# Presentation: 337625

## SMD Research Program-- Science AOs and Grants -- 

- Paul Hertz
- Chief Scientist
- Science Mission Directorate
- Planning Conference
- Science Subcommittees, NASA Advisory Council
- May 3-4, 2006

## Research Program

- Research is a part of everything we do, and it is a part of every budget line
- Research and Data Analysis (R&DA)
- Research and Analysis (R&A)
- Supporting Research and Technology (SR&T)
- Suborbital Investigations (Aircraft, Balloon, Sounding Rocket)
- Data Analysis (DA) (includes General Observers - GO)
- Missions
- Development (including PI-led mission development and PI-led instrument development)
- Operations (including science operations and data processing)
- Science Teams (including Participating Scientists and Interdisciplinary Scientists)

## Principles for the Research Program

- Scientific merit through peer review
- Use scientific merit, as determined through community and peer review, as the primary criterion for science program planning and resource commitment.
- Timely availability of data
- Ensure vigorous and timely interpretation of mission data, requiring that data acquired be made publicly available as soon as possible after scientific validation.
- Community participation
- Ensure the active participation of the research community outside NASA, which is critical to success.
- Maintain NASA capabilities
- Maintain essential technical capabilities at the NASA Centers.

## Solicitations - AOs

- Announcements of Opportunity
- Used to solicit science investigations requiring the development of flight hardware up to and including a complete mission from formulation through operation and data analysis
- Used when NASA is requesting science investigations rather than instruments meeting specific technical specifications
- Otherwise use Request for Proposals (RFP)
- PI-led mission AOs (investigations involving complete missions)
- Explorer, Discovery, ESSP, Mars Scout, New Frontiers
- Instruments for Strategic Missions (investigations involving instruments and science team members)
- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Instruments
- Mars Science Laboratory Instruments
- Radiation Belt Storm Probes Instruments

## PI-led Mission Launches

## PI-led Mission AOs

- Discovery
- Budget includes development, operations, and competed data analysis program (Discovery DAP)
- Budget approx $270M per year (through FY08) growing to $310M per year (in FY11)
- 2006 AO closed April 5, cost cap $425M (FY06)
- Explorer
- Budget includes development and prime mission operations
- Budget approx $210M per year (FY05-FY06), $150M per year (FY07-FY09), rebounding to $190M per year (in FY11)
- Next AO (MIDEX) no earlier than FY2008

## PI-Led Mission AOs

- ESSP
- Budget includes development and operations
- Budget approx $120M per year (through FY09) growing to $200M per year (in FY11)
- Next AO no earlier than FY2008
- Mars Scout
- Budget a component of overall Mars Exploration budget
- AO released on May 1, proposals due on August 1, cost cap $475M (FY06)
- New Frontiers
- Budget includes development and operations
- Budget approx $155M per year (through FY08) growing to $250M per year (in FY10)
- Next AO no earlier than FY2008

## Solicitations - NRAs

- NASA Research Announcements
- Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences
- SMD’s Omnibus NRA
- Used to solicit virtually all non-flight opportunities
- ROSES-06 has 64 program elements (so far)
- Solicit R&DA plus science teams
- R&A (e.g. Solar and Heliospheric Physics)
- SR&T (e.g. Advanced Component Technology)
- Suborbital (e.g. Atmospheric Composition TC4)
- DA (e.g. Cassini Data Analysis)
- GO (e.g. GALEX Guest Investigator)
- Science Teams (e.g. MRO Participating Scientists)
- Multi-mission science integration (e.g. Earth System Science Research using Data Products from EOS Satellites)
- Earth science applications (e.g. Decision Support)

## ROSES Funding Available

**Total: ~$150M**
**(41 program elements)**

## Research Budget

- Research is part of everything we do, and it is a part of every budget line
- Budget is distributed as a component of every program and every project
- Different divisions bookkeep their research budgets in different ways
- E.g. Science teams can be embedded in individual flight projects or funded from a research project – some are R&A, some are not
- E.g. Data analysis can be embedded in individual flight projects or funded from a research project – some are R&A, some are not
- Research is a “program line” in the NASA budget
- R&A is only one “project” in the “program”
- Mission operations
- Data analysis
- Suborbital projects
- Data archives
- Etc.

## Research Budget

- The following budget chart aggregates the competed SMD research budget excluding flight hardware development
- Traditional R&A
- R&A project (each Division has one)
- R&A embedded in flight programs (e.g. Mars, Living With a Star, Beyond Einstein)
- Technology distributed
- Data analysis (other than traditional R&A)
- General Observer/Guest Investigator programs
- Archival data analysis programs
- Mission or program specific data analysis programs
- Data archive, virtual observatory, etc.
- Science Teams (other than traditional R&A)
- PI teams for missions and instruments selected through AO
- Additional team members selected through competition
- Participating scientists, interdisciplinary scientists, science working group members, etc.

