2023 HERO Appendix A: NASA Human Research Program Omnibus Opportunity | NNJ23ZSA001N OMNIBUS

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNJ23ZSA001N OMNIBUS

The 2023 HERO Appendix A: NASA Human Research Program Omnibus Opportunity (NNJ23ZSA001N-OMNIBUS) is a NASA Research Announcement released by NASA Johnson Space Center under the broader Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) umbrella. It is designed to fund short, applied research projects that support NASA's Human Research Program (HRP), with a clear emphasis on practical work that helps reduce health and performance risks for humans during spaceflight. The projects NASA is looking for are intentionally limited in scope and duration: investigations must last no more than one year, and they are meant to produce useful progress quickly rather than support long, multi-year research programs.

The core scientific focus is on innovative approaches to the risks and knowledge gaps already identified by HRP in its Integrated Research Plan, which is publicly available through the Human Research Roadmap website. In other words, NASA is signaling that it wants proposals that connect to real, documented needs tied to human space exploration, such as mitigating hazards that could affect astronaut health, safety, or mission performance. At the same time, this appendix also makes room for fresh, unconventional ideas that may not line up neatly with the current HRP risk list, as long as those ideas come from new investigators or early career investigators who have not received certain NASA-related space biomedical funding in the past decade. Specifically, the solicitation highlights investigators who have not been funded by NASA HRP, NASA EPSCoR, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), or the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) within the last ten years. For early career eligibility, the investigator must also be within ten years of completing their terminal research degree or clinical training, which is meant to broaden participation and bring in newer voices and newer approaches.

From a funding and awards standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary federal funding program (CFDA 43.003) that may use several instrument types depending on the selection and arrangement, including grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts. The listed maximum award amount is $150,000, and NASA expected to make about two awards under this particular notice. Those numbers strongly suggest a highly competitive program aimed at tightly scoped projects with a clear deliverable or outcome within the one-year performance window.

The application process uses a two-step structure. Step 1 proposals were due January 6, 2023, and only those invited forward could submit Step 2 proposals, which were due April 4, 2023. NASA also scheduled a virtual pre-proposers conference for December 13, 2022, providing prospective applicants a chance to hear expectations directly and ask clarifying questions. The solicitation materials and Appendix A documentation were posted online and referenced through NASA's NSPIRES ecosystem, which is the standard portal for NASA research solicitations.

One notable procedural feature is the use of dual-anonymous peer review (DAPR). Under DAPR, reviewers do not know who the proposing team is during the technical merit evaluation, and proposers do not know who the reviewers are. The identities of proposers remain hidden from reviewers until after the anonymized technical evaluation is complete. The intent is to reduce bias and keep the review centered on the quality of the idea, the soundness of the approach, and the likely impact on HRP needs. Because of that structure, the solicitation emphasizes that applicants must follow specific proposal preparation rules to keep the submission compliant with anonymization requirements.

Eligibility is broad on the U.S. side: all categories of United States institutions are eligible to apply, which typically includes universities, nonprofits, for-profits, and government-affiliated research entities, as long as they meet the solicitation requirements. Collaboration is explicitly allowed and encouraged across universities, federal labs, private sector organizations, and state or local government laboratories. However, NASA makes it clear that the institution that submits the proposal is responsible for administering the project and managing the work according to the management plan described in the proposal. International participation is possible, but NASA's stated policy is that work with non-U.S. organizations must be cooperative and involve no exchange of funds, meaning NASA generally will not directly pay foreign entities under this program.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a small, fast-turn, high-relevance funding call within NASA HRP: it aims to generate practical progress on identified human spaceflight risks while also deliberately lowering barriers for newer investigators who can contribute original, potentially high-upside ideas.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Johnson Space Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2023 HERO Appendix A: NASA Human Research Program Omnibus Opportunity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 01, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 06, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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