NASA Grant: Research Opportunities in Complex Fluids and Macromolecular Biophysics on the ISS

NASA’s physical sciences research activities have been guided by recommendations from the National Research Council (NRC). The 2011 NRC Decadal Survey report, “Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era,” recommended a set of high priority areas in Fundamental Physics including complex fluids and soft condensed matter. In addition, the 2003 NRC report, “Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA,” also recommends microgravity research in this area. To address these recommendations, this NRA solicits Complex Fluids research proposals from Principal Investigators from U.S. institutions to participate in the Advanced Colloids Experiment (ACE) test series; this is the first theme. The ACE will observe the behavior of colloidal systems using a microscope in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. By performing soft-condensed matter experiments in a microgravity environm
ent, scientists have been able to remove the masking effects of sedimentation, convection, and particle jamming in a timescale not available on Earth. The intent of ACE is to observe colloidal processes, to understand them, and to learn how to control them.

For the second theme, this NRA solicits macromolecular biophysics research proposals from Principal Investigators from U.S. institutions to conduct experiments using the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) and any of the related hardware being developed for the ACE test series, including confocal microscopy. These LMM experiments will observe the mass transport and crystal growth behavior of biological macromolecules on the International Space Station. Removing or greatly reducing the effects of buoyancy-driven convection and sedimentation in microgravity, results in slower, diffusion-controlled molecular transport that can yield larger crystals with fewer defects. This allows for easier molecular structure determination using techniques such as X-ray diffraction. Research areas of particular interest include: transport phenomena in solutions of biological macromolecules, aggregation, nucleation, crystallization and the resultant crystal quality. One important goal of these macromo
lecular experiments is to determine the fundamental mechanisms governing mass transport and crystal growth.

Proposals submitted in response to this NRA will use a two-step process. Proposers must show a clear connection between their proposed activities and the research emphases outlined in the NRA. Only PIs submitting Step-1 proposals determined to be relevant to the solicited research of this NRA will be invited to submit full Step-2 proposals. Step-1 proposals will be due on or around February 6, 2013, and Step-2 proposals will be due on or around April 10, 2013. Proposals must be submitted by an authorized official of the proposing organization.

Proposals must be submitted electronically. Step-1 proposers can use either NSPIRES (see URL above) or Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov ) for proposal submission. Invited Step-2 proposals must be submitted electronically via the NSPIRES proposal data system.

All categories of U.S. institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this NRA. Principal Investigators (PIs) may collaborate with investigators from universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, state and local government laboratories and other countries. Collaborative proposals from U.S. institutions that include international participation are eligible, provided NASA policies regarding the conduct of research with non-U.S. organizations are met.

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 organization representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal. Instructions on how to register in NSPIRES are provided in the NRA. 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 system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Questions with regard to responding to this NRA may be addressed to the contacts referenced in the full solicitation document.

This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 6.102 (d)(2). Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov, nspires.nasaprs.com, or Grants.gov, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to this announcement.

For programmatic information for the NASA Complex Fluids and Macromolecular Biophysics NRA:
Dr. Francis Chiaramonte
Program Executive
NASA Headquarters
Email: francis.p.chiaramonte@nasa.gov
Phone: 202-358-0693

For technical information for the NASA Complex Fluids and Macromolecular Biophysics NRA:
Dr. Brian Motil
Chief, Fluid Physics and Transport Branch
NASA Glenn Research Center
Email: brian.j.motil@nasa.gov
Phone: 216-433-6617

For contract information for the NASA Complex Fluids and Macromolecular Biophysics NRA:
Ken Albright
Contracting Officer
Email: kenneth.e.albright@nasa.gov
Phone: 228-813-6127