GAME CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES IN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

This publication announces the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Office of Chief Technologist’s Game Changing Development (GCD) Program’s plans to release the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNL12A3001N entitled, "Game Changing Opportunities in Technology Development”. Detailed requirements, including proposal due dates, will be stated in Appendices that address individual topic areas. Appendices will be posted as Amendments to the GCD NRA and will be published as requirements materialize throughout the year. The FY 2012 GCD NRA (NNL12A3001N) can be accessed from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) website, (http://nspires.nasaprs.com ), by going first to "Solicitations", and then to "Open Solicitations". Once Amendments are available interested parties can access Open Solicitations, click on NRA “NNL12A3001N”, and then click on “Amendments”. The GCD NRA will solicit proposals for research and development in the following topic areas: Low Cost Access to Space (LCATS) Technology Development, Exploration Technology Development, Space Operations Support Technology Development, and Unique and Innovative Technology Development. The NRA will cover all aspects of basic and applied research and development for concepts within the topic areas listed above including, but not limited to; development of advanced technologies, development of test articles and techniques for testing them, and the development of concepts of operation and employment for new technologies. A typical period of performance for an award under this solicitation is approximately two years, with a potential option period of an additional year if it is deemed by the GCD Program that project progress warrants such an extension. As program requirements are defined and funding made available, the NRA will be amended to include additional appendices within the topic areas defined above. The funds available for award will be defined in each Appendix based on the availability of funds and the quality of proposals submitted. Multiple awards under each Appendix are anticipated. The first Appendix of this NRA will be in the Low Cost Access to Space Technology (LCATS) Development topic area, and will solicit proposals for the demonstration of Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) Technologies. The anticipated release date of the LCATS NRA Appendix is early January 2012. Specific proposal submission deadline dates, any particular evaluation criteria, and submission of points of contact will also be identified in the NRA Appendices. Details of the solicited programs along with proposal due dates will be provided in the Appendices of the NRA. Participation is open to all categories of organizations, foreign and domestic, including industry, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, NASA centers, and other Government agencies. Information on proposals involving non-U.S. organizations is provided in Section 1.6 of the NASA Guidebook for Proposers. Proposals must be submitted electronically, and all proposers shall use NASA’s proposal data system, NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com ), or Grants.gov. Each electronic proposal system places requirements on the registration of principal investigators and other participants (e.g. co-investigators). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the electronic proposal system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Electronic proposals must be submitted by an authorized official of the proposing organization. Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this NRA must be registered with NSPIRES, and such registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal. As topic areas are released, further information about specific program elements will be available. The individual Program Officers and assigned Contracting Officers will be listed in the Summary of Key Information for each program element. Questions concerning general NRA policies and procedures may be directed to Dana Gould, Deputy Director Game Changing Development Program Office, NASA Langley Research Center (email: dana.c.gould@nasa.gov). This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 35.016 and NFS 1835.016. Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, Grants.gov, or at both sites, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.