ROSES 2025: A.5 Earth Venture Suborbital-4 Snow4Flow Science Team

The Snow4Flow Science Team opportunity is part of NASA’s Earth Venture Suborbital-4 (EVS-4) initiative, under the Earth Science Division (ESD) of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Administered through the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program Office (ESSPPO), Snow4Flow is a five-year airborne, ground-based, and modeling investigation designed to improve understanding of snow accumulation and ice flow dynamics across glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere. This initiative aligns with the recommendations of the 2017 National Research Council decadal survey and supports NASA’s mission to advance Earth system science through observation and modeling. The Snow4Flow mission aims to address the significant uncertainty in projections of glacier and ice sheet mass change, which are critical for understanding future sea-level rise, water availability, and natural hazards. Snow4Flow targets four key regions—Alaska (including far western Canada), southeastern Greenland, Svalbard, and the Canadian High Arctic—using airborne sensors, ground-based validation teams, and modeling tools. Campaigns are planned during late winter and early spring in 2027, 2028, and 2029, with each of the four regions visited at least once, and Alaska and southeastern Greenland surveyed twice. NASA is soliciting proposals across four primary types: Airborne (1A), Ground (1B), Synthesis (2A), and Modeling (2B). Airborne proposals must include proven instruments suitable for integration on aircraft such as the DC-3T Basler or DHC-6 Twin Otter, while Ground proposals must plan for snow surveys on at least five Alaskan glaciers. Synthesis proposals support integration, analysis, and planning but not direct observation or extensive modeling. Modeling proposals involve development and application of numerical models for projections and scenario development. Selected investigators will join the Snow4Flow science team, contribute to data collection, calibration, modeling, and scientific synthesis, and help develop the Open Science and Data Management Plan. Funding totals approximately $12.5 million over five years, with estimated awards of $5.0M for Airborne, $2.5M each for Ground, Synthesis, and Modeling categories. Between 8 and 15 new awards are anticipated, and each project must request funding for all five years. Travel costs for field campaign integration are not included in the proposal budgets but will be handled separately by NASA. Proposals should include redacted and total budget documents, work effort tables, biographical sketches, current and pending support, and an anonymized Science/Technical/Management section, among other components. All proposals must adhere to dual-anonymous peer review (DAPR) guidelines to reduce bias in evaluation. International participation is welcomed on a “no exchange of funds” basis, either by collaborating with U.S. teams or submitting a standalone proposal. Proposers must comply with NASA’s data sharing policies and the Snow4Flow-specific Open Science and Data Management Plan. Applications must be submitted electronically via NSPIRES. The opening and closing dates are detailed in Tables 2 and 3 of the ROSES-2025 NRA. The anticipated start of investigation is March 2026. Key contacts for this funding opportunity include Thorsten Markus at NASA Headquarters (thorsten.markus@nasa.gov, 202-436-5463) and Jack Holt at the University of Arizona (jwholt@arizona.edu).

Use existing instruments/models where possible; comply with data sharing and DAPR anonymity rules.