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Special Evening Session: The Business of NASA Research. August 22, 2006. Evening Session. Proposals: Solicitation. Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science (ROSES) - annual omnibus solicitation - topics solicited in a ROSES element (A.#) - proposal requirements and Guidebook
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Special Evening Session: The Business of NASA Research August 22, 2006 Evening Session
Proposals: Solicitation • Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science (ROSES) - annual omnibus solicitation - topics solicited in a ROSES element (A.#) - proposal requirements and Guidebook • Other solicitations: AO’s and special cases • Unsolicited Proposals - being discouraged in favor of responses to ROSES - still appropriate for workshops and supporting activities and still an option if a really relevant and innovative idea just doesn’t fit • All-electronic process (NSPIRES and grants.gov)
Proposals: Review Process • Peer Review - scientific experts: individual, panel or combination of both (as in NRA or our call) - balance of expertise, with due care to avoid conflict-of-interest - criteria: relevance, scientific merit, cost reasonableness - redacted budgets for peer reviewers • Programmatic Review - HQ program managers & scientists; use same criteria, but focus more on relevance and cost - involves program/portfolio priorities and balance and, possibly, other external considerations
Proposals: Selection Process • Selection made by Selecting Official noted in NRA - Program/Technical Officer makes, documents and justifies recommendation - Selection recommendation presented to Earth Science Steering Committee for concurrence - Program/Technical Officer drafts letters for Selecting Official to sign - Letters signed and selection announced on NSPIRES web page - There is now an official process for requesting re-consideration
Awards & Their Administration • Award instrument (grant, cooperative agreement, contract, interagency transfer, training grant) chosen by NASA or may be specified in NRA • Grant and cooperative agreement awards now made by NSSC (new contractor at NASA SSC) • Contracts and interagency transfers still done by “HQ” office at NASA GSFC • NASA is moving to an all-electronic process – revised budgets and progress reports included • Annual progress reports required 3 mos. in advance of award anniversary date - basic information, do not need to be elaborate - include update on spending; adjust if needed (declare carryover, etc.)
Costing and Why We Keep Bugging You about It! • Costing is a perennial issue in the NASA research program - sequence of events: appropriate, commit, obligate, cost - costing occurs after the funded institution reports back to NASA that the funds have been expended and NASA enters the report into its financial management system – until that time, NASA views those committed and obligated funds as still available to do NASA work - uncosted carryover from previous fiscal years is considered adequate reason to reduce funds available to the program in the current fiscal year
Awards & Their Administration • NASA has several new data and financial management tools, and transition(s) have not been smooth . . . more are coming - NSPIRES (proposal, peer review modules in place; selection module to come; Task Book may follow) - IFMP / SAP – upgrade this fall - Full-cost accounting for NASA Centers - RAPTOR (to replace SysEYFUS and RATS) - NSSC for new grants and cooperative agreements started May, 2006 - GSFC will administer older grants and cooperative agreements through close out
NASA Science Mission Directorate TASK BOOK • A Web-based electronic annual report submission and data collection tool. The public search engine is in development. • Went online with first group of Terrestrial Ecology tasks on April 1, 2005. • The information requested for each task consists of a description, progress, number of students/post-docs, publications, and other accomplishments (e.g., presentations, awards, etc.) for each year of funding. • This is an isolated database—not connected to SYSEYFUS or NSPIRES (NSPIRES Task Book development is anticipated). • The Task Book provides a vehicle for NASA to receive annual reports. The “approval” process is for public search engine purposes only. For further information, please contact : Julie Prowe, NRESS Task Book Editor, (202) 479-9030 x431 jprowe@nasaprs.com
NASA Science Mission Directorate TASK BOOK • http://taskbook.nasaprs.com/science/taskbook • Your role will determine how the site displays and what data you are able to view. • Screenshots for the NASA Monitor/Program Scientist pages follow. • The information collected is in two parts: data entry to the site and an uploaded, confidential PDF file. • The requirements for the PDF file are flexible. Direct additional data collection requirements to Task Book Editor.