SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - NASA OFFICE OF THE CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST EARLY STAGEINNOVATION DIVISION - SPACE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM
- Notice Date
- 8/24/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- NNH10UA005L-1
- Response Due
- 9/12/2010
- Archive Date
- 8/24/2011
- Point of Contact
- Claudia M Meyer, Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive, Phone 216-509-5606, Fax 202-358-4078, Email hq-esi-strg@mail.nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Claudia M Meyer
(hq-esi-strg@mail.nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- In Fiscal Year 2011, NASA plans to begin the Space Technology Research GrantsProgram. As part of the Office of the Chief Technologists Early Stage InnovationDivision, this Program will foster the development of innovative low Technology ReadinessLevel (TRL) technologies for advanced space systems and space technology. The goal ofthis low TRL technology endeavor will be to accelerate the development of pushtechnologies (technology development not directed at a specific mission) to support thefuture space science and exploration needs of NASA, other government agencies, and thecommercial space sector. To support Program formulation, the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) isseeking input on the Space Technology Research Grants strategy described in this documentand suggestions for space technologies that NASA should consider. Efforts are expected to be short term - typically one year in duration - and willincrease the TRL of technologies that might be applied to multiple, current missions orto allow NASA to pursue entirely new missions. These Early Stage Innovation Divisionefforts will complement the NASA Mission Directorates focused technology activities thatdirectly support their planned missions. While the Mission Directorate efforts typicallybegin at TRL 3 or higher, the TRL of the efforts to be considered in this Program will be TRL 1 (basic principles observed and reported), TRL 2 (technology concept and/or application formulated) or early TRL 3 (analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proofof concept) at the beginning of the selected effort. The full TRL scale and all associateddefinitions are provided in the Appendix to this RFI. Through this sustained, deliberate investment in a low TRL portfolio, NASA is seeking Maturation of revolutionary technologies that will greatly advance NASAs missions Ideas that may result in beneficial changes to NASAs long-range plans Cross-cutting technologies that contribute new technological approaches for aerospaceapplications and, ideally, also fulfill national needs in areas such as communications,power, energy storage, propulsion, safety, and security Space technology being sought in this Program deals with the design, modeling, operation,maintenance, repair, testing, and reliability of any of the components and systems ofboth manned and robotic spacecraft. Several external and NASA-sponsored studies in thepast decade have identified key technology advances that would benefit potential futuremissions: FINAL REPORT of the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, October 22,2009, http://legislative.nasa.gov/396093main_HSF_Cmte_FinalReport.pdf. A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program: A Review of NASA's ExplorationTechnology Development Program, 2008, http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12471. Report of the President's Commission on Implementation of United States SpaceExploration Policy, 2004,http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/media/pdf/MoonToMarsFinalReport.pdf. Stepping Stone to the Future of Space Exploration: A Workshop Report, 2004,http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11020. The 2004/2005 Advanced Planning and Integration Office (APIO) Technology CapabilityPortfolios: http://mediaman.gsfc.nasa.gov/NASA_Tech_Strategies/APIO_Tech_Portfolios_2005/APIO_Tech_Portfolios_2005.htm. The 2003/2004 NASA Capability Requirements Analysis and Integration (CRAI) process toturn broad NASA objectives into capability and technology investment strategies:http://mediaman.gsfc.nasa.gov/NASA_Tech_Strategies/CRAI_Tech_Reports_2004/CRAI_Tech_Reports_2004.htm. The 1999-2002 NASA Decadal Planning Team and NASA Exploration Team:http://mediaman.gsfc.nasa.gov/NASA_Tech_Strategies/DPT_Summary_Reports/DPT_Summary_Reports.htm. This list of references may be considered a starting point for the topics to beconsidered and is not intended to be comprehensive. The Space Technology Research Grants Program will seek technologies that, if successful,would lead to a dramatic improvement at the system level (performance, weight, cost,reliability, operational simplicity or other figures of merit associated with spaceflight hardware and missions). Although progress under any single award may beincremental, the projected impact at the system level must be substantial and clearlydefined. Typical Planned Awards It is expected that the typical award amount will be $250K and that the typical awardduration will be one year. Efforts between one and two years in duration will also beconsidered. Funding for all or part of a second year would be contingent upon review ofYear 1 progress and availability of funds. Awards greater than $400K/year are not expected. It is NASAs intent to share all knowledge developed under this Program and publicdissemination of results will be expected. Awards in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts or intra-agency transfersare expected, depending on the nature of the submitting organization and the nature ofthe effort. It is expected that most awards will be grants and intra-agency transfers. Planned Eligibility Requirements The Program plans to fund efforts that are led by investigators from accredited UnitedStates