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Grant Applicants Run for the ROSES

April 12, 2007  - By
Image: GPS World

At this moment, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellites outfitted with advanced sensors are gathering masses of data about phenomena that affect all of us: rainfall patterns, solar irradiation, and tropical deforestation, to name a few. Even great volumes of data, however, aren’t worth much unless they inform decision making. That’s why NASA’s Applied Sciences Program seeks to integrate Earth science research findings into decision support systems serving “applications of national priority,” and to document the resulting improvements in the performance of those systems.

To complete its ambitious decision support goals, the agency enlists some outside help. In February, the NASA Science Mission Directorate issued a request for proposals (RFP) entitled Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences — 2007 (ROSES-2007). Academic, private, federal, public, and nonprofit organizations are invited to apply, and the program encourages applications from teams that comprise multiple organizational sectors and types of expertise.

In particular, said Lawrence Friedl of the Applied Sciences Program, the program is “hoping to build more private-sector involvement.” He explained that it’s a low-risk opportunity for companies with limited geospatial experience to learn “how other Earth observation data can be blended with datasets the private sector is already familiar with [such as high-resolution imagery]. It’s a way to get different parts of the community talking to each other . . . making connections, trying out unfamiliar technologies.” Ultimately, that cross-pollination effort will result in the development of new products and services.

NASA also teams with other federal agencies for benchmarking purposes, encouraging its partners to run their decision support processes without and with Earth observation data, quantifying benefits of the addition. In the case of homeland security, partner agencies include the Department of Defense (DoD), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to Friedl, limited staff forced a focus on the civil sector when the project began, but “over the past year, we have been increasing our interaction with the DoD side and intelligence communities.”

Homeland security is one of the 12 “applications of national priority” identified by NASA; the list also includes public health, disaster management, air quality, and energy management. NASA sensors contribute to homeland security by monitoring water supplies and checking for airborne toxins. Friedl gave the example of dispersion modeling, which enables the Department of Homeland Security to predict patterns of air movement in a particular city, as well as the downwind effects after a contamination incident.

Interested organizations should note that full proposals are due May 25, 2007, and project selection announcements are planned for September. Successful proposals will be awarded grants of approximately $240,000 to $320,000 per year for three years, beginning in 2008. This is the fourth such RFP in recent years, said Friedl, and the solicitation process is slated to continue on an annual basis.

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