INTRODUCTION:

The Office of the Center Chief Technologist (CCT) and the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS), and the Deputy Center Director for Research and Technology are pleased to announce the FY24 Internal Research and Development (IRAD) request for proposals.

The purpose of the IRAD is to develop strategic technical capabilities in support of the Center competencies and thereby enable science, technology and engineering efforts for future Agency missions. The advances in science and technology expected through this program will provide opportunities for technical risk reduction and/or increased cost effectiveness and initiate potentially transformational solutions.

PROPOSAL SCOPE:

This call is open to NASA Ames civil servants only. The IRAD focuses on science, technology and engineering investments that will develop skills, capabilities and systems relevant for future Ames work.
Note: Previously submitted FY23 IRAD and FY24 ECI proposals can resubmit their proposal to this call, updated to the required format.

It is incumbent upon the proposer to demonstrate clearly the true innovation of the proposed project, based on existing state-of-the-art, and to demonstrate how their proposal supports Agency objectives and Center priorities.

The IRAD proposals are open to any area of science, technology or engineering research investment relevant to Ames. Proposals that include funded collaborations with other Centers, USGS, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and SJSU are encouraged.

The following are not within the scope of this call and proposals will not be submitted for review:

• Augmentation of already funded programs or projects;
• Projects that have consistently failed peer review;
• Construction of facilities or general equipment purchases;
• Funding of contractor-led research.

ELIGIBILITY, FUNDING AMOUNTS, AND PROJECT DURATION:

The IRAD call is only open to NASA Ames civil servants. Requested budget may not exceed $200K (FY24 and FY25) and can be split between FTE and Procurement, including contract labor. Funds will be distributed over two FYs (up to $100K in FY24 and up to $100K in FY25). A minimum of 70% of the budget must be allocated for work conducted at or procurement for Ames.

Please note:

• Funding may not be used to support travel;
• Co-investigators may be located at other institutions.

Proposed efforts may be for up to three years in duration. Proposals selected in FY24 will be funded for one year effort over FY24 and FY25. Continuation proposals are required for all follow-on efforts outside of the FY24 IRAD one year effort. Awards for FY24 will be given based on the work described for Year 1 (not future years).

Decisions regarding awards will be based on availability of funds. All funding must be obligated by the end of the FY (September 30).

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

All FY24 IRAD proposers must submit the following to jacob.cohen-1@nasa.gov with the subject line IRAD24_PI Last Name_Short Proposal Name by 5:00 p.m. (pacific) on April 9, 2022:

1. Cover page (1-page)
2. Abstract (maximum of 1-page)
3. Proposal (maximum of 2-pages)
4. Alignment and ROI (maximum of 1-page)
5. Resource Requirements (maximum of 3-page)
6. Reference list (optional; 1-page)
7. Quad chart (1-page)

Templates for the cover page, proposal, budget breakdown, quad chart, and abstract are included at the end of this page. All submitted documents must adhere to instructions printed in blue. Proposers must use 1-inch margins and 12-point standard font (Times or Arial).

NOTE: Proposers have the responsibility to clearly explain critical details needed for a reviewer to properly assess the proposal. Proposers should not assume that reviewers are experts in the specific area, nor that the reviewers will look at any material other than what is provided in the proposal.

PROPOSAL APPROVAL:

Proposers must inform their direct line management about their IRAD proposals for concurrence on the strategic value, availability of labor resources, and proposal- development support. This step is important to ensure availability of resources needed to deliver in the time allotted, if selected. Approval of a Branch Chief or higher is required for proposal submission.

GENERAL SELECTION PROCESS:

IRAD proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria: technical merit; soundness of the approach; strategic relevance and value to Ames and NASA; and future funding prospects.

The Ames Research Center Research and Technology Council (ARTC) will evaluate all submitted proposals that meet the above criteria. The technical Directors will review the ARTC’s input and make programmatic recommendations to the Center Director’s Office.

All awardees will be required to submit a final report and participate in the Ames Research and Technology Showcase.

Award duration is for up to 12 months; all funding must be obligated within the given FY.

IRAD SCHEDULE:

Proposals Due Date: April 9, 2024
Start of Award: June 2024 (Anticipated)
Final Report: 13 months after start date
Participation in Ames Research and Technology Showcase (ARTS): TBA

A report template will be provided to all awardees.

FY24 IRAD proposal packages must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (Pacific) April 9, 2024 via email to jacob.cohen-1@nasa.gov with “IRAD24_PI Last Name” in the subject line.

Please note that late submissions will not be accepted nor reviewed.

Technology development questions: Jill Bauman at jill.bauman@nasa.gov.

Scientific research questions: Jacob Cohen at jacob.cohen-1@nasa.gov.