National Aeronautics AUGUST 29, 2001 

and Space Administration AO 01-0SS-04 

ANNOUNCEMENT 

OF OPPORTUNITY 

"MARS EXPLORATION ROVER MISSION 

PARTICIPATING SCIENTIST PROGRAM"

Notice of Intent Due: September 28, 2001 

Proposals Due: December 5, 2001 
OMB Approval No. 2700-0085 

Mars Exploration Rover Mission 

Participating Scientist Program 

Announcement of Opportunity

AO 01-OSS-04 

Release Date: August 29, 2001 

Office of Space Science 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Washington, DC 20546-0001
1 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE OPPORTUNITY .................................................................................. 1 

 1.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1 

 1.2 Responsibilities of the Participating Scientist .................................................................. 2 

 1.3 Scope and Limitations of Proposals.................................................................................. 3 

 1.4 Mars Exploration Program Data Policy............................................................................ 3 

 1.5 Education and Public Outreach Requirements ................................................................. 3 

2. AO OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................... 5 

 2.1 Specific Mars Exploration Rover Science Objectives...................................................... 5 

 2.2 Mars Exploration Program Objectives............................................................................. 6 

3. BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................ 6 

 3.1 Mars Exploration Rover Mission...................................................................................... 6 

 3.2 Scientific Instruments ....................................................................................................... 7 

4. PROPOSAL OPPORTUNITY PERIOD ....................................................................................... 8 

5. REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS................................................................................... 8 

6. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION.............................................................................. 9 

 6.1 Notice of Intent to Propose ............................................................................................... 9 

 6.2 Headquarters Contact for Further Information ................................................................. 9 

 6.3 Format and Contents of Proposals .................................................................................. 10 

 6.4 Quantity........................................................................................................................... 10 

 6.5 Submittal Address........................................................................................................... 10 

 6.6 Notification of Receipt.................................................................................................... 10 

 6.7 Guidelines Applicable to Non-U.S. (Foreign) Proposals and Proposals Including NonU.S. Participation ............................................................................................................ 10 

 6.7.1 General Policies .............................................................................................................. 10 

 6.7.2 Export Control Guidelines Applicable to Foreign Proposals and Proposals Including 

Foreign Participation....................................................................................................... 11 

7. PROPOSAL EVALUATION, SELECTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION................................ 12 

 7.1 Evaluation Criteria .......................................................................................................... 12 

 7.2 Evaluation Procedures..................................................................................................... 12 

 7.3 Categorization Process....................................................................................................13 

 7.4 Selection Process ............................................................................................................ 13 

 7.5 Implementation Procedures............................................................................................. 13 

8. SCHEDULE................................................................................................................................. 14 

9. CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................................... 14 

APPENDIX A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS................................................A-1 
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APPENDIX B. GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION................................................ B-1 

APPENDIX C. REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS............................................................................. C-1 
1 

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE OPPORTUNITY 

1.1 Introduction

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Space Science (OSS) solicits 

proposals for Participating Scientist (PS) investigations for the Mars Exploration Rover 2003 mission 

through this Announcement of Opportunity (AO). The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission has as its 

primary objective the placing of two mobile science laboratories on the surface of Mars to remotely 

conduct geologic investigations in order to characterize a diversity of rocks and soils that may hold clues 

to past water activity. The NASA Office of Space Science has formally selected the "Athena" science 

payload for the MER mission through a previous AO that will serve multiple investigations led by the 

Athena Principal Investigator (PI) and that will also provide the data for the Participating Scientist 

investigations to be selected through this AO. The Athena Science Team will, therefore, ultimately 

consist of the Athena PI, Athena Co-Investigators (Co-I's), and Participating Scientists (PS's). Once 

selected, PS's also become members of the MER Science Operation Working Group (SOWG) and may 

become members of other Project Working Groups as determined by the NASA Headquarters MER 

Program Scientist, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory MER Project Scientist, and the Athena PI. 

Participating Scientist proposals in response to this AO may include investigations that are instrument 

specific or interdisciplinary in nature but must include both a science analysis and an operational 

component in order to be considered. It is anticipated that about 25-30 PS investigations will be selected 

and funded at approximately $40K per year in Fiscal Year 2002, $70K in FY 2003, $120K in FY 2004, 

and $110K in FY 2005. Investigations are being sought, but are by no means limited to, those that 

address the following MER Science Themes: Geology; Geochemistry and Mineralogy; Soil and Rock 

Physical Properties; Atmospheric Science; Long-term Strategic Planning; and Technology Planning. 

After selection, the PS's will coordinate their activities and data analyses with the present PI and 

Co-I's on the Athena Science Team. PS's selected under this AO will have full rights of access to mission 

data and will be expected to participate in data analysis, archiving, and publication, as well as in a broad 

program of Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities being planned by the Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory (JPL). Once selected, PS's will be under financial contract with JPL, which is assigned by 

NASA to manage the MER Program (see Section 5). 

All technical information about the MER mission and associated Athena payload that will be needed for 

the preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this AO is contained within the Proposal 

Information Package (PIP) located at the following website: http://merpip.jpl.nasa.gov/. Questions about 

the PIP may be submitted in writing or electronically to the MER Project Scientist: 

Dr. Joy Crisp 

Mail Stop 241-105 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

4800 Oak Grove Drive 

Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 

USA 

 Facsimile: 818-393-5421 

 E-mail: Joy.Crisp@jpl.nasa.gov 
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Questions about this AO may be submitted in writing or electronically to the NASA Headquarters MER 

Program Scientist (see Section 6.2). The Project Scientist and Program Scientist will answer questions as 

promptly as possible, and each day Monday through Friday, there will be one update by 9 AM Eastern 

Time to the question and answer list at the following NASA HQ website: http://spacescience.nasa.gov/

by opening "Research" and then "Current (Open) Solicitations" from the menu. Proposers are 

encouraged to refer to this web page for updated information. Investigators should only use 

information about MER and the Athena payload that is supplied in the PIP and this AO when 

writing their proposals. If more information about MER and the Athena payload is required than is 

contained within these two documents, inquiries may be submitted to either the Project or Program 

Scientist and a response will be posted as rapidly as possible. Although questions will be answered 

during the entire AO proposal period, NASA will not extend the due date for proposals based on 

questions received immediately prior to the proposal submission date unless NASA determines that 

answers include substantive information requiring review by all potential proposers. Anonymity of 

persons who submit questions will be preserved. 

1.2 Responsibilities of the Participating Scientist

In addition to completing their proposed science investigations, each selected MER PS is also expected 

to participate in training activities (see Section 5) and mission operations, which will be conducted at the 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There is no distinction between PS's who propose to use the data from one 

instrument compared with those who propose to use data from a variety of instruments. Section 3 lists 

the MER instruments, with more detailed technical information described in the PIP. 

After selection, Participating Scientists will be given an opportunity to learn about the different positions 

on the Athena Science Team and identify those in which they would be interested. Currently there are 

three positions for which PS's may be qualified during mission operations: Science Operation Working 

Group (SOWG) Chairs, Science Theme Leads, and Payload Downlink Leads. A description of each of 

these positions can be found in the PIP (http://merpip.jpl.nasa.gov/). Two of the six SOWG Chairs will 

be the Athena PI and Deputy PI. After selection of the Participating Scientists, the other four will be 

recommended by the Athena PI and selected by NASA Headquarters. Science Theme Leads will be 

elected by members composed of PS's and existing Athena Co-I's of each Science Theme. Payload 

Downlink Leads will be designated by each Payload Element Lead with concurrence by the Athena PI. If 

a PS assumes the responsibilities of any of these positions, his/her budget may be augmented to reflect 

additional duties and travel required for this position. 

In general, the role of the PS includes: 

• Execute their proposed scientific investigation; 

• Participate in Athena Science Team meetings; 

• Participate in operations training, MER Project Operational Readiness Tests, rover field tests, 

and other operations tests; 

• Serve as SOWG members; 

• Serve as members of Science Theme Groups; 

• Prepare preliminary reports, quick-release products, detailed scientific summaries, and public 

information releases, as appropriate; 

• Deposit reduced data, associated software, documentation, and other pertinent investigation 

information for which they are responsible in the Planetary Data System, in accordance with the 

Mars Program Data Management Plan and MER Archive Generation, Validation, and Transfer 

Plan; and 
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• Participate in Mars Exploration Program E/PO activities. 

These activities are to be undertaken in a manner consistent with the "Mars Exploration Program Data 

Management Plan," which is currently being written and will be made available to PS's after their 

selection. A comprehensive Mars Exploration E/PO Program Plan is also now under development. 

1.3 Scope and Limitations of Proposals 

Participation is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational 

institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA centers, and other Government agencies. In 

accordance with NASA policy, all investigations by non-U.S. participants will be conducted on the basis 

of no exchange of funds. 

The current Athena Team PI and Co-I's are not eligible to propose to this AO. 

Only the PI from each investigation selected through this AO will be designated as a Participating 

Scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Therefore, PS proposals should only include Coinvestigators or collaborators if they are critical to complete the proposed science investigation. In 

particular, such ancillary personnel may not substitute for the PS in mission activities, such as 

instrument calibration, Operational Readiness tests, FIDO field trials, Project Science Group/Athena 

Science Team meetings, and landed operations for the duration of the mission. 

Proposed investigations must be of primary relevance to a least one of the objectives listed in Section 2. 

Proposals must demonstrate that a PS will actively participate in mission operation activities. There will 

be a separate announcement at a later date for proposals to perform only data analyses from the MER 

mission. 

1.4 Mars Exploration Program Data Policy 

The following general rules apply to data rights, use, and publication of Mars Exploration Rover data: 

− There is no period of exclusivity for any data collected by the spacecraft or instruments for the 

MER mission. Therefore, all data are expected to be transferred to the Planetary Data System 

(PDS) as soon as possible after validation, which should not take more than six months. 

− Data deposited in the PDS must contain the appropriate calibration information and ancillary 

data to make them usable to the general scientific community. More refined versions of archive 

data may be delivered to PDS as algorithms and ancillary information are updated. 

− During the generation/validation period, the use, analysis, or release of raw and derived products 

should be done only with the agreement of the Athena PI. It is expected that all investigators will 

publish their results in a timely manner in the open, peer-reviewed scientific literature. 

− Significant subsets of data will be released earlier in support of the MER public outreach and 

education activities; such data release may be available as postings on the Internet (e.g., World 

Wide Web) or to the press and will conform to the mission's Public Release Policy and the "Mars 

Exploration Program Data Management Plan," both of which are still being written. 
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1.5 Education and Public Outreach Requirements 

The Office of Space Science (OSS) expects education and public outreach to be a significant part of each 

OSS flight program and research discipline, and strongly encourages space science researchers to engage 

actively in education and public outreach as an important component of their NASA-supported 

professional activities. In order to achieve this goal, OSS has developed a comprehensive approach for 

making education at K-12 education levels, as well as the enhancement of public understanding of space 

science, integral parts of all of its missions and research program. The two key documents that establish 

the basic policies and guide all OSS education and outreach activities are a strategic plan entitled 

Partners in Education: A Strategy for Integrating E/PO Into NASA's Space Science Programs (March 

1995), and an accompanying implementation plan entitled Implementing the OSS E/PO Strategy (1966). 

Both can be access by selecting "Education and Outreach" from the menu on the OSS homepage at 

Internet URL http://spacescience.nasa.gov, or from Dr. Jeffrey Rosendhal, OSS, Code S, NASA 

Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001, USA. 

Beyond this general mandate, the comprehensive exploration of Mars through a long-term series of 

missions is expected to provide a singular opportunity to draw on broad popular interest about Mars to 

both engage the public and to work with the formal education system to improve the teaching of science, 

mathematics and technology in the United States. Therefore, E/PO will be an integral element of the 

Mars Exploration program in general and MER mission in particular. In accord with established OSS 

policies, 1-2 percent of the total Mars Exploration Program budget will be allocated to E/PO, and all 

selected NASA-funded scientific participants in the Mars Exploration Program will be expected to 

become actively involved in planning and implementing an E/PO program. 

MER Participating Scientists will be expected to include provisions for participation in the common 

Mars Exploration Program E/PO program that is now underway as part of their proposals. Individuals 

should be prepared to spend an average of ~5% of their time, as part of their normal ongoing work, 

supporting E/PO activities. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: carrying out E/PO 

programs in their own communities; developing ideas for creative and worthwhile educational materials; 

preparing written background information suitable for primary and secondary school educational 

resources; and preparing portions of their mission's data for use in E/PO materials. Therefore, proposals 

must include an explicit statement in the Contractual Statement of Work that proposers are willing to 

participate in E/PO on this basis and must budget appropriately for such work as part of their proposal. 

This Contractual Statement should also include a sketch of ideas and activities for the PI's participation 

in the Mars E/PO program. The umbrella JPL Mars Exploration E/PO program is already planning and 

implementing a number of national efforts. The long-range goal of having PIs associated with individual 

Mars missions involved in E/PO is to establish a network of Mars scientists across the country who are 

both carrying out their own E/PO programs and acting as local agents for the Mars Program's national 

efforts. 

Additional information on the OSS E/PO Program can be found in the OSS FY 2000 Annual Report

(January 2001). This document may also be accessed through the OSS homepage following the 

directions given at the beginning of this section. Additional information on the Mars Exploration E/PO 

program may be obtained from: 

Ms. Michelle Viotti 

Education and Outreach Coordinator 

Mail Stop 264-438 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
 5

4800 Oak Grove Drive 

Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 

Telephone: 818-354-8774 

E-mail: Michelle.Viotti@jpl.nasa.gov 

2. AO OBJECTIVES 

2.1 Specific MER Science Objectives 

The objectives of the MER Participating Scientist program are to enhance the science data return from 

the Mars Exploration Rovers by broadening participation in the mission, augmenting the existing MER 

science team to include investigations not now represented, and maximizing the contribution of the Mars 

Exploration Rovers to the future exploration and scientific understanding of Mars. The purpose of this 

opportunity is to select investigations for data analysis and to add more scientists to the current Athena 

Science Team for the purpose of testing, surface operations, data products, and archiving. 

Participating Scientists may propose any investigation that addresses the objectives listed in this Section. 

Investigations that are similar or duplicate research of current Athena Science Team members will be 

allowed, and PS's will be encouraged to work in a collaborative manner with Athena Science Team 

members after selection. Skilled individuals with diverse scientific backgrounds and field experience are 

needed since there are two MER rovers operating at the same time. However, based upon the expertise 

of current members of the Athena Science Team, there are several types of investigations that are 

particularly desired through this AO: 

• Derivation of atmospheric profiles (density, pressure, temperature) from calibrated Inertial 

Measuring Unit (IMU) data during entry of the landers for application to future Mars 

missions; 

• Atmospheric studies conducted during surface operations; 

• Using the interactions of the rover with different terrains (wheels and Rock Abrasion Tool) to 

derive physical-mechanical properties of rocks and soils; 

• Calibration of orbital remote sensing data using ground based measurements from the rovers; 

• Understanding of the mineralogy and geochemistry of soils, clays, and weathering products; 

• Studies of products and processes associated with impact craters; and 

• Environmental constraints and effects on spacecraft performance. 

The Mars Exploration Rover 2003 Mission will conduct in situ exploration of Mars in order to achieve 

the following mission-level science objectives. These objectives have been derived from prioritized 

science investigations within the Mars Exploration Program: 

1) Search for and characterize a diversity of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity (waterbearing minerals and minerals deposited by precipitation, evaporation, sedimentary cementation, or 

hydrothermal activity); 

2) Investigate landing sites, selected on the basis of orbital remote sensing, which have a high 

probability of containing physical and/or chemical evidence of the action of liquid water; 
 6

3) Determine the spatial distribution and composition of minerals, rocks, and soils surrounding the 

landing sites; 

4) Determine the nature of local surface geologic processes from surface morphology and chemistry; 

5) Calibrate and validate orbital remote sensing data and assess the amount and scale of heterogeneity at 

each landing site; 

6) For iron-containing minerals, identify and quantify relative amounts of specific mineral types that 

contain H20 or OH, or are indicators of formation by an aqueous process, such as iron-bearing 

carbonates; 

7) Characterize the mineral assemblages and textures of different types of rocks and soils and put them 

in geologic context; and 

8) Extract clues from the geologic investigation, related to the environmental conditions when liquid 

water was present and assess whether those environments were conducive for life. 

2.2 Mars Exploration Program Objectives 

To support future Mars Exploration Program missions, the program has established the following mission 

level objectives: 

1) Demonstrate long-range traverse capabilities by mobile science platforms to validate long-lived, 

long-distance rover technologies; 

2) Demonstrate complex science operations through the simultaneous use of multiple science-focused 

mobile laboratories; and 

3) Validate the standards, protocols, and capabilities of NASA-provided and internationally-provided 

orbiter-based Mars communications infrastructure. 

To support these objectives, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will conduct mission operations and 

technology validation experiments, which may include: 

• Characterizing rover mobility in the Mars environment; 

• Quantifying rover maneuverability and trafficability in multiple terrain topologies and soil types; 

• Quantifying environmental effects which may impact system performance and survivability; 

• Characterizing system performance and reliability; 

• Characterizing environment state estimation capabilities; and 

• Characterizing operational performance of task-level communications and commanding of 

multiagent mobile science laboratories at planetary distances. 

MER PS investigations may be proposed that meet these or similar objectives but they should recognize 

that the landing site may preclude some experiments from being conducted during surface operations. 
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Proposers may not request changes to flight hardware in order to achieve their proposed 

investigations. 

3. BACKGROUND 

3.1 Mars Exploration Rover Mission 

The Mars Exploration Rover mission consists of two independent but identical rovers, MER-A and 

MER-B. MER-A has a launch window from May 30 to June 16, 2003, with a constant arrival date of 

January 4, 2004. The launch window for MER-B is June 27 to July 14, 2003, with a constant arrival date 

of January 25, 2004. MER-A will be launched on a Delta II 7925 expendable launch vehicle and MER-B 

on a Delta II 7925H, both from Cape Canaveral, Florida. During their respective cruise phases, no 

science activities are planned (all instruments are enclosed within the lander). MER-A and MER-B will 

land on Mars in restricted latitude ranges from 5°S to 15°N for MER-A and 10°S to 10°N for MER-B. 

Both spacecraft will approach Mars on a posigrade trajectory designed to support continuous direct 

communications with Earth during Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL). The spacecraft will enter the 

Martian atmosphere and initially be slowed by atmospheric drag acting on its aeroshell (see the PIP for a 

more detailed description and illustration of the EDL sequence). At about 10 km altitude, a parachute 

will be deployed, followed by jettison of the aeroshell and lander separation. The lander then drops 

beneath the backcover on a tether. Approximately 2.4 km above the surface, radar will be used to sense 

the surface. About 130 m above the surface, solid rockets will slow the vertical velocity. Airbags will be 

inflated prior to bridle cut to cushion final impact, and then retracted after landing. After deflation and 

retraction of the airbags, the triangular lander petals open, which rights the lander and allows the rover 

to drive off and begin exploration of the landing site. 

The exact landing sites will be chosen approximately one year before launch using previous spacecraft 

data augmented by new data provided by Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. Currently proposed 

landing sites for MER are shown at the following website: http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/.

Each rover will operate through its primary mission of 90 Martian days. During operations, the rovers 

will acquire panoramic spectral and thermal emission point-IR images of the surface, take atmospheric 

measurements, and, using the instrument deployment device, deploy the Alpha Particle X-ray 

Spectrometer (APXS), Mössbauer Spectrometer, Microscopic Imager, and Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) 

for detailed studies of rocks and soils. At least one of the rovers will traverse a total distance of 600 m 

with a goal of 1000 m to validate long-lived, long-distance rover technologies in support of future Mars 

Exploration Program missions. 

Each Mars Exploration Rover carries six payload elements, a magnet suite, one stereo pair of navigation 

cameras mounted on the Pancam mast, and two stereo hazard camera pairs mounted on the front and back 

of the rover. The six payload elements are: Pancam, Mini-TES, APXS, Mössbauer Spectrometer, 

Microscopic Imager, and the Rock Abrasion Tool (see Section 3.2). 

3.2 Scientific Instruments 

Each Mars Exploration Rover carries an integrated payload instrument package (described in more detail 

in the PIP). The science instrument suite carried on each rover will make a series of measurements of the 

Martian surface that are designed to shed new light on the past environments, history, and geology of the 

planet. These instruments, which were selected through an open competitive selection process (AO 97-
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OSS-04 for the "Mars Surveyor Program: 2001 Orbiter, Lander, Rover Missions") are collectively known 

as the "Athena" integrated payload instrument package and include: 

• Panoramic Camera (Pancam): panoramic color images for geologic context, rock and soil texture, 

iron-bearing mineralogy. 

• Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES): panoramic point mid-infrared spectra images 

for mineral identification and abundance determination (carbonates, clays, oxides, silicates, etc.). 

• Mössbauer Spectrometer: detailed analyses to identify specific types of iron-bearing minerals 

present, and iron oxidation state. 

• Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS): detailed analyses of selected rocks and soils to 

determine their elemental composition. 

• Microscopic Imager: close-up images of fine-scale rock and soil texture. 

• Magnet Array: magnetic targets to collect magnetic portions of the airborne dust, for analysis by 

other instruments. 

• Rock Abrasion Tool: mechanism for removing weathered rind from Mars rocks to provide freshly 

exposed surfaces for examination by Athena instruments. 

