NASA Announces Group 5 University Research Centers Solicitation

The NASA Office of Education, Integration Division, Minority University Research and Education Program, has released a solicitation for proposals for the NASA Group 5 University Research Centers. This solicitation is in cooperation with NASA’s four Mission Directorates — Aeronautics Research, Exploration Systems, Science, and Space Operations — and NASA’s ten field centers.

Each University Research Center is expected to be a multi-disciplinary scientific, engineering and/or commercial research center. Each URC should provide a broad-based, competitive NASA-related research capability among the nation’s Minority Institutions; foster new aerospace science and technology concepts; provide mechanisms for expanded participation by faculty and students of Minority Institutions in mainstream research; and increase the number of underrepresented and underserved U.S. students obtaining advanced degrees in NASA-related fields and entering the aerospace workforce.

All institutions designated by the Department of Education as a Historically Black College or University, Hispanic-Serving Institution or Minority Institution are eligible to apply for this cooperative agreement funding opportunity. Only one proposal may be submitted per institution.

Each University Research Center is to identify, in its Notice of Intent and proposal, the primary NASA Mission Directorate towards which the URC research activities will be directed. NASA research priorities are defined by the Mission Directorates — Aeronautics Research, Exploration Systems, Science and Space Operations. Each Mission Directorate covers a major area of the agency’s research and technology development efforts. General information about NASA research priorities and current NASA research solicitations can be found on NASA’s solicitation and proposal online database, NSPIRES, at http://nspires.nasaprs.com (select Solicitations and then Open Solicitations).

A Notice of Intent is required for submission of proposals to this solicitation and is due on May 22, 2009.

Full proposals are to be submitted via NSPIRES and are due by June 19, 2009.

For more information regarding this opportunity, please visit the NSPIRES Web site. Go to http://nspires.nasaprs.com and click on Solicitations. Additionally, any Frequently Asked Questions that arise after the announcement is released will be posted on NSPIRES.

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact the NSPIRES Help Desk at nspires-help@nasaprs.com or call 202-479-9376 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT.