NASA Request for Information (RFI): Nominations for Physiological and Psychological Changes Associated with Elevated Carbon Dioxide

Solicitation Number: 80JSC020L0003​

Release Date: December 20, 2019

Response Date: January 15, 2020 

NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) investigates and mitigates the highest risks to astronaut health and performance in exploration missions. The goal of the HRP is to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration, and to ensure safe and productive human spaceflight. The scope of these goals includes both the successful completion of exploration missions and the preservation of astronaut health over the life of the astronaut.  

HRP is forming an interdisciplinary team of researchers to investigate the changes to the human body due to of exposure to weightlessness and elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations as experienced by astronauts during spaceflight, using a ground based bedrest model. One of the responsibilities of HRP is to provide data to inform standards, and as such, HRP is planning to sponsor a study to inform current and future hardware designs.

HRP is interested in the following areas of expertise to complete this interdisciplinary team:

a.     CO2 compensatory mechanisms (e.g., regulation of acid / base balance)

b.     Monitoring and surveillance of CO2 concentrations in blood

c.     Central Nervous System function

d.     Cerebrovascular function

e.     Cardiovascular function

f.      Cognitive function

g.     Aerobic function

HRP is particularly interested in investigators with experience in research studying the physiological effects related to environmental exposure to elevated CO2.

The full text of the RFI and response instructions can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/20CO2RFI​. Responses must be submitted electronically using the NSPIRES web site. This RFI is open to responses from all individuals including those from commercial entities, international organizations, academia, NASA Centers, and other government agencies.

The information obtained will be used by NASA for planning and acquisition strategy development.  NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on a non-attribution basis.  Providing data and information that is limited or restricted for use by NASA for that purpose would be of very little value and such restricted/limited data/information is not solicited.  No information or questions received will be posted to any website or public access location.  NASA may plan to respond to the individual responses. Later participation in the interdisciplinary team is not guaranteed, nor is compensation for any later participation. The Government does not intend to award an award on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.