Currently, the Athena Science Team consists of the Athena PI (Dr. Steven Squyres, Cornell University) 

and 21 Co-I's. Each Athena payload element (Pancam, Mini-TES, APXS, Mössbauer, Microscopic 

Imager, and Rock Abrasion Tool) has a Payload Element Lead (PEL), selected by the Athena PI from 

among the Co-I's. A full list of the team members and PEL's is given in the PIP. 

The Athena PI is ultimately responsible for ensuring that preflight calibration and tests are carried out for 

the Athena payload, for operating the Athena payload elements on the surface of Mars, and for assuring 

that the data products associated with the Athena payload are generated, validated, and archived. 

4. PROPOSAL OPPORTUNITY PERIOD 

This AO is issued for the singular opportunity of the MER mission as described herein and in the other 

referenced background material and proposals are due by the single date given in Section 8 below. 

5. REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS 

Management of NASA's Mars program is the responsibility of the Mars Exploration Program located in 

the Office of Space Science (OSS), NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The Mars Exploration Rover 

Project is managed by the Space Science Flight Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 

Pasadena, California, which also manages the Mars Global Surveyor and the Mars Odyssey 2001 

Missions. The Space Science Flight Directorate is responsible for implementation of the MER Mission 

and the operation of Mars exploration missions through the OSS JPL Mission Management Office. 

NASA has assigned administrative management of selected investigations to the MER Science Manager 

to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After selection, each Participating Scientist shall provide an 

Implementation Plan to the MER Science Manager, including a schedule for deliverables (software, data 

products, reports, plans), and details regarding plans for data analysis, computing facilities, Ground Data 

System support, software development, support of instrument calibration, data archiving, participation in 

operations testing (see below), and participating in E/PO activities. The Participating Scientists shall 

provide quarterly reporting to the MER Science Manager on the items in their Implementation Plan. The 

reports should include, but not be limited to: Accomplishments over past quarter (including development 

and test of software algorithms, lessons learned in operations testing, and operations training); plans for 
 9

next quarter; risks, issues, concerns; schedule performance; financial performance; recovery plans; and 

deliverables status. 

Participating Scientists are expected to participate in calibration and training activities before and after 

launch. Therefore, an approximate list of training and mission operations activities that PS's must

include in their travel budget are: 

• Four Athena Science Team/MER Project Science Group (PSG) Meetings per year, three in 

Pasadena, California, and one at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, each lasting approximately 

three days. One of these meetings may be in Europe in FY 2002 and combined with a 2-day 

fieldtrip. 

• At least half of the following Operational Readiness Tests at JPL: 

• Five 4-day tests in FY 2003 (plus one day of training) 

• Three 4-day tests in FY 2004 (plus one day of training) 

• At least one of each of the following two pairs of rover tests: 

• Two 10-day rover "field tests" at JPL in the second half of FY 2002 and early FY 2003, 

respectively; and 

• Two 10-day rover "field tests" at JPL in mid to late FY 2003 

• Mars Landed Operations at JPL for approximately 15 weeks during the period January 3, 2004, 

through May 7, 2004 (it is recognized that the PS may need to return back to his/her home 

institution for short visits during surface operations). 

The exact number of PS trips and their durations will be negotiated with the Project but they must be 

consistent with any required minimum training necessary for participation in the rover operations and a 

more well-developed Project schedule for operations tests (the test schedule is only preliminary at the 

time of writing of this AO). Where appropriate, additional time may be spent at JPL in conjunction with 

other required trips to work with the Mars Exploration E/PO Program to plan and coordinate E/PO 

activities. 

6. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION

6.1 Notice of Intent to Propose

A Notice of Intent (NOI) signifying the writer's intent to submit a proposal in response to this AO is 

requested to be submitted by all proposers via the World Wide Web site http://props.oss.hq.nasa.gov by the 

schedule noted below. Proposers without access to the Web or who experience difficulty in using this 

site should send an E-mail to dtripp@hq.nasa.gov requesting assistance. 

To the extent the following information is known by the NOI due date, the Website for NOI's will request 

the following information: 

• Name, address, telephone number, fax number, E-mail address, and institutional affiliation of the 

PI. 

• Full names and institutional affiliations of any Co-Investigators (Co-I's). If any Co-I's or other 

team members are from non-U.S. institutions, the organization that will provide support for these 

people should be identified in the Comments box on the form. 

• A brief statement (150 words or less) that includes all of the following: 
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- The anticipated scientific objectives of the proposed investigation, including designation 

of the Mars Exploration Rover instrument(s) relevant to the investigation; and 

- A brief statement of commitment to the OSS Education/Public Outreach goals and 

objectives and to participating in the Mars Exploration Program E/PO effort. 

Note that all information provided in an NOI is for NASA planning purposes only, is confidential, and is 

replaced by information in the final proposal. 

6.2 Headquarters Contact for Further Information 

For scientific and technical questions or inquiries, contact: 

Dr. Catherine Weitz 

Solar System Exploration Division 

Code SE 

Office of Space Sciences 

NASA Headquarters 

Washington, DC 20546 

FAX: (202) 358-3097 

E-mail: cweitz@hq.nasa.gov 

6.3 Format and Contents of Proposals 

Appendix A contains general NASA policies for proposals which is considered binding unless 

specifically amended in this AO. In order to facilitate evaluation, NASA also requires a uniform 

proposal format, described in Appendix B, for all proposals submitted in response to this AO. Failure to 

follow this outline may result in reduced rating during the evaluation process or, in extreme cases, could 

lead to rejection of the proposal without review. 

An official of the PI's institution who is authorized to certify institutional support and sponsorship of the 

investigation, as well as the management and financial parts of the proposal, must sign the required 

Cover Page of the proposal (see Appendix B). 

6.4 Quantity 

Proposers must provide 20 copies of their proposal, plus the original signed proposal by the due date 

given in Section 8. 

6.5 Submittal Address 

Proposals from both U.S. as well as non-U.S. organizations sources must be received at the following 

address by the due date given in Section 8 of this AO: 

Mars Exploration Rover Participating Scientist Program 

NASA Peer Review Services 

Suite 200 

500 E Street, SW 

Washington, DC 20024-2760 

USA 

Tel: 202-479-9030 
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6.6 Notification of Receipt

NASA will notify proposers in writing or by E-mail that their proposals have been received. Proposers 

not receiving this confirmation within two weeks after submittal of their proposals should contact the 

Mars Exploration Rover Program Scientist at the address given in Section 6.2. 

6.7 Guidelines Applicable to Non-U.S. (Foreign) Proposals and Proposals Including Non-U.S. 

Participation.

6.7.1 General Policies 

(1) NASA welcomes proposals from outside the U.S. However, foreign entities are generally not 

eligible for funding from NASA. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, proposals from foreign 

entities should not include a cost plan unless the proposal involves collaboration with a U.S. 

institution, in which case a cost plan for only the participation of the U.S. entity must be included. 

Proposals from foreign entities and proposals from U.S. entities that include foreign participation 

must be endorsed by the respective Government agency or funding/sponsoring institution in the 

country from which the foreign entity is proposing. Such endorsement should indicate that the 

proposal merits careful consideration by NASA, and if the proposal is selected, sufficient funds 

will be made available to undertake the activity as proposed. Letters of endorsement are to be 

included in and submitted with the proposal. Copies of faxed or 

E-mailed letters of endorsement from non-U.S. participants may be substituted in the submitted 

proposals as long as original signed letters are received by the date and time specified in Section 

8.0 of the AO. 

