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Human Exploration Research Opportunities NASA (& NSBRI) Research Announcement


This press release was initially posted on Federal Business Opportunities on 11 July, 2014

This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement (NRA), entitled Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO)2014, solicits applied research in support of NASAs Human Research Program. The HRP contains six Elements: Space Radiation, Human Health and Countermeasures, Exploration Medical Capability, Behavioral Health and Performance, Space Human Factors and Habitability, and International Space Station Medical Project. Fourteen disciplines or areas support the Program: Behavioral Health and Performance, Bone, Cardiovascular, Extravehicular Activity, Immunology, Medical Capabilities, Muscle, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Radiation, Sensorimotor, Advanced Food Technology, Advanced Environmental Health, and Space Human Factors Engineering.
National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is a non-profit organization competitively selected by NASA that uses an integrated team approach to advance biomedical research and countermeasure development. NSBRI works in close partnership with the HRP through a Cooperative Agreement. This NRA covers all aspects of research to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration, and to ensure safe and productive human spaceflight.

Awards generally range from under $100K per year for focused, limited efforts (e.g., data analysis) to $450K per year for extensive activities (e.g., development of scientific hardware). The funds available for awards in each program element offered in this NRA range from less than one to several million dollars, which allow selection from a few to as many as a dozen proposals depending on the program objectives and the submission of proposals of merit. Awards will be made as grants. The period of performance for an award is one to five years. All categories of United States (U.S.) institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this NRA. Any changes or modifications to any of these guidelines will be specified in the descriptions of the relevant program elements in the solicited research response area appendices of this solicitation.

Details of the solicited program elements are given in the solicited research response area appendices of this NRA. Most program elements will use a two-step proposal submission process though some program elements may use a one-step submission process. Proposals that do not conform to the standards outlined in this solicitation will be declared noncompliant and will be handled in accordance with the NASA Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
(http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/5228-41.htm#52 235-72). Proposal due dates are given in each solicited research response area appendix of this NRA, which will be posted at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ . Interested proposers should monitor http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and are encouraged to subscribe to the HEOMD electronic notifications system through their NSPIRES account subscription services for additional new solicited research response area appendices or amendments to this NRA through July 2015, at which time release of a subsequent HERO NRA is planned.

On or about July 30, 2014, this NRA will be available electronically through NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) by going to http://nspires.nasaprs.com .

All categories of United States (U.S.) institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this 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. NASAs policy is to conduct research with non-U.S. organizations on a cooperative, no exchange-of-funds basis.,

Electronically submitted Notice of Intent to propose are requested.

Proposal due date will be staggered throughout the HERO open period. The electronic submission of each proposal’s Cover Page/Proposal Summary/Budget Summary is required by the due date for proposal submission.

This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 6.102(d)(i).

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.

Designate the appropriate technical points of contact as appropriate, such as:

Direct questions specifically regarding this solicitation to:

Rochelle Overstreet

Contracting Officer

Telephone: 281.483.6768

Obtain additional programmatic information from:

Mark Shelhamer, Sc.D.

Chief Scientist

Human Research Program

281.244.7330

mark.j.shelhamer@nasa.gov

Obtain additional programmatic information on NSBRI from:

Graham Scott, Ph.D.

Vice President and Institute Associate Director

National Space Biomedical Research Institute

Telephone: 713.798.7227

Email: Graham.Scott@bcm.edu

Additional Info:
Click here for the latest information about this notice

Contracting Office Address:
NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696,
Mail Code: BH

Point of Contact(s):
Rochelle N Overstreet, Contract Specialist, Phone 281-483-6768, Fax 281-483-4066,
Email rochelle.n.overstreet@nasa.gov
– J. R. Carpentier, Contracting Officer, Phone 281-244-7254, Fax 281-244-5331, Email john.r.carpentier@nasa.gov