Universities, not-for-profit R&D Laboratories and NASA Centers. Principalinvestigators do not need to have extensive space technology experience. Partnershipswill be encouraged and investigators will be permitted to team with any U.S. or non-U.S.organization, institution, or public or private company. Teaming with non-U.S.organizations is subject to NASA policy of no exchange of funds. Planned Limit on Number of Proposals and Proposal Details In order to facilitate broad, nationwide participation in this Program, NASA is planningto limit a proposal participant Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator or otherwise -to participation in no more than two proposals. The science/technical/management section will be limited to 8 pages in length. Planned Evaluation Criteria The following criteria (listed in descending order of importance) are planned: Potential Impact (Value) If successful the proposed activities must increase the TRLto enable new approaches to our current missions or allow the pursuit of entirely newmissions. The following items will be considered: Innovation: Should be a truly innovative and forward-reaching concept, idea, ortechnology development effort that is important to new opportunities or creates criticalcapabilities. Comparative Assessment: By comparison with existing technologies, it has the clearpotential to be superior in terms of lower cost, less mass, high reliability, improvedsafety, operational simplicity, ease of manufacturing, or other figures of merit forspaceflight hardware and missions. The expected outcome of the research effort and potential path for furtherdevelopment Technical Merit Evaluation of the overall technical merit of the proposal. Thefollowing items will be considered: A sound technical approach to accomplish the proposed space technology researchobjectives. Feasibility and alignment of scope and schedule. Consistency with TRL requirements in the solicitation Clear statement of public availability of results; NASA intends to share allresults developed under this solicitation. Effectiveness of the proposed Work Plan. Suitability of Team, Proposed Collaborations and Justification of Cost - The followingitems will be considered: The appropriate technical knowledge and facilities for completion of this projectand the proposal teams awareness of the current state-of-the-art. The adequacy of the proposed budget to carry out the effort and the value of theidea relative to the investment requested. Proposals will be selected via peer review. There is no fixed internal/externaldistribution; the intent is to reward the best ideas. Typical Schedule The typical NASA Research Announcement Schedule is expected to be as follows: T: Solicitation Released T + 3 weeks: Notices of Intent Due T + 2 months: Proposals Due T + 4 months: Selections Announced T + 5.5 months: Awards in Place NASA plans to issue one call and to make approximately 100 new awards per fiscal year. Additional Information The information provided above was presented, in abbreviated form, at the OCT IndustryForum on July 13-15. The Space Technology Research Grants presentation, and other OCTinformation, may be accessed from the following site: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/industry_day_info.html Instructions to Responders This is not a request for proposal, quotation, or invitation for bid notice and isintended for information and planning purposes only. NASA does not intend to make anyawards on the basis of this RFI. However, NASA may consider issuing a formal solicitationat a later date. NASA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding tothis RFI. Respondents are advised that NASA is under no obligation to acknowledge receiptof the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to anyinformation submitted under this RFI. NASA may contact respondents to this RFI ifclarification or additional information is desired. Responses to this RFI do not bindNASA to any further actions related to this topic. Any future steps taken to award BroadAgency Announcements (BAAs), NASA Research Announcements (NRAs), Request for Proposals(RFPs) or Space Act Agreements (SAAs) will be contingent upon Congressional approval andavailability of funds. This announcement contains all information required to submit a response. No additionalforms, kits, or other materials are needed. NASA appreciates responses from all capable and qualified sources including, but notlimited to, NASA Centers, universities, university affiliated research centers,federally-funded research and development centers, private or public companies, andgovernment research laboratories. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. NASA will not consider material that is marked classified or proprietary. NASA reservesthe right to use responses to develop future solicitations and other types of publiccorrespondence. However, NASA does not intend to release any individual RFI responses. Submissions have the following formatting requirements: a portable document format (.pdf)or Microsoft Word (.doc) document of 2 pages or less using 12 pt font. Only one responseper individual will be considered. RFI responses are asked to address one or both of the following areas: Do you have any comments for NASA consideration? Would you suggest any changes toimprove the strategy described above? Please provide the rationale for yourrecommendation(s). What space technologies do you think NASA should consider for pursuit within the SpaceTechnology Research Grants Program? A brief description of your recommendations withaccompanying rationale would be appreciated. NOTE: A response must be submitted electronically as an attachment to an email addressedto hq-esi-strg@mail.nasa.gov no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on September 12, 2010. Questions about this RFI may be directed to:
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