SOURCES SOUGHT SPECIAL NOTICE 2025

NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) is seeking partners interested in developing competitive proposals in response to NASA Announcements of Opportunity (AOs), Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), Missions of Opportunity (MoOs) and proposal calls from other government agencies. ARC is interested in identifying potential partners that can perform science investigations, conduct research activities, and develop and demonstrate new technologies that are aligned with NASA’s goals. Information is also sought regarding partners that, in addition to performing substantial research, can provide flight hardware (i.e., spacecraft, deployment systems, suborbital systems, ground support systems, equipment, or instrumentation) necessary to implement proposed science investigations, research activities or technology demonstration missions.

NASA often competitively selects scientific investigations, technology development and demonstration missions through solicitations or announcements posted on NSPIRES http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external. These missions are typically led by a single Principal Investigator (PI), Principal Technologist (PT), or Project Manager (PM). The PI, PT, or PM may be from Government or non-Government institutions, including academic institutions, industry, or nonprofit entities, one of NASA’s nine field Centers, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), other federally funded research and development centers, or other U.S. Government agencies. Mission teams may be formed from any combination of these institutions including international partners. ARC may respond to an AO or other proposal calls in either a lead or supporting role.

ARC has a history of responding to a wide variety of NASA AOs including:

Planetary Exploration AOs from the NASA New Frontiers Program (https://www.nasa.gov/planetarymissions/newfrontiers.html), the NASA Discovery Program (https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/programs/discovery), and the NASA SIMPLEx program (https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/simplex/); various AOs from the NASA Explorers Program (https://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov) including MIDEX, SMEX, and Missions of Opportunity (MoO); and Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) calls. ARC anticipates responding to current and future AOs in these and other areas as well.

A full description of current, future, and past calls for proposals from SMD, STMD, ESDMD, SOMD, and ARMD at NASA Headquarters can be found at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external.

This synopsis/special notice is posted annually in anticipation of upcoming AOs and may have subsequent specific updates as ARC seeks partners for specific proposal opportunities. ARC is currently considering responding to AOs from NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD), and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD).

Current NSPIRES AOs to which ARC may be interested in responding are listed below by NASA Mission Directorate. ARC is interested in responding to future NSPIRES AOs and AOs from other sources, such as NSF, NIH, and others within the next several years.

Responses from prospective partners are encouraged even if a particular solicitation is not on the list below. ARC typically begins many of its efforts in response to planned or anticipated future AOs 18 to 36 months in advance of the release of the draft AO.

Specific Opportunities of Interest from the Science Mission Directorate

Forthcoming Release of the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2025:

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N (Full list of opportunities released on 2/14/25)

Note:  There are a number of independent solicitations under this announcement.  Of particular interest to Ames are those associated with:  Earth Sciences, Heliophysics, Astrophysics (e.g., Astrophysics Pioneers), Space Biology, Instruments (e.g., Life Detection), Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM), Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (PICASSO), Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration (MATISSE), and the Development and Advancement of Lunar Instruments (DALI).

Forthcoming Release of the Astrophysics SMEX Announcement of Opportunity:

Solicitation: TBD (Expected AO release FY2025 Q2)

Forthcoming Release of the Earth Venture X Announcement of Opportunity:

Solicitation: TBD (Expected AO release FY2026 Q1)

Forthcoming Release of the Heliophysics MIDEX Announcement of Opportunity:

Solicitation: (Expected AO release FY2025 Q4)

Forthcoming Release of the New Frontiers 5 (NF5) Announce