APPENDIX D
This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement (NRA) solicits ground-based research proposals from established researchers and graduate students to generate new scientific insights by utilizing experimental data residing in NASA's Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI) system (http://psi.nasa.gov), an online database of completed physical science reduced-gravity flight experiments conducted on the International Space Station (ISS), Space Shuttle flights, and Free-flyers, or from related ground-based studies. The solicitation (NNH17ZTT001N-17PSI-D), entitled "Use of the NASA Physical Sciences Informatics System - Appendix D," will be available on or about September 15, 2017. Upon release, the solicitation will be found via the following steps:
1. Open the NSPIRES homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
2. Select "Solicitations"
3. Select "Open Solicitations"
4. Select "Use of the NASA Physical Sciences Informatics System NNH17ZTT001N"
5. Select List of Open Program Elements
6. Select "Use of the NASA Physical Sciences Informatics System - Appendix D"
7. Select "Appendix D NNH17ZTT001N-17PSI-D" under Announcement Documents.
NASA plans to host a proposers' conference via WebEx shortly after the release of the Appendix to provide more information and to answer questions about the NRA and the PSI system.
NASA's Physical Sciences Research Program conducts fundamental and applied physical sciences research, with the objective of enabling exploration and pioneering scientific discovery. NASA's experiments in the various disciplines of physical science reveal how physical systems respond to the near absence of gravity. They also reveal how other phenomena which have a small influence on physical systems in earth's gravity, can dominate system behavior in space.
The PSI system (http://psi.nasa.gov) is an online, publicly accessible database of completed physical science reduced-gravity flight experiments conducted on the ISS, Space Shuttle flights, or Free Flyers and related ground-based studies. It is a tool designed for researchers to data mine information from reduced-gravity physical sciences experiments and use it to further science in accordance with the open science approach, while also meeting the requirements of the nation's Open Data Policy. This NRA solicits ground-based research proposals that present a compelling case on how the experimental data from the PSI system will be used to promote the advancement of further research. Proposers must show a clear path from the scientific data obtained from the PSI system to the proposed investigation. In addition, the project must address an important problem in the proposed area of research and advance scientific knowledge or technology.
This NRA will remain open for five years. There will be annual call for proposals through a series of appendices which are planned to be released yearly. In general, the NRA solicits research in the following six research areas: 1) Biophysics, 2) Combustion Science, 3) Complex Fluids, 4) Fluid Physics, 5) Fundamental Physics, and 6) Materials Science. This announcement includes Appendix D, which will solicit proposals in several research areas identified above. See the full Appendix D for the list of the research areas solicited and eligible PSI investigations. Proposals for Appendix D are due on or about December 15, 2017.
This solicitation is applicable to researchers in all categories of U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers and other U.S. Government agencies. This NRA is soliciting proposals from two types of investigators: 1) established researchers, including postdoctoral scholars; 2) graduate students (with academic advisors) from accredited U.S. postsecondary institutions and programs. Proposals from graduate students must be submitted by their advisor.
Principal Investigators (PIs) may collaborate with investigators from universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, state and local government laboratories, and other countries. Proposals including international participation are eligible, provided NASA policies regarding the conduct of research with non-U.S. organizations are met.
Proposals must be submitted by an authorized official of the proposing organization. Proposals must be submitted electronically. Proposers may use either NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ ) or Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov ) for proposal submission.
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 organization representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal. Instructions on how to register in NSPIRES are provided in the NRA. Each electronic proposal system places requirements on 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 with regard to responding to 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). Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, nspires.nasaprs.com, or Grants.gov, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.
Dr. Francis Chiaramonte, Program Scientist for Physical Sciences, Phone 202-358-0693, Fax 202-479-0511, Email francis.p.chiaramonte@nasa.gov