(2) All foreign proposals must be typewritten in English and comply with all other submission 

requirements stated in this AO. All foreign proposals will undergo the same evaluation and 

selection process as those originating in the U.S. All proposals must be received before the 

established closing date. Those received after the closing date will be treated in accordance with 

Appendix A, Section VII. Foreign sponsors may, in exceptional situations, forward a proposal 

without endorsement if the endorsement is not possible before the announced closing date. In such 

cases, the NASA sponsoring office should be advised when a decision on endorsement can be 

expected. 

(3) After selections are made, successful and unsuccessful Principal Investigators will be 

contacted directly by the NASA sponsoring office. Should a non-U.S. proposal or a U.S. proposal 

with foreign participation be selected, NASA's Office of External Relations will arrange with the 

foreign sponsor for the proposed participation on a no-exchange-of-funds basis, in which NASA 

and the foreign sponsor will each bear the cost of discharging their respective responsibilities. 

It is the policy of NASA to establish formal international agreements with foreign partners in 

cooperations on flight missions. For major contributions, either by a foreign partner to a U.S. 

program or by a NASA-funded party to a foreign-led program, these agreements will be either a 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or an implementing agreement under a framework 

agreement. For less significant exchanges, the agreement for the entire cooperation may take the 

form of a Letter of Agreement (LOA). For those cooperative contributions that will entail 

execution of a LOA (in lieu of a MOU), the sponsoring foreign entity's letter of endorsement to 

support the proposed foreign contribution (if selected) must contain either (1) a clear statement that 
 12

the sponsoring foreign entity is legally empowered to bind its own national government or (2) 

advance agreement that any LOAs required will be governed by U.S. law. 

In the event that a non-U.S. proposal is selected, NASA will contract with a U.S. lead entity for 

performance of the U.S.-funded elements of the investigation. 

6.7.2 Export Control Guidelines Applicable to Foreign Proposals and Proposals Including 

Foreign Participation 

Proposers should be aware that investigations selected for Phase A that include international 

participation, either through involvement of non-U.S. nationals and/or involvement of non-U.S. 

entities must include in their proposal a section discussing compliance with U.S. export laws and 

regulations; e.g., 22 CFR 120-130, et seq. and 15 CFR 730-774, et seq., as applicable to the 

scenario surrounding the particular international participation (see Appendix B.I.4). Proposers 

must also comply with NASA FAR Supplement clause 1852.225-70 entitled "Export Licenses." 

The discussion must describe in detail the proposed international participation and is to include, 

but not be limited to, whether or not the international participation may require the prospective 

proposer to obtain the prior approval of the Department of State or the Department of Commerce 

via a technical assistance agreement or an export license, or whether a license exemption/exception 

may apply. If prior approvals via licenses are necessary, the Phase A Concept Study Report must 

discuss whether the license has been applied for or, if not, the projected timing of the application 

and any implications for the schedule. Information regarding U.S. export regulations is available at 

the World Wide Web addresses http://www.pmdtc.org/ and http://www.bxa.doc.gov/. Prospective 

proposers are advised that under U.S. law and regulation, spacecraft and their specifically 

designed, modified, or configured systems; components; parts; etc., such as the instrumentation 

being sought under this AO, are generally considered "Defense Articles" on the United States 

Munitions List and subject to the provisions of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations 

(ITAR), 22 CFR 120-130, et seq. 

7. PROPOSAL EVALUATION, SELECTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION

7.1 Evaluation Criteria 

The fundamental goal of the evaluation process is to identify scientific ideas and unique theoretical and 

analytical capabilities that best meet the scientific objectives of the Mars Exploration Rover mission as 

described in this Announcement. Accordingly, the following criteria will be used in evaluating all 

proposals submitted in response to this Announcement where their relative weightings are given in 

parentheses: 

• The scientific and technical merit of the proposed investigation and its perceived contribution to 

the objectives of the mission and relevance to this specific opportunity. (50%) 

Factors determining the scientific and technical merit of a proposal will include the following of 

equal priority: 

− Demonstration of a clear understanding of the Mars Exploration Rover mission, its 

instruments, and its scientific and technical capabilities, particularly those related to 

the proposed investigation. 
 13

− The feasibility of the proposed investigation using the Athena science instruments and 

rover engineering sensors, and the data returned from them, and a clear statement of 

the instrument data required for the proposed investigation. 

− The ability, capability, and commitment of the investigator to participate in planning, 

collection, reduction, and evaluation of the data to be submitted to the PDS 

• The competence and relevant experience of the proposing PI and any proposed support personnel 

as an indication of their ability to perform the proposed technical tasks and carry the investigation 

to a successful conclusion. (25%) 

• Realism and reasonableness of the total costs and the comparison of these costs to the available 

funds. Total costs will be considered to include not only those proposed for scientific 

investigation and science data analysis, but also the impact the proposed investigation may have 

on space mission operation costs. (15%) 

• Management considerations, including demonstrated capability to adhere to sound business 

practices, and the commitment of the proposing institution, as measured by the willingness of the 

institution to provide the necessary support (logistics, facilities, etc.) to ensure that the 

investigation can be satisfactorily completed. (10%) 

7.2 Evaluation Procedures 

Proposals received in response to this AO will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of NASA 

Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Supplement Part 1872, "Acquisition of Investigations," that may 

be accessed through the Internet host http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/1872.htm.

All proposals will be subjected to a preliminary screening to determine their suitability and 

responsiveness to the AO. Proposals that are not in compliance with the constraints, requirements, and 

guidelines of this AO will be handled as technical correspondence and returned to the proposer without 

further review. Those proposals that are responsive to the AO will then be subjected to a preliminary 

technical, management, and cost assessment. 

Following these preliminary actions, the scientific and technical aspects of each proposal will be assessed 

by panels composed of reviewers who are scientific and technical peers of the proposers. The purpose of 

this peer evaluation will be to determine the scientific and technical merit of each proposal, expressed in 

terms of major and minor strengths and weaknesses. 

7.3 Categorization Process 

After all scientific, technical, management, and cost evaluations are completed based on the criteria given 

in Section 7.1 above, an ad hoc Categorization Subcommittee of the Space Science Steering Committee 

(SScSC; see further below in Section 7.4), consisting of U.S. Civil Servants, will meet to categorize the 

submitted proposals according to the definitions in NASA FAR Supplement 1872.403, as follows: 

Category I: Well conceived and scientifically and technically sound investigations pertinent to 

the goals of the program and the AO's objectives and offered by a competent investigator from an 

institution capable of supplying the necessary support to ensure that any essential flight hardware 

or other support can be delivered on time and that the data can be properly reduced, analyzed, 
 14

interpreted, and published in a reasonable time. Investigations in Category I are recommended 

for acceptance and normally will be displaced only by other Category I investigations. 

Category II: Well conceived and scientifically and technically sound investigations, which are 

recommended for acceptance, but at a lower priority than Category I. 

Category III: Scientifically or technically sound investigations which require further 

development. (Note: Category III investigation will not be considered for selection through this 

AO). 

