(CLOSED) NASA Research Announcement (NRA): Space Technology – Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2018 (SpaceTech–REDDI–2018), APPENDIX NUMBER: 80HQTR18NOA01-18STRI-B3

Sponsor Name: 
NASA
Amount: 
$15,000,000.00
Description of the Award: 

Many of the country's greatest scientific and technological advances have come from our universities. They continue a tradition of scientific and technological excellence, and are uniquely positioned to bring together the best and brightest minds from many disciplines and from a broad range of institutions and perspectives to help solve the most complex technical challenges. University leadership is essential to producing graduates with the capability to lead the U.S. into the future.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) continually looks for ways to help advance the development of U.S. aerospace technology. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) already features multiple programs engaged in ground-breaking work with university researchers, most notably the Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program. With this Space Technology Research Institutes (STRI or research institute) Appendix, STMD complements the individual research grants and project opportunities already offered in STMD programs with the addition of larger, multi-disciplinary, university-led research efforts.

The research institutes construct enables coordination of experts from a wide range of fields and organizations in a single distributed research structure. For research areas of overlapping interest, this approach could significantly increase partnerships between NASA, other government agencies, industry, and academia, enabling greater progress and benefit for all involved. The institute approach facilitates a more focused and coordinated set of research and development (R&D) efforts than typically arise from a series of separate solicitations and individual research grants. Because the research institute maintains its focus for several years, more effective and substantial research progress is envisioned for the selected high priority research areas identified in this Appendix. In addition, the research institutes have the potential to increase the cadre of STMD researchers by involving experts and/or organizations that do not typically work closely with NASA. The alternate perspectives and new approaches they bring could lead to exciting new solutions and advances.

The goal of an STRI is to strengthen NASA’s ties to the academic community through long-term, sustained investment in research and technology development critical to NASA’s future. The STRIs will enhance and broaden the capabilities of the Nation’s universities to meet the needs of NASA’s science and technology programs. These investments will also create, fortify, and nurture the talent base of highly skilled engineers, scientists, and technologists to improve America’s technological and economic competitiveness.

An STRI is intended to research and exploit cutting-edge advances in technology with the potential for revolutionary impact on future aerospace capabilities. At the same time, it will expand the U.S. talent base in research and development. An STRI has the following key features:

  • A guiding Vision with a resilient research strategy to systematically address and significantly advance one of the solicited research topics
  • Specific research objectives with credible expected outcomes within five years
  • A multi-disciplinary research program that promotes the synthesis of science, engineering and other disciplines with relevant contributions
  • Leveraging of university expertise and state-of-the-art (SOA) capabilities, possibly developed through funding from NASA, other government agencies or industry partnerships
  • Low to mid Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research; beginning TRL typically 1-2
  • Innovative technical approaches that offer promise for accelerated progress
  • Empowered leadership: the STRI leadership team will define and manage all research tasks to realize the research institute’s Vision
  • A talented, diverse, cross-disciplinary, and fully integrated team to execute the research program, including multi-university participation; participation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) is strongly encouraged
  • The involvement of university students in the research teams
  • Active, long-term, and mutually beneficial interactions with NASA Centers, industry, other government agencies, and non-profit laboratories to achieve infusion of the capabilities developed
  • A supportive infrastructure and management system; adequate personnel commitments to manage the research program and interact with outside entities
  • Peer-reviewed publications of and open source access to results wherever possible

Research products are expected in the conduct of the STRI Research Plan. The products developed over the course of the award should demonstrate a growing level of validation and integration. Integrated, multidisciplinary solutions are sought, as opposed to groups of loosely connected single-discipline solutions. Example products include design tools, models, databases and associated analysis tools, fabrication and characterization methods, or other technical advancements.

The research institutes resulting from this Appendix will focus on R&D within particular technology areas of strong interest to NASA, other government agencies, and the commercial space sector. STMD is soliciting STRIs in the two technology topic areas described in this section: Revolutionary Propulsion for Rapid Deep Space Transit and Smart Deep Space Habitats (SmartHabs). The topic area descriptions below are intended to identify the broad areas of interest to NASA; only proposals in these two topic areas will be considered. Offerors are encouraged to define as rich and bold a research program as possible to advance the goals of their chosen topic.

Limit (Number of applicants permitted per institution): 
1
Sponsor Final Deadline: 
Jul 30, 2018
OSVPR Application or NOI Instructions: 

Please upload one PDF file (File name: Last name_NASA_80HQTR18NOA01-18STRI-B3.pdf) containing the following items in order no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline:

  • Cover Page must include:

    • Topic 1: Revolutionary Propulsion for Rapid Deep Space Transit or Topic 2: Smart Deep Space Habitats (SmartHabs)
    • Title of the proposed research institute
    • Name and affiliation of PI who will serve as the Director of the research institute
    • Name and affiliation of potential institute Co-PI
    • The technical and business points of contact, names of all team member organizations
  • Brief Synopsis (no more than 100 words) to include:

    • The scope and approach of the research institute to be proposed
  • Formatting Guidelines and Page Limit:

    • Font/size: Times New Roman (12 pt.)
    • Document margins: 1.0” (top, bottom, left and right)
    • Standard paper size (8 ½” x 11)
To be considered as a Penn State institutional nominee, please submit a notice of intent by the date provided directly below.
This limited submission is in downselect: 
Penn State may only submit a specific number of proposals to this funding opportunity. The number of NOIs received require that an internal competition take place, thus, a downselect process has commenced. No Penn State researchers may apply to this opportunity outside of this downselect process. To apply for this limited submission, please use this link:
OSVPR Downselect Deadline: 
Friday, June 22, 2018 - 4:00pm
Notes: 
Micci, Michael (Aerospace Engineering), Topic 1 6/22/18