Away Team Research: Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) Released
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), entitled, “Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO)” (NNJ25ZSA001N), has been released. This NOFO will solicit applied research in support of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP). This NOFO is available through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) at: https://tinyurl.com/HERO25NOFO.
The research will fall into one or more categories corresponding to HRP’s five Elements: Space Radiation, Human Health Countermeasures, Exploration Medical Capability, Human Factors and Behavioral Performance, and Research Operations and Integration. This NOFO covers all aspects of research to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration.
Awards generally range from under $250K per year for focused, limited efforts (e.g., data analysis) to $1.2M per year for extensive activities (e.g., development of scientific hardware) and will be made as grants.
The funds available for awards in each research opportunity offered in this NOFO range from less than one million to several million dollars. This range allows selection from a few to as many as a dozen proposals depending on the program objectives and the submission of proposals of merit. The period of performance for an award can range from one to five years. Any changes or modifications to any of these guidelines will be specified in the descriptions of the relevant research opportunities in the appendices of this solicitation.
Details of the topics will be given in the solicited research response area appendices of the NOFO. Unless otherwise specified, appendices will use a two-step solicitation process requiring that a compliant and relevant Step-1 proposal be submitted in order to be considered to be invited to submit a Step-2 proposal.
Proposal due dates will be staggered throughout the HERO open period of November 1, 2024 to October 2025. The first proposal due date (for Step-1 proposals submitted in response to Appendices A) is December 2, 2024. The electronic submission is required by the due date for proposal submission.
Proposal due dates are given in the solicited research response area appendices, which will be posted at https://nspires.nasaprs.com. Interested proposers should monitor https://nspires.nasaprs.com or register and subscribe to the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD) electronic notifications system through the NSPIRES account subscription services. New program elements or amendments to this NOFO through October 2025 will be posted in NSPIRES, after which time release of a subsequent HERO NOFO is planned.
All categories of United States (U.S.) institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to the NOFO. Principal Investigators may collaborate with universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, and state and local government laboratories. In all such arrangements, the applying entity is expected to be responsible for administering the project according to the management approach presented in the proposal. NASA’s policy is to conduct research with non-U.S. organizations on a cooperative, no exchange-of-funds basis.
Thank you for your continued interest in NASA. Please refer to the solicitation document for contact information.
4 Nov 2024 Update
New NASA Research Announcement NNJ25ZSA001N-OMNIBUS
NASA Human Research Program Omnibus Opportunity
DATE CORRECTION
Date correction: The virtual Pre-Proposers Conference date has been corrected to November 14, 2024. This change is reflected in the text below
NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) has released solicited NOFO NNJ25ZSA001N-OMNIBUS that solicits applied research in support of HRP goals and objectives. This is Appendix A of the Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) NOFO(NNJ25ZSA001N).
NASA is soliciting investigations lasting no more than one year that provide innovative approaches to any of the risks and gaps contained in the Integrated Research Plan (https://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov) of the Human Research Program. NASA is also soliciting novel research ideas that might not be directly aligned with HRP’s identified risks from new investigators or early career investigators who have not received funding from NASA HRP, NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or the Translational Research Institute for Space Health in the last ten years. Early career investigators must additionally be no more than ten years from their terminal research degree or clinical training. See the solicitation for details.
Appendix A of the HERO NOFO and associated documentation can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/HERO2025A.
The HERO NOFO including all open appendices is available through the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at: https://tinyurl.com/HERO25NOFO.
A virtual Pre-Proposers Conference is scheduled for November 14, 2024, and more details are posted alongside this solicitation on NSPIRES. Appendix A Step-1 proposals are due December 2, 2024. Invited Appendix A Step-2 proposals are due March 11, 2025.
All categories of United States (U.S.) institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to the NOFO. Principal Investigators may collaborate with universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, and state and local government laboratories. In all such arrangements, the applying entity is expected to be responsible for administering the project according to the management approach presented in the proposal. NASA’s policy is to conduct research with non-U.S. organizations on a cooperative, no exchange-of-funds basis.
Thank you for your continued interest in NASA. Please refer to the solicitation document for contact information.
Astrobiology, Space Biology, Space Medicine, Away Team,
