NASA Human Research Program: Biological, Physiological, and Behavioral Adaptations to Spaceflight Grant

See solicitation documents for more information on eligibility.

NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) has released solicited research response area NRA 80JSC017N0001-BPBA “Topics in Biological, Physiological, and Behavioral Adaptations to Spaceflight: Integrated One Year Mission Project and Other Opportunities” that solicits applied research in support of HRP goals and objectives. This response area is Appendix C of the Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) NRA (80JSC017N0001).

The first topic in the solicitation is for proposals in the area of Analyses of the Temporal Nature of Human Adaptation to Long-Duration Low-Earth Orbit Missions. HRP has a requirement for sufficient crewmember experience at one year in spaceflight to demonstrate the presence or absence of unacceptable deleterious physiological, psychological and medical effects of spaceflight on human health and performance beyond the experience base of six-month expeditions and to permit extrapolation to early interplanetary expeditions with durations of up to two to three years. Therefore, HRP is proposing an integrated One-Year Mission Project (i1YMP) on the International Space Station (ISS) consisting of five one-year missions (n=10 crewmember subjects), five standard-duration six-month missions (n=10) paralleling the year-long expeditions, and five short-duration crew vehicle exchange expeditions (n=10) lasting up to two months to occur at the mid-point of each 1YM.

Proposals are solicited by NASA in the additional areas of Biological, Physiological, and Behavioral Functions of Mice during Partial (0 – 1) G-Exposures Provided by Centrifugation on the International Space Station; Novel Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome Hypotheses and Countermeasures; Medical Countermeasures Targeting Multiple Tissues at Risk from Exposure to Space Radiation; Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions; Sensory Stimulation for Cognitive and Behavioral Health; and Human Capabilities Assessments for Autonomous Missions (HCAAM) Virtual NASA Specialized Center of Research. Please note that the Centrifugation topic is being jointly solicited by HRP and NASA’s Space Biology (SB) Program.

Appendix C of the HERO NRA and associated documentation can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/HERO-BPBA.

The HERO NRA including all open appendices is available through the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at: https://tinyurl.com/NASA-HERO-2017

A virtual Pre-Proposers Conference is scheduled for December 11, 2017, and more details will be posted shortly alongside this solicitation on NSPIRES. Appendix C Step-1 proposals are due January 4, 2018. Invited Appendix C Step-2 proposals are due April 4, 2018.

All categories of United States (U.S.) institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to the NRA. Principal Investigators may collaborate with universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, and state and local government laboratories. In all such arrangements, the applying entity is expected to be responsible for administering the project according to the management approach presented in the proposal. NASA’s policy is to conduct research with non-U.S. organizations on a cooperative, no exchange-of-funds basis.

Thank you for your continued interest in NASA. Please refer to the solicitation document for contact information.