INTRODUCTION:

The Office of the Center Chief Technologist (CCT), the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS), and the Office of the Associate Center Director for Research and Technology are pleased to announce the FY23 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.

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 technical investment relevant to Ames.

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 and can be split between FTE and Procurement, including contract labor.  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 FY23 will be funded for FY23 only. Continuation proposals are required for all follow-on efforts outside of FY23. Awards for FY23 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 September 30, 2023

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

All FY23 IRAD proposers must submit the following to arc-irad@mail.nasa.gov with the subject line IRAD23_PI Last Name_Short Proposal Name by 5:00 p.m. (pacific) on October 14, 2022:

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

Templates for the cover page, proposal, budget breakdown, quad chart, 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 by September 30, 2023.

IRAD SCHEDULE:

Proposals Due Date: October 14, 2022
Start of Award: November 2022 (Anticipated)
Final Report: 13 months after start date
Participation in Ames Research and Technology Showcase (ARTS): November 2021 (Anticipated)

A report template will be provided to all awardees.

FY23 IRAD proposal packages must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (Pacific) October 14, 2022 via email to arc-irad@mail.nasa.gov with “IRAD23_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.

PROPOSAL APPLICATION:​

1. FY23 IRAD Instructions
2. FY23 IRAD Proposals Template
3. FY23 IRAD Quad Chart Template
4. FY23 IRAD RFP