Category IV: Proposed investigations which are recommended for rejection for the particular 

opportunity under consideration, whatever the reason. 

7.4 Selection Process 

Following the evaluations described above, the NASA MER Program Scientist will develop a 

recommendation for selection based on the available Category I and II proposals, with the approval of the 

Mars Exploration Program Lead Scientist. This recommendation and all peer review and categorization 

materials for all proposals will be presented to the Space Science Steering Committee, composed of 

Civil Service personnel appointed by the Associate Administrator for Space Science, for an independent 

review of the evaluation and categorization processes and records. After this review, the final evaluation 

results will be forwarded to the Associate Administrator, who will make the selections. These selections 

will be final; no Accommodation Phase or Science Confirmation Review is planned for these 

investigations. 

7.5 Implementation Procedures 

Following the selection, the PI's of the selected investigations will be notified immediately by telephone, 

followed by formal written notification. Proposers of investigations that were not selected will be 

notified in writing and offered an oral debriefing. This debriefing is expected to be by telephone but may 

be in person at NASA Headquarters under the restriction that NASA funds may not be used to offset any 

travel costs. 

8. SCHEDULE 

The following schedule applies to this Announcement of Opportunity: 

AO release ...............................................................................August 29, 2001 

Notice of Intent due .................................................................September 28, 2001 

Proposal due by 4:30 p.m. EST ...............................................December 5, 2001 

Non-U.S. Letters of Endorsement due.....................................January 4, 2002 

Selections announced (target)..................................................March 2002 

9. CONCLUSION

The Mars Exploration Rover mission represents the next opportunity for landed rover operations on Mars 

and provides an opportunity to execute science investigations at the forefront of planetary science, as 

well as generate opportunities to enhance education initiatives and engage the public in the excitement of 

science discoveries. NASA invites both the U.S. and international science communities to participate in 
 15

proposals for MER Science Team membership as Participating Scientists to be selected through this 

Announcement. 

Edward J. Weiler 

Associate Administrator 

 for Space Science 
A-1 

APPENDIX A

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND PROVISIONS

I. INSTRUMENTATION AND/OR GROUND EQUIPMENT

By submitting a proposal, the investigator and institution agree that NASA has the option to accept all or 

part of the offeror's plan to provide the instrumentation or ground support equipment required for the 

investigation, or NASA may furnish or obtain such instrumentation or equipment from any other source 

as determined by the selecting official. In addition, NASA reserves the right to require use of 

Government instrumentation or property that subsequently becomes available, with or without 

modification, that meets the investigative objectives. 

NOTICE TO ALL OFFERORS: In the event that a Principal Investigator (PI) employed by NASA is 

selected under this Announcement of Opportunity (AO), NASA will award prime contracts to nonGovernment participants, including Co-Investigators (Co-I's), hardware fabricators, and service 

providers, who are named members of the proposing team, as long as the selecting official specifically 

designates the participant(s) in the selection decision. Refer to Section I of Appendix B of this AO for 

proposal information which the selecting official will review in determining whether to incorporate a 

non-Government participant in the selection decision. Each NASA contract with hardware fabricators 

and service providers selected in this manner will be supported by an appropriate justification for other 

than full and open competition, as necessary. 

II. TENTATIVE SELECTIONS, PHASED DEVELOPMENT, PARTIAL SELECTIONS, AND 

PARTICIPATION WITH OTHERS

By submitting a proposal, the investigator and the organization agree that NASA has the option to make a 

tentative selection pending a successful feasibility or definition effort. NASA has the option to contract 

in phases for a proposed experiment, and to discontinue the investigative effort at the completion of any 

phase. NASA may desire to select only a portion of the proposed investigation and/or that the individual 

participates with other investigators in a joint investigation. In this case, the investigator will be given 

the opportunity to accept or decline such partial acceptance or participation with other investigators prior 

to a NASA selection. Where participation with other investigators as a team is agreed to, one of the team 

members will normally be designated as its leader or contact point. NASA reserves the right not to make 

an award or to cancel this AO at any time. 

III. SELECTION WITHOUT DISCUSSION

 The Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received in response to this AO when 

such action shall be considered in the best interest of the Government. Notice is also given of the 

possibility that any selection may be made without discussion (other than discussions conducted for the 

purpose of minor clarification). It is therefore emphasized that all proposals should be submitted initially 

on the most favorable terms that the offerer can submit. 

IV. FOREIGN PROPOSALS 

The guidelines for proposals originating outside of the United States are the same as those for proposals 

originating within the United States, except that the additional conditions described in Sections 6.7 shall 

also apply. 
A-2 

V. TREATMENT OF PROPOSAL DATA

It is NASA policy to use information contained in proposals and quotations for evaluation purposes only. 

While this policy does not require that the proposal or quotation bear a restrictive notice, offerors or 

quoters should, in order to maximize protection of trade secrets or other information that is commercial 

or financial and confidential or privileged, place the following notice on the title page of the proposal or 

quotation and specify the information, subject to the notice by inserting appropriate identification, such 

as page numbers, in the notice. In any event, information (data) contained in proposals and quotations 

will be protected to the extent permitted by law, but NASA assumes no liability for use and disclosure of 

information not made subject to the notice. To prevent inadvertent disclosure, proposal data shall not be 

included in submissions (e.g., final reports) that are routinely released to the public. 

RESTRICTION ON USE AND DISCLOSURE OF 

PROPOSAL AND QUOTATION INFORMATION (DATA) 

The information (data) contained in (insert page numbers or other identification) of this 

proposal or quotation constitutes a trade secret and/or information that is commercial or 

financial and confidential or privileged. It is furnished to the Government in confidence 

with the understanding that it will not, without permission of the offeror, be used or 

disclosed for other than evaluation purposes; provided, however, that in the event a 

contract is awarded on the basis of this proposal or quotation, the Government shall have 

the right to use and disclose this information (data) to the extent provided in the contract. 

This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use or disclose this information 

(data), if obtained from another source without restriction. 

VI. STATUS OF COST PROPOSALS (U.S. PROPOSALS ONLY)

The investigator's institution agrees that the cost proposal is for proposal evaluation and selection 

purposes, and that following selection and during negotiations leading to a definitive contract, the 

institution may be required to resubmit cost information in accordance with FAR 15.403-5. 

VII. LATE PROPOSALS

Proposals or proposal modifications received after the latest date specified for receipt may be considered 

if a significant reduction in cost to the Government is probable or if there are significant technical 

advantages, as compared to proposals previously received. 

VIII. SOURCE OF SPACE INVESTIGATIONS

Investigators are advised that candidate investigations for space missions can come from many sources. 

These sources include those selected through the AO, those generated by NASA in-house research and 

development, and those derived from contracts and other agreements between NASA and external 

entities. 

 

IX. DISCLOSURE OF PROPOSALS OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT

NASA may find it necessary to obtain proposal evaluation assistance outside the Government. Where 

NASA determines it is necessary to disclose a proposal outside the Government for evaluation purposes, 

arrangements will be made with the evaluator for appropriate handling of the proposal information. 
A-3 

Therefore, by submitting a proposal, the investigator and institution agree that NASA may have the 

proposal evaluated outside the Government. If the investigator or institution desires to preclude NASA 

from using an outside evaluation, the investigator or institution should so indicate on the cover. 