## Research from Flagship Missions

- Development and operation of “Flagship Missions”
- Flagship missions enable NASA to meet science objectives
- Significant community funding is associated with large missions
- Hubble Space Telescope: _Development_ of instruments provided over $1.2B to 10 instrument teams; _Observing_ enabled 6510 GO grants over 15 years providing $283M to 4138 investigators, 1323 postdocs, 1852 grad students.
- Earth Observing System missions provided $1.6B in funding over 14 years to 781 investigators, 112 postdocs, 159 grad students for algorithm development, IDS investigations, cal/val investigations.
- Spitzer Space Telescope: Science operations provided $100M to 318 investigators over 6 years for science team and general observers.
- Cassini: Science operations provided $200M over 9 years to 125 investigators, 120 postdocs and grad students for science development and data analysis.
- All funding is peer reviewed and selected through AOs, NRAs, Calls for Proposals (observing), or unsolicited but peer reviewed proposals.

## SMD Research Budget

| "Standard" R&A | FY05 | FY06 | FY07 | FY08-11
(average per year) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Astrophysics | 60 | 60 | 50 | 50 |
| Heliophysics | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Planet Sci (w/ astrobiology) | 150 | 130 | 100 | 110 |
| Earth Science | 200 | 170 | 160 | 180 |
| Other R&DA (w/ science teams) |  |  |  |  |
| Astrophysics | 170 | 170 | 150 | 120 |
| Heliophysics | 80 | 90 | 120 | 100 |
| Planetary Sci (w/ Mars) | 130 | 140 | 150 | 130 |
| Earth Science | 270 | 270 | 290 | 310 |
| SMD Total | 1090 | 1060 | 1050 | 1050 |

- Notes
- Totals are approximate and illustrative only
- Only “Standard” R&A was reduced by 15%
- Does not include development (missions, instruments)
- Out year (FY07-FY11) “Other R&DA” budgets are incomplete due to (a) missions that have not yet been extended, (b) unselected missions

## Science Enabled by Exploration

- The NASA human space exploration program will create science opportunities
- Near-term: Robotic lunar exploration
- Next decade: Human sorties to the Moon
- Long-term: Extended human lunar missions, human missions to Mars and other destinations
- SMD will fund science enabled by the Exploration program using established principles
- Execute the most compelling and highest priority science
- Take advantage of all appropriate opportunities
- Prioritized in the context of the existing science program
- since the funds come from the same pool
- Set priorities jointly with the science community
- through strategic planning and peer review
- Use open competition and peer review

## Space Studies Board Lunar Study

- SMD has asked the NRC Space Studies Board to undertake a study on lunar science priorities
- Study serves as statement of community interest in lunar science
- Provides a comprehensive, well-validated, and prioritized set of scientific research objectives for the Moon
- Anticipates science value in the context of the rest of the SMD science portfolio
- Interim release by August 2006 to support ongoing activities
- Final report by May 2007
- Study will provide long range science objectives to frame decisions on lunar enabled opportunities
- In the context of established science priorities

## “Suitcase Science”

- First opportunities enabled by human lunar exploration will be small, autonomous experiments deployed by astronauts during first lunar sorties
- Resource constrained
- Analogous to ALSEP – Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package
- AKA “Suitcase science”
- SMD is planning to solicit concept studies this year for suitcase science investigations
- Science priorities set by decadal surveys & NASA roadmaps
- Concept study would identify resource requirements -- potentially provide input to exploration architecture
- Concept study would identify technology or other R&D required

## “Suitcase Science”

- SMD is planning to solicit concept studies this year for suitcase science investigations
- Evaluation criteria would include
- Compelling nature of science in context of national science priorities
- Justification of need for human deployment and lunar surface location
- Reasonableness of estimated resource requirements
- Relevance to NASA
- Select 5-10 investigations for 1 year
- Solicitation will be issued as a ROSES program element
- Draft solicitation ready to go
- Reasons to go:
- Potential impact on lunar architecture
- Engage science community in thinking about high priority science on the Moon
- Reasons to delay:
- SSB study pending

- Backup

## Near Term AO Schedule

- 2005
- Radiation Belt Storm Probes (instruments)
- 2006
- Discovery (missions)
- Mars Scout (missions)
- 2007 or later
- Explorer (MIDEX missions)
- ESSP (missions)
- New Frontiers
- Other opportunities

## Research & Data Analysis

- R&DA includes basic and applied supporting research and technology in space and Earth sciences, including
- theory, modeling, and analysis of data;
- aircraft, stratospheric balloon, and suborbital rocket investigations;
- development of experiment techniques suitable for future missions;
- development of concepts for future missions;
- development of advanced technologies relevant to missions;
- development of techniques for and the lab analysis of both extraterrestrial and terrestrial samples that support missions;
- determination of atomic and composition parameters needed to analyze space data as well as samples from the Earth or space;
- Earth surface observations and field campaigns that support missions;
- development of integrated Earth system models;
- development of systems for applying Earth science research data to societal needs; and
- development of applied information systems applicable to SMD objectives and data.

## ROSES Due Dates