ROSES 2011 Planetary Instrument Definition and Development | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is ROSES 2011 Planetary Instrument Definition and Development (PIDD)?

Planetary Instrument Definition and Development (PIDD) is a NASA Headquarters funding opportunity released as part of the broader Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011 umbrella solicitation. It appears under Funding Opportunity Number NNH11ZDA001N and is structured as a NASA Research Announcement (NRA).

2) What is the overall purpose of ROSES 2011, and how does PIDD fit into it?

ROSES 2011 is designed to fund a wide range of basic and applied research and technology that supports NASA Science Mission Directorate goals across Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics. Within that larger ROSES structure, PIDD is focused on advancing the definition and development of planetary science instruments and related capabilities for potential future planetary missions.

3) What kinds of work does PIDD support?

PIDD is oriented toward work that matures planetary instrument concepts, raises technology readiness, reduces technical risk, and improves the feasibility and performance of measurement approaches that could eventually fly on planetary missions. The solicitation also notes that proposals may include supporting research and technology such as instrument and experiment technique development, mission and instrument concept development, advanced technologies relevant to NASA science missions, and associated modeling, analysis, and laboratory work needed to underpin credible instrument performance or science return.

4) Is PIDD primarily about data analysis or building hardware?

While ROSES as a whole can include topics like data analysis, field campaigns, and sample analysis, the PIDD framing is most aligned with developing and demonstrating measurement hardware or subsystems, strengthening instrument concepts, improving measurement approaches, and producing well-defined instrument concepts suitable for future mission infusion.

5) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?

The umbrella ROSES 2011 solicitation is identified as Funding Opportunity Number NNH11ZDA001N.

6) When was the ROSES 2011 NRA released?

The overall ROSES 2011 NASA Research Announcement release date is February 18, 2011.

7) What are the key dates for the PIDD listing shown here?

For the PIDD posting described, the opportunity shows a posted date of June 9, 2011. The original and current closing date are both listed as August 26, 2011, and the archive date is September 25, 2011.

8) Are there Notices of Intent (NOIs), and when are they due?

Notices of Intent (NOIs) are requested for most ROSES program elements. NOI due dates begin March 18, 2011 and continue through February 8, 2012, depending on the specific appendix/program element schedule.

9) When are proposals due under ROSES 2011?

Across ROSES 2011, proposal due dates begin April 29, 2011 and extend through April 30, 2012, depending on the specific program element. For the PIDD listing described here, the closing date shown is August 26, 2011.

10) Can the solicitation be amended after it is released?

Yes. NASA notes that amendments and updates could be issued through February 2012. Proposers are encouraged to monitor the NSPIRES solicitation page or subscribe to notifications. NASA also maintains an amendment archive (with an RSS feed) on its science solicitation website.

11) How much funding is available, and what are typical award sizes?

Funding levels are intentionally flexible. Typical awards can range from under $100,000 per year for narrowly scoped tasks to more than $1 million per year for extensive efforts such as development of science experiment hardware. The total amount available for any given program element can range from less than $1 million to several million dollars, supporting anywhere from a handful to dozens of selections depending on priorities, proposal quality, and available funds.

12) How long is the typical period of performance?

NASA anticipates typical periods of performance around four years. Some program elements may allow shorter or longer durations up to a five-year maximum.

13) What funding instruments does NASA use for awards under this opportunity?

NASA may make selections using a range of award instruments (including grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, or inter- or intra-agency transfers) depending on the proposer type and nature of the work. The PIDD listing specifically identifies grants and cooperative agreements as the funding instrument types.

14) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that no cost sharing or matching is required.

15) Who is eligible to apply?

ROSES 2011 allows a broad range of applicants and organizational arrangements. In general, organizations of every type may submit proposals, including government and private entities, for-profit and nonprofit institutions, and domestic and foreign organizations. The eligibility notes emphasize that proposers must be affiliated with an institution registered in NSPIRES, and that, in general, NASA provides funding only to U.S. institutions.

16) Can foreign organizations participate?

Foreign participation is possible, but NASA policy is that work involving non-U.S. organizations is normally conducted on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. That typically means NASA does not transfer funding to non-U.S. entities, even if they participate, subject to any special instructions in the NASA NRA Guidebook and relevant appendices.

17) Is there a limit on the number of proposals an organization can submit or on teaming arrangements?

No restriction is stated on the number of proposals or teaming arrangements. The solicitation indicates that organizations of every type may submit proposals and that there is no restriction on the number of proposals or teaming arrangements.

18) What system(s) are used for electronic proposal submission?

Submission is electronic. Proposals must be submitted by an authorized organizational official using either NSPIRES (NASA's proposal system) or Grants.gov.

19) If submitting through Grants.gov, is NSPIRES registration still required?

Yes. Any organization submitting must be registered in NSPIRES. If submitting via Grants.gov, the organization must be registered in both NSPIRES and Grants.gov.

20) Do principal investigators and co-investigators need NSPIRES registrations?

Yes. NASA stresses that principal investigators and all other participants (including co-investigators) must be individually registered in NSPIRES regardless of whether the proposal is submitted through NSPIRES or Grants.gov.

21) Who must submit the proposal?

The proposal must be submitted by an authorized organizational official. NASA also notes that the systems require identifying authorized organizational representatives who can formally submit proposals.

22) Why does NASA encourage early registration and preparation?

NASA urges applicants to begin registration and system familiarization early to avoid last-minute access issues or data-entry problems, especially because submission requires both organizational registration and identification of authorized representatives, and because individual participants must also be registered.

23) Where are the detailed requirements, due dates by element, and points of contact found?

Program details, exact due dates by element, and points of contact are provided in the ROSES 2011 appendices, with proposal due dates summarized in solicitation tables.

24) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 43.001 (Science).

25) Who is the general point of contact for overall ROSES policy and procedure questions?

For overall policy and procedure questions related to the ROSES notice, NASA points to Dr. Max Bernstein at NASA Headquarters as the general contact for the NRA.