However, notice is given that if NASA is precluded from using outside evaluation, it may be unable to 

consider the proposal. 

X. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (U.S. PROPOSALS ONLY)

For any NASA contract resulting from this solicitation, the clause at FAR 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 

shall apply. 

XI. PATENT RIGHTS

• For any NASA contract resulting from this solicitation awarded to other than a small business firm or 

nonprofit organization, the clause at NFS 18-52.227-70, New Technology, shall apply. Such 

contractors may, in advance of a contract, request waiver of rights as set forth in the provision at NFS 

18-52.227-71, Requests for Waiver of Rights to Inventions. 

• For any NASA contract resulting from this solicitation awarded to a small business firm or nonprofit 

organization, the clause at FAR 52.227-11, Patent Rights – Retention by the Contractor (Short Form) 

(as modified by NFS 18-52.227-11), shall apply. 

XII. RIGHTS IN DATA 

 Any contract resulting from this solicitation will contain the Rights in 

 Data – General clause: FAR 52.227-14. 

XIII. SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING 

• (a) Offerors are advised that, in keeping with Congressionally mandated goals, NASA seeks to place 

a fair portion of its contract dollars, where feasible, with Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) 

concerns, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) concerns, Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities (HBCU's), and other Minority Educational Institutions (MEI's), as these entities are 

defined in 52.219-8 and in 52.226-2 of the FAR. 

(b) Offerors are advised that for NASA contracts resulting from this solicitation which offer 

subcontracting possibilities, exceed $500,000, and are with organizations other than small business 

concerns, the clause FAR 52.219-9 shall apply. Offerors whose investigations are selected for 

implementation leading to flight will be required to negotiate subcontracting plans which include 

subcontracting goals for small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, and Historically Underutilized 

Business Zone (HUBZone) small business concerns. Note that these specific subcontracting goals 

need not be submitted with the proposal. Failure to submit and negotiate a subcontracting plan after 

the Phase II selection shall make the offeror ineligible for award. 
B-1 

APPENDIX B 

GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION 

The following guidelines apply to the preparation of proposals in response to this Announcement of 

Opportunity (AO). The material presented is a guide for the prospective proposer and is not intended to 

be all encompassing. The proposer must, however, provide information relative to those items 

applicable, as well as other items required by the AO. In the event of an apparent conflict between the 

guidelines in this Appendix and those contained within the body of the AO, those within the AO shall 

take precedence. 

1. GENERAL GUIDELINES 

All documents must be typewritten in English, use metric and standard astronomical units, and be clearly 

legible. Submission of proposal material by facsimile (fax), electronic media, videotape, or floppy disk 

is not acceptable. In evaluating proposals, NASA will only consider printed material in the submitted 

proposal. A proposal may not reference an Internet site for any data or material necessary for 

completeness of the proposal. 

The proposal must consist of only one volume, with readily identified sections corresponding to items 

given in Section 3 below. Note the guidance on page count for the various sections specified in Table B1. 

In order to allow for recycling of proposals after the review process, all proposals and copies must be 

submitted on plain white paper only (e.g., no cardboard stock or plastic covers, no colored paper, etc.). 

Proposers are requested not to use three-ring binders. Photographs and color figures are permitted if 

printed on recyclable white paper only. The original signed copy (including Cover Page, certifications, 

and non-U.S. endorsements) should be bound in a manner that makes it easy to disassemble for 

reproduction. Except for the original, two-sided copies are preferred. Every side upon which printing 

appears will be counted against the page limits. 

In all proposals, a science investigation, including data analysis and publication of results, must be 

clearly defined. The proposal should also contain the best possible description of the proposer's plans for 

data processing, management, and archiving, all as appropriate. Some of the details of the MER program 

data management procedures are not established at this time, but the proposal should include as much 

information as possible concerning the investigator's plans, requirements, and costs, especially those for 

unique data management requirements (hardware and software). 

2. PAGE LIMITS 

While there is no limit on the total size of the proposal, there are limits on the sizes of several key 

components as given in Table B-1. Proposals may contain fold-out pages up to a size of 11 x 17 inches 

(28 x 43 cm), but such fold-out pages count as two pages for each printed side against the page limit. 

All pages other than fold out pages shall be 8.5 x 11 inches or A4 European standard. 
B-2 

Table B-1: Page Limits for Proposals 

Section Page Limits 

Cover Page/Investigation Summary Printed from web site 

http://props.oss.hq.nasa.gov 

Table of Contents 1 

Investigation and Technical Plan 15 

References No limit 

Resume, Relevant Experience, Curriculum Vitae 3 

Statement of E/PO Commitment/Ideas 1 

Management and Cost Plan No limit 

Single- or double-column format is acceptable. In complying with the page limit, no page should contain 

more than 55 lines of text and the type font should not be smaller than 12-point (i.e., approximately 15 

characters per inch). Figure captions should be in 12 point. Figures and cost tables may contain smaller 

font as long as they are easily legible. 

3. CONTENTS OF PROPOSALS 

3.1 Cover Page/Investigation Summary 

A Cover Page/Proposal Summary is an integral part of the proposal and is generated by accessing the 

Web site located at http://props.oss.hq.nasa.gov and filling in the requested information. It is then both 

printed out in hard copy for submission with the proposal, as well as submitted electronically to that Web 

site. The Cover Page form requires the full names of the Principal Investigator (PI) and the authorizing 

institutional official, their addresses with zip code, telephone and fax numbers, and electronic mail 

addresses, as well as the names, institutions, and E-mail addresses of all participants, and the total NASA 

Office of Space Science (OSS) Cost. The Proposal Summary form provides the equivalent of about onehalf page of space for a brief description of the intended science investigation, as well as a brief 

statement of the objectives for Education/Public Outreach. Note that NASA enters the Summaries of all 

investigations selected for its various programs into a publicly accessible database. Therefore, the 

Proposal Summary should not contain any proprietary or confidential information that the submitter 

wishes to protect from public disclosure. 

Proposers must not reformat this Cover Page/Proposal Summary after it is printed, since the information 

thereon is automatically entered into NASA's main data base for the proposal. This form may be 

accessed for editing of submitted material up to the time of the proposal submission deadline by 

following the instructions at this Web site. Proposers without access to the Web or who experience 

difficulty in using this site may contact the Help Desk by E-mail at dtripp@hq.nasa.gov for assistance. 

Finally, note that submission of the electronic Cover Page/Proposal Summary does not satisfy the 

deadline for proposal submission. 

The printed copy of this Cover Page that is submitted with the proposal must be signed by the PI and the 

official of the investigator's organization who is authorized to commit the organization to the completion 

of the investigation should it be selected. This authorizing signature now also certifies that the proposing 

institution has read and is in compliance with the three required certifications printed in full in Appendix 

C of this AO; therefore, these certifications do not need to be submitted separately. 
B-3 

3.2 Table of Contents 

The proposal must contain a Table of Contents that parallels the outline provided below in Sections 3.1 

through 3.7 

3.3 Investigation and Technical Plan 

The description of the proposed investigation must include the scientific objectives, a clear specification 

of the data needed in order to accomplish those objectives, any operational constraints that might be 

required to take the data, how the data will be analyzed, and how the data products will be used to 

achieve the scientific objectives. 

