NASA SMD Planetary Science Division Memo: Revised Selection Procedure for PSD R&A Proposals

National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546-0001

February 20, 2007

Reply to Attn of: SMD/PSD

TO: Planetary Science Division R&A Program Officers

FROM: James L. Green/Director, Planetary Science Division

SUBJECT: Revised Selection Procedure for PSD R&A Proposals

Effective immediately, this memo provides new procedures in getting notification and funding out to all NASA Research and Analysis (R&A) proposers to planetary opportunities. It is important to note that this procedure is completely consistent with SMD Policy Document SPD- 08 that states all the requirements for completing R&A Selection Decision Documents (SDD). As the Selection Official (SO), it has been determined that I will be able to make decisions on some proposals and defer the decision on other proposals until later, under certain situations. This new approach is designed to accommodate a variety of programmatic situations that arise during the normal fiscal year while providing significantly better service to our science community. The following steps are to be taken:

1. After your review panel has met, you are to submit your “initial SSD” to me. I will select some proposals based on available funding, defer selection on some (pending funding), and not select others. The required time for submission of the SSD to me is within four weeks after your panel review with two weeks as my expected guideline.

2. The approved initial SDD must contain the disposition of all proposals. The initial SDD will delineate the proposals into three categories: Selected, Selectable, and Not Selected. Selectable proposals are those in competitive range that may have a chance to be selected pending the further identification of program funds.

3. Once the initial SSD has been approved, and as soon as possible, you are to issue letters to all principal investigators (PI). You are then to fund all “Selected” proposals. For those proposals that are in the “Selectable” category you are to state:

Your proposal is selectable. NASA is deferring the decision on whether your proposal will be funded. You will be notified of the final funding decision.

To the best of your ability, also state the reason for the deferral and provide an estimated date by which a decision will be announced to the PI.

4. As funding becomes available within your R&A program, you would submit a revision to the “initial SDD” through a new addendum, since more awards can then be made within the “Selectable” group. The SO must sign the addendum to the selection statement as part of a supplemental selection. Funding proposals beyond the initial SSD can only be initiated as long as you have a signed revised selection statement and the available funding. Letters must be sent to the proposers when additional decisions are made. There may be several addendums necessary to complete the SDD for your R&A program for any one fiscal year.

5. When the final budget authority doesn’t permit funding of any more proposals, you will then let all those in the “Selectable” deferred category know of their rejections. This will require a final addendum to the plan to be signed off by the SO.

James L. Green