOIs were requested for most program elements. The NOI due dates began March 18, 2011 and extended through February 8, 2012 (depending on the specific program element).

21) When were proposals due under ROSES 2011?

Proposal due dates began April 29, 2011 and ran through April 30, 2012, reflecting different due dates across different ROSES program elements.

22) What were the key dates for the ACLR posting on Grants.gov?

For the ACLR entry on Grants.gov, the posted date and creation date were April 28, 2011. The original and current closing date was July 1, 2011, and the archive date was July 31, 2011.

23) Why are there multiple due-date ranges in ROSES 2011?

ROSES uses a rolling structure where different program elements have different NOI and proposal due dates. The ACLR Grants.gov entry reflects a specific window associated with that particular posting, even though the umbrella ROSES solicitation spanned multiple dates.

24) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility was broad by organizational type. Domestic and foreign organizations, government and private entities, and for-profit and non-profit organizations could submit proposals, subject to NASA funding policy and registration requirements.

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

No specific restrictions were stated on the number of submissions or teaming arrangements in the provided information.

26) Do organizations need to be registered in NSPIRES?

Yes. NASA required registration in NSPIRES for any organization intending to apply. The registration process also needed to identify authorized organizational representative(s).

27) Can proposals be submitted through Grants.gov?

Yes. Applicants could submit through NSPIRES or via Grants.gov, but Grants.gov submission still required NSPIRES registration.

28) Who must submit the proposal?

Proposals had to be submitted electronically by an authorized official of the proposing organization.

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

Yes. All principal investigators and other named participants (including co-investigators) were required to be registered in NSPIRES regardless of whether the proposal was submitted through NSPIRES or Grants.gov.

30) Does NASA encourage early registration?

Yes. NASA strongly encouraged teams to start registration and familiarize themselves with the electronic systems well ahead of relevant due dates to avoid administrative delays.

31) Can non-U.S. organizations participate?

Yes, but participation by non-U.S. organizations was governed by NASA policy. In general, investigations involving non-U.S. entities had to be conducted on a no-exchange-of-funds basis unless a particular NRA element was jointly issued with a non-U.S. organization and provided different instructions.

32) Where are the detailed rules for non-U.S. organizations described?

The solicitation pointed proposers to the NASA Guidebook for Proposers for detailed rules affecting non-U.S. organizations, including special cases where a non-U.S. proposal involves U.S. personnel for whom NASA support is requested.

33) Where do I find the definitive requirements for my specific program element?

The solicitation emphasized that definitive program-by-program requirements were in the ROSES appendices and due-date tables, and that proposers should rely on the relevant appendices and program element summaries for specifics.

34) Can ROSES 2011 be amended after release?

Yes. ROSES 2011 could be amended through February 2012.

35) How do applicants stay informed about updates or amendments?

Proposers were advised to monitor the NSPIRES solicitation page or subscribe to NASA electronic notifications for updates. NASA also maintained an online archive and RSS feed for amendments, clarifications, and corrections.

36) Who is the general point of contact for ROSES policies and procedures?

For general ROSES policies and procedures, the listed point of contact was Dr. Max Bernstein at NASA Headquarters (sara@nasa.gov, 202-358-0879).

37) Who should be contacted with questions about a specific program element?

Specific program element questions were directed to the program officers named in each appendix element summary.