Announcement of Opportunity United Nations Human Space Technology Initiative Zero-Gravity Instrument Project
Announcement of Opportunity United Nations Human Space Technology Initiative (UN-HSTI) “Zero-Gravity Instrument Project (ZGIP)”
1 February 2013
1. Thematic Area: Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI) Science Activity
2. Title: Zero-Gravity Instrument Project (ZGIP)
3. Executing Agency: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
4. Duration and Beginning Date: 2 years, beginning 1 August 2013
5. Deadline for Applications: Completed application forms should be received by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs by 31 May 2013. Successful applicants will be notified on the outcome of their applications by 1 July 2013.
6. Number of Available Instruments: One (1) unit for each successful applicant. A total of 20 units are available for distribution around the world.
7. Expected Applicant Profile: Heads of research groups, university professors with scientific orientation, or science teachers.
8. Language of the Project: English
9. Brief Project Description: The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is pleased to announce the opportunity for the Zero-Gravity Instrument Project (ZGIP) as part of the Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI) under the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications. ZGIP is aimed at contributing to the promotion of space education and research in microgravity around the world, particularly for the enhancement of relevant capacity-building activities in developing countries. Under this Project, a fixed number of microgravity simulation instruments called clinostats will be distributed free of charge to qualified schools, universities, research centers and institutes around the world. ZGIP will provide unique opportunities for students and researchers to study the gravitational effects on samples, such as plant seeds and small organisms, in a simulated microgravity condition with hands-on learning in classroom or research activities conducted by each institution. While ZGIP is aimed at motivating research institutions to invest in activities in space and microgravity research and at fostering a global network of participating institutions in this field, it is also expected to create a dataset of experimental results in gravity responses that could contribute to the design of future space experiments and to the advancement of microgravity research. .
10. Zero-gravity Instrument (Clinostat) Description: The instrument to be distributed is a one-axis clinostat that simulates certain aspects of microgravity on the ground in a cost-effective manner. For details, please find information on the clinostat in Annex-1 and on microgravity science experiments in Annex-2.
11. Project Schedule:
12. Requirements for Applicants:
a) Eligibility: Applicants are required to act as leaders of the proposed activities of the Project in their institutions in developing countries or countries with an economy in transition. Applicants are required to o be either heads of research groups, university professors with scientific orientation, or science teachers at schools, o provide, in the attached Application Form, his/her ideas on how he/she plans to utilize the distributed clinostat. The plans should clearly show the purpose of the project which has to be in the following areas: conduct microgravity research in order to increase knowledge in certainfields, and/or provide science education to students at school.
o have a good command of spoken and written English.
b) Requirements in Experimentation:
Selected applicants who receive the instrument are expected to conduct experiments with at least five
(5) plant seeds (indigenous to the region of the applicant) per year.
Timeline of the Application and Selection Process:
a) Deadline for application submission: 31 May 2013
b) Selection of applicants: 1 July 2013
c) Distribution of the instrument to the successful applicants: 1 August 2013
Timeline of the Experiment Process:
d) 1st Annual Report submission by the participating institutions: 1 August 2014
e) 2nd Annual Report submission by the participating institutions: 1 August 2015
c) Annual Report Submission: Selected applicants who receive the instrument are expected to submit annual activity reports for a period of two (2) years after receiving the instruments. It is also expected that research centers and institutes will share the results of their activities with the world by publishing in journals and by participating in relevant conferences. Furthermore, all successful applicants are expected to return a questionnaire on request by UNOOSA.
13. Delivery and Maintenance of the Clinostat: In donating the clinostat to the successful applicant, UNOOSA shall bear the cost of shipment of the clinostat to the location of the successful applicant. Any additional import duties, taxes, or fees, however levied, shall be borne by the successful applicant. The successful applicant bears full responsibility for proper operation and maintenance of the clinostat and shall, if necessary, undertake and arrange, at its own expense, any shipment or delivery for warranty work or otherwise directly with the manufacturer. UNOOSA shall be informed immediately of any loss of or damage to the clinostat. The recipient understands and agrees that the receipt of the clinostat is a non-commercial donation and that no fee of any kind may be levied against or charged to any person for the use or operation of the clinostat under any circumstances, regardless of whether such use or operation is in connection with the experiments envisioned under this project. Please also refer to the enclosed document “Terms of Participation” in Annex-3.
14. Application to the Project: The fully completed application form in Annex-4, properly endorsed by the applicant’s institution, should be emailed to hsti@unoosa.org both in PDF format (.pdf) containing the signature page, and in MS WORD (.doc), no later than 31 May 2013.
The applicant should also mail the fully completed original application form to the following address:
Office for Outer Space Affairs
United Nations Office at Vienna
Vienna International Centre
P.O. BOX 500
A-1400 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Phone: (+43 1) 26060- 8716
fax: (+43-1)-26060-5830
E-mail: hsti@unoosa.org
UNOOSA will then proceed to evaluate each submission. At UNOOSA’s sole discretion, additional
information may be requested from applicants, if necessary, to assist in the evaluation of an
application. Selected applicants will then be notified with the results of the selection process. All
awards are final and made at the sole discretion of UNOOSA, not subject to challenge or review, and
are contingent on the successful applicant’s agreement to UNOOSA’s terms and conditions of the
donation agreement.
15. Additional Information:
The latest information on the Zero-Gravity Instrument Project will be made available on the website
of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs at
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/en/SAP/hsti/index.html.
For further information regarding the project and applications, please contact hsti@unoosa.org.
