NASA Spaceflight Research Opportunities in Space Biology Announcement

This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits hypothesis-driven space-flight research in Space Biology (SB) to be conducted on ISS. NASA SB experiments have one or more of the following primary goals: 1) to effectively use microgravity and the other characteristics of the space environment to enhance our understanding of basic biological processes; 2) to develop the scientific and technological foundations for a safe, productive human presence in space for extended periods and in preparation for exploration; and 3) to apply this knowledge and technology to improve our nation’s competitiveness, education, and the quality of life on Earth. NASA SB experiments will be designed to discover how space flight affects a diverse group of microorganisms, plants, and animals; study the effects of gravity (g) across the g-spectrum, i.e., from micro- to hyper-gravity; and characterize the biological effects of radiation, magnetic fields, and the interaction among species in the unusual environments of space and spacecraft.

This solicitation (NRA NNH14ZTT001N), entitled, “Spaceflight Research Opportunities in Space Biology,” will be available on or about November 15, 2013. This solicitation will be found by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and then linking through the menu listings “Solicitations” to “Open Solicitations.”

Short (1-5 pages) Step-1 proposals will be due on December 19, 2013 at 5 PM Eastern Time, and invited full-length Step-2 proposals will be due on March 20, 2014 at 5 PM Eastern Time. Proposals must be submitted electronically by an authorized official of the proposing organization. Proposers can use either NSPIRES ( http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ ) or Grants.gov ( http://www.grants.gov ) for proposal submission. NASA’s selection of research projects will be guided by recommendations of the National Research Council’s 2011 Decadal Survey Report, “Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era” (http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13048.html)

All categories of U.S. institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this NRA. Principal Investigators (PIs) may collaborate with investigators from universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, state and local government laboratories and other countries.

Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this NRA must be registered with NSPIRES, and such registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit electronic proposals. Instructions on how to register in NSPIRES will be described in the NRA. Each electronic proposal requires the registration of principal investigators and other participants (e.g. co-investigators). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Questions about this NRA may be addressed to the contacts referenced in the full solicitation document.

This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 6.102 (d)(2). All awards resulting from selections of proposals to this NRA will be grants or cooperative agreements.