ROSES 2025: A.4 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), through its Science Mission Directorate (SMD), has issued its annual omnibus Research Announcement titled "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences" (ROSES) for the year 2025. Within this broad announcement, the A.4 program element, Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science (RRNES), provides funding opportunities aimed at enabling rapid, agile scientific investigations addressing novel or unexpected events in Earth science. ROSES as a whole encompasses numerous discrete elements across different divisions of NASA’s science portfolio, each with its own distinct goals, eligibility, and deadlines. The purpose of RRNES is to provide a rapid funding mechanism for researchers proposing innovative, time-sensitive Earth science investigations. This includes studies requiring quick deployment in response to natural events such as volcanic eruptions, wildfires, or flooding, as well as novel research directions emerging from recent scientific discoveries or technological advances. NASA aims to encourage swift scientific action that can capitalize on transient opportunities for data collection or advance new hypotheses relevant to Earth systems. Funding under RRNES may take the form of grants or cooperative agreements, and projects are typically expected to last up to three years, although durations may vary depending on specific project needs. Awards can be issued to various types of U.S.-based institutions, including government and private organizations, academic institutions, and non-profit entities. While foreign organizations are generally not funded directly, they may participate in proposals under a no-exchange-of-funds policy, or in special joint program contexts where NASA collaborates with non-U.S. space agencies. This program element accepts proposals on a rolling basis, with no fixed proposal due date, though all submissions must comply with resubmission and duplication policies detailed in the ROSES overview appendices. For this ROSES-25 version, proposals may be submitted until August 31, 2026, with a brief overlap anticipated for the upcoming ROSES-26 cycle to ensure continuous proposal submission opportunities. While rolling, this grant is not recurring in the traditional sense, as it operates within the lifecycle of the annual ROSES framework. Researchers planning to use certain NASA resources, such as the NASA Center for Climate Simulation, must budget specific costs (e.g., $0.09/SBU), and should carefully review the associated sections in the ROSES-25 overview appendices. All proposals must be submitted via the NSPIRES portal, unless applicants request submission via Grants.gov at least 30 days in advance. Detailed instructions for accessing the full solicitation text are provided via hyperlinked tables on the NSPIRES site. For additional assistance, prospective applicants may contact Kelsey Bisson at [email protected] or (202) 674-4019, or Laura Lorenzoni at [email protected] or (202) 358-0917. General inquiries can also be addressed to the SMD Deputy Associate Administrator for Research at [email protected]. The performance period for awarded projects typically extends up to three years, with most awards expected to be grants. ROSES supports open competition across organization types and encourages diverse participation in Earth science research.