Science

NASA�s FY 2026 Annual Performance Plan and Evaluation Plan (APPEP) located at URL https://www.nasa.gov/ocfo/performance-report/ describes the Agency�s Performance Goals, including the underlying milestone targets, consistent with the FY 2025 Operating Plan and FY 2026 President�s Budget Request. As noted on page 2 of the APPEP, �NASA will develop a new mission statement and make more significant changes to its performance framework as part of the forthcoming 2026 NASA Strategic Plan.� Historically, The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) pursues NASA's strategic objectives, particularly Strategic Goal 1: �Expand Human Knowledge through new Scientific Discoveries�, using aircraft, balloon, and spaceflight programs to enable the execution of both remote-sensing and in-situ investigations. Investigations in Earth orbit, as well as to or even beyond objects in the Solar System, and through ground-based research activities that directly support these space missions. SMD also supports basic and applied research and technology in order to understand naturally occurring space and Earth phenomena, human-induced changes in the Earth system, and to develop Earth and space science-related technologies. In March 2022 NASA released a new Strategic Plan. Per that 2022 plan SMD�s Assistance Listing aligns to this Goal Statement: �NASA�s enduring purpose is scientific discovery and exploration for the benefit of the United States and all of humanity. NASA seeks to discover the secrets of the universe, search for life elsewhere, and protect and improve life on Earth and in space. Finding...

Categories of organizations that may be eligible for NASA grants and cooperative agreements include: � Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) � A two- or four-year university or college (including U.S. community colleges), public or private, accredited to confer degrees beyond that of the K-12 grade levels. 29 � Educational Institutions � Non-higher-education entities, such as K-12 education groups or institutions of informal education, are classified as Educational Institutions.2 � Non-profit Organization � An organization that: o Is operated primarily for scientific, engineering, educational, research, or similar purposes in the public interest; o Is not organized primarily for profit; o Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the organization�s operations; and o Is not an IHE. Non-profit organizations generally exclude (i) colleges and universities; (ii) hospitals; and (iii) state, local, and Federally recognized Indian tribal governments. � For-profit Entity � An organization of any size that is organized primarily for profit. � Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) � FFRDCs are under a broad charter by a Government agency for performing, analyzing, or conducting research for the United States Government. NASA sponsors JPL as the Agency�s sole FFRDC, and JPL is not an eligible applicant to receive a NASA-funded grant or cooperative agreement...

Unless otherwise specified in the NOFO, the evaluation criteria considered in evaluating a proposal are intrinsic merit, relevance, and cost. Intrinsic Merit includes the consideration of the following factors, as applicable to the particular proposal 1) The scientific quality of the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the scientific rationale and the expected significance and/or impact of the proposed work. 2) Overall, technical quality of the proposed work, includes, but is not limited to, the quality of the management plan and project timeline for carrying out the work and the effectiveness and resilience of the proposed experimental designs, methods, techniques, and approaches for achieving the proposed goals and/or objectives. 3) The qualifications, capabilities, and expertise of personnel demonstrated by the proposal (e.g., publications, delivered products, and other measures of productivity and/or experience) that would affect the likelihood of achieving the objectives. 4) Facilities, instruments, equipment and other resources or support systems presented in the proposal that would affect the likelihood of achieving the proposed objectives. A proposal's relevance includes the consideration of the potential contribution to NASA's mission as expressed in its most recent NASA strategic plans and the permitted scope and specific objectives and goals given in the funding announcement. Cost of a proposed effort includes the reasonableness of the proposed...

Most awards have no matching requirement. Specifics about cost sharing and matching resources are described in the NOFO.

Fiscal year 2025: The focus of the BioS-ENDURES Consortium is innovation, acceleration, and implementation of space biology specific knowledge and technology centered on human-plant-microbiome relationships to enable a durable human presence in low Earth orbit and beyond. Studying fundamental relationships between humans, plants, and their microbiomes under space flight conditions will reveal new biological mechanisms that will address needs for sustainability and risk mitigation in space exploration. A more thorough understanding is needed of mechanisms underlying responses to space-relevant stressors (ionizing radiation, microgravity, circadian disruption, abiotics, and biotics) to both humans and plant food sources and what role microbiomes may play in shaping those responses. Relationships between microorganisms and humans in isolated and constrained environments such as space habitats must be better understood to enable successful long-term habitation in space. Human/animal, plant, and microbial biologists will work together to ensure an integrated view of the space flight biosphere by enhancing data acquisition, modeling, and testing. Fiscal year 2026: SMD publishes...