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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NASA ROSES 2012 Physical Oceanography

1) What is the NASA ROSES 2012 Physical Oceanography opportunity?

It is a Physical Oceanography topic area offered under NASA's broader ROSES 2012 umbrella solicitation. ROSES 2012 is a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) run by NASA Headquarters under the Science Mission Directorate, and it invites proposals for research and technology activities that support NASA Earth Science and other space science programs. Physical Oceanography is included as one of the topic areas in the ROSES appendices.

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

The ROSES 2012 umbrella solicitation is identified as Funding Opportunity Number NNH12ZDA001N.

3) Who runs ROSES 2012?

ROSES 2012 is run by NASA Headquarters under the Science Mission Directorate.

4) What kinds of projects is NASA looking for under ROSES 2012 (and by extension Physical Oceanography)?

NASA signals interest in a broad range of work, including theory development, numerical modeling, and analysis of existing NASA science data, as well as mission-enabling activities. Mission-enabling activities can include developing and maturing measurement techniques, creating concepts for future missions, advancing technologies that could fly on future platforms, and designing investigations that use aircraft, high-altitude balloons, suborbital rockets, or other suborbital and commercial reusable launch capabilities.

5) Does the solicitation support laboratory and sample analysis work?

Yes. The ROSES description highlights laboratory and analytical work tied to sample analysis, including extraterrestrial returned samples and terrestrial samples used to validate or interpret Earth observations.

6) Does ROSES 2012 include work focused on applied Earth science or decision support?

Yes. The solicitation notes interest in applied systems that translate Earth science results into societal or decision-support value, along with integrated Earth system modeling.

7) What kinds of Physical Oceanography themes does NASA expect proposals to align with?

For Physical Oceanography, applicants would typically align proposed work with NASA Earth-observing assets and priorities, such as satellite-derived ocean surface topography, winds, temperature, salinity, sea level, ocean circulation, air-sea interaction, and links between ocean variability and climate and weather processes. The exact scope and requirements are governed by the Physical Oceanography program element appendix within ROSES.

8) Where do I find the exact scope and requirements for the Physical Oceanography element?

The specific scope, required proposal content, evaluation considerations, and program officer contacts are provided in the ROSES appendices for each program element. Physical Oceanography details are in its program element appendix and any relevant tables within ROSES.

9) Is this a single funding pool for all of ROSES 2012?

No. NASA indicates that funding is not managed as one single pool across the entire ROSES announcement. Available funding varies by program element, and each element typically has anything from less than $1 million up to several million dollars available.

10) What award sizes does NASA expect?

Funding levels are intentionally flexible. NASA describes awards that can be under $100,000 per year for narrow, focused efforts (such as targeted data analysis) and can exceed $1,000,000 per year for large, complex projects (such as hardware or instrument development).

11) How many proposals might be selected for a program element like Physical Oceanography?

NASA indicates that the element budget range could translate into selecting anywhere from a handful to several dozen proposals per element, depending on program goals and the strength and volume of submissions.

12) What types of award instruments might NASA use?

Awards may be issued using different legal instruments depending on the organization and nature of the work, including grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and inter- or intra-agency transfers.

13) What is the typical period of performance?

The period of performance is typically four years, though some program elements may specify shorter or longer durations. The overall maximum is five years.

14) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The solicitation explicitly states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

15) Who is eligible to submit proposals?

Eligibility is broad: domestic and foreign entities, government and private organizations, and for-profit and nonprofit organizations can submit.

16) Are there restrictions on the number of proposals or teaming arrangements?

The information provided indicates there is no stated restriction on the number of proposals or teaming arrangements.

17) Can non-U.S. organizations participate, and will NASA fund them?

Non-U.S. organizations can participate, but NASA notes a key policy constraint: projects involving non-U.S. organizations are generally conducted on a "no exchange of funds" basis, meaning NASA typically will not transfer funds to foreign institutions. The solicitation directs non-U.S. proposers to specific guidebook sections for detailed rules and notes that some jointly issued NRAs with non-U.S. partners may have additional tailored guidelines.

18) When was ROSES 2012 expected to be available?

ROSES 2012 was expected to be available around February 14, 2012 through NASA's NSPIRES portal.

19) What are the proposal due dates?

Proposal due dates are staggered by program element, beginning May 4, 2012 and extending through March 22, 2013. The specific Physical Oceanography deadline is governed by the tables and the Physical Oceanography program element appendix in the ROSES document.

20) Is a Notice of Intent (NOI) required?

For many program elements, NASA requests a Notice of Intent. One of the earliest NOI dates listed is March 16, 2012. Whether an NOI is requested for Physical Oceanography is determined by the relevant ROSES tables and the program element appendix.

21) The opportunity record lists a closing date of June 29, 2012. What does that mean?

The opportunity record provided lists an original and current closing date of June 29, 2012 and an archive date of July 29, 2012. This typically reflects the submission window relevant to that particular posting or a specific element snapshot, while ROSES overall includes many staggered deadlines by program element.

22) How do I submit a proposal?

All proposals must be submitted electronically, either through NSPIRES or via Grants.gov.

23) Who must submit the proposal on behalf of an organization?

Submission must be made by an authorized organizational representative.

24) Do I need to register in NSPIRES?

Yes. Every proposing organization must be registered in NSPIRES. In addition, all investigators and participants (such as co-investigators) must be individually registered in NSPIRES regardless of whether the proposal is submitted through NSPIRES or Grants.gov.

25) If I submit through Grants.gov, do I still need NSPIRES?

Yes. If submitting through Grants.gov, the organization must be registered in Grants.gov as well, while still maintaining NSPIRES registration. Investigators and participants must also be registered in NSPIRES.

26) Why does NASA emphasize registration and early preparation?

NASA emphasizes that registrations can take time and encourages teams to start registration and system familiarization well ahead of deadlines to avoid last-minute compliance or access problems.

27) Where should I look for amendments or clarifications to ROSES 2012?

NASA encourages proposers to monitor NSPIRES for amendments and to use the ROSES amendment archive and RSS feed hosted on NASA's science website, since changes and clarifications can be issued during the open period.

28) Who do I contact for general policy or procedural questions about ROSES?

For general policy and procedural questions, the notice lists Dr. Max Bernstein at NASA Headquarters as the point of contact, along with the SARA mailbox and a phone number.

29) Who do I contact for Physical Oceanography scientific or element-specific questions?

Element-specific scientific questions are intended for the program officers named in the relevant Physical Oceanography appendix section.

30) What is the practical purpose of this opportunity for NASA?

In practical terms, ROSES 2012 invites proposals for research and technology work that makes strong use of NASA-relevant observations and data systems and helps advance the science return and future direction of NASA missions, including those related to Earth Science and Physical Oceanography.