1. Scientific Goals and Objectives. This section must consist of a discussion of the goals and 

objectives of the investigation and the value of the investigation to the scientific objectives as 

stated in this AO. It must describe the history and basis for the proposal and must discuss the 

need for such an investigation. 

2. Data Requirements. Discuss measurements to be taken in the course of the mission, the data to 

be returned, and the approach that will be taken in analyzing the data to achieve the scientific 

objectives of the investigation. This description must identify the quality of the data to be 

returned (resolution, coverage, pointing accuracy, measurement precision, etc.), as well as the 

quantity of data needed (bits, etc.) for the proposed investigation. The relationship between the 

data products generated and the scientific objectives must be explicitly described, as must the 

expected results. Finally, the plan for producing and delivering data to the Planetary Data 

System must be described. 

3. Mission Requirements. This section must describe expected requirements and constraints on the 

operation of the mission as the data are acquired. The relationship between the proposed 

scientific objectives, the data required to achieve those objectives, and the instrument 

performance and mission operations needed to obtain those data must be quantitatively presented 

in the proposal in a clear and unambiguous way. 

3.4 References 

This section must provide a list of reference documents and/or articles cited in the Investigation and 

Technical Plan. The references themselves cannot be submitted except as a part of the proposal and 

included within the prescribed page count. 

3.5 Resume, Relevant Experience, Curriculum Vitae 

This section must describe the capabilities of the Principal Investigator and any other named personnel 

for carrying out the proposed investigation. A summary of relevant experience must be included, along 

with a short version of investigator's curriculum vitae. Proposers should be sure to describe the skills and 

relevant experience being offered in support of the special needs for the Mars Exploration Rover 

instruments and surface operations. 

3.6 Statement of Commitment for Education/Public Outreach 
B-4 

Every proposal must include a statement of commitment that the Principal Investigator understands and 

intends to participate in and contribute the Mars Exploration Education and Public Outreach program as 

planned and executed by the JPL Mars Program Office. As noted in Section 1.5 of this AO, Participating 

Scientists will be expected to spend approximately 5% of their time on MEP E/PO activities. In addition, 

proposers should suggest ideas for E/PO activities of either a national or regional nature that he/she 

thinks would be particularly worthwhile and/or unique. 

3.7 Management and Cost Plan 

(a) Management Plan. 

The management plan should summarize the management approach for the proposed PS investigations, 

including any required facilities and equipment required. 

(b) Cost Plan (U.S. Investigations Only) 

The cost plan should summarize the total investigation cost by major categories of cost as well as by 

function for each Fiscal Year from FY02 through FY05. 

 The categories of cost should include the following for each Fiscal Year (assuming selection begins 

April 2002 and ends September 31, 2005): 

(i) Direct Labor -- List by labor category, with labor hours and rates for each. Provide 

actual salaries of all personnel and the percentage of time each individual will devote to 

the effort. 

(ii) Overhead -- Include indirect costs. Usually this is in the form of a percentage of the 

direct labor costs. 

(iii) Materials -- This should give the total cost of the bill of materials including 

estimated cost of each major item. Include lead time of critical items. 

(iv) Subcontracts -- List those over $25,000, specify the vendor and the basis for 

estimated costs. Include any baseline or supporting studies. 

(v) Special Equipment -- Include a list of special equipment with lead and/or 

development time. 

(vi) Travel -- List estimated number of trips, destinations, duration, purpose, number of 

travelers, and anticipated dates. 

(vii) E/PO -- Budget provisions (time and travel) for participating in the Mars 

Exploration E/PO Program and carrying out local and regional E/PO activities. 

(viii) Other Costs -- Costs not covered elsewhere. 

(ix) General and Administrative Expense -- This includes the expenses of the institution's 

general and executive offices and other miscellaneous expenses related to the overall 

business. 
B-5 

(x) Fee (if applicable). 

Separate schedules and/or narrative must should be attached to show how these costs are allocable to the 

following category of activities: 

(i) Principal Investigator costs for pre-mission and mission operations activities. 

(ii) Data reduction and analysis including the amount and cost of computer time. 

(iii) Education and public outreach activities. 

In addition to the costs to NASA described using the budget categories above, the budget must include an 

evaluation of goods and services offered at no cost to NASA. 
C-1 

APPENDIX C 

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS 

All proposals requesting NASA funding must demonstrate compliance with the policies set forth in the 

following certifications and assurances. Note that this information is supplied in this Appendix only for 

reference; the authorizing institutional signature on the Cover Page form (see Appendix B) certifies that 

the submitting institution has read and is in compliance with these policies. 

1. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, And Other Responsibility Matters 

This certification is required by the regulations implementing Executive Order 12549, Debarment and 

Suspension, 14 CFR Part 1265, Participant's responsibilities. The regulations were published as Part VII 

of the May 26, 1988 Federal Register (pages 19160-19211). 

(1) The prospective primary participant certifies to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its 

principals: 

• Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or 

voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency; 

• Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil 

judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with 

obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or 

contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statues or commission of 

embezzlement theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, 

or receiving stolen property; 

• Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity 

(Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of 

this certification; and 

• Have not within three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public 

transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default. 

(2) Where the prospective primary participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this 

certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal. 

2. Certification Regarding Lobbying 

No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any 

person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of 

Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection 

with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal 

loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, 

amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. 

If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for 

influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an 

officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this 

Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit 

Standard Form-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions. 
C-2 

The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents 

for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and 

cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly. 

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this 

transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or 

entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file 

the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000, and not more than 

$100,000 for each such failure. 

3. Assurance Of Compliance With The NASA Regulations Pursuant To Nondiscrimination In 

Federally Assisted Programs 

The "Applicant" 

HEREBY AGREES THAT it will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352), 

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20U.S.C. 1680 et seq.), Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 

U.S.C. 16101 et seq.) and all requirements imposed by or pursuant to the Regulation of the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (14 CFR Part 1250)(hereinafter called "NASA") issued pursuant 

to these laws, to the end that in accordance with these laws and regulations, no person in the United 

States shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicapped condition, or age be excluded 

from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any 

program or activity for which the Applicant receives federal financial assistance from NASA; and 

HEREBY GIVES ASSURANCE THAT it will immediately take any measure necessary to effectuate this 

agreement. 

If any real property or structure thereon is provided or improved with the aid of federal financial 

assistance extended to the Applicant by NASA, this assurance shall obligate the Applicant, or in the case 

of any transfer of which federal financial assistance is extended or for another purpose involving the 

provision of similar services or benefits. If any personal property is so provided, this assurance shall 

obligate the Applicant for the period during which it retains ownership or possession of the property. In 

all other cases, this assurance shall obligate the Applicant for the period during which the federal 

financial assistance is extended to it by NASA. 

THIS ASSURANCE is given in consideration of and for the purpose of obtaining any and all federal 

grants, loans, contract, property, discounts or other federal financial assistance extended after the date 

hereof to the Applicant by NASA, including installation payments after such date on account of 

applications for federal financial assistance which were approved before such date. The Applicant 

recognizes and agrees that such federal financial assistance will be extended in reliance on the 

representations and agreements made in this assurance, and that the United States shall have the right to 

seek judicial enforcement of this assurance. This assurance is binding on the Applicant, its successors, 

transferees, and assignees, and the person or persons whose signatures appear below are authorized to 

sign on behalf of the Applicant.