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

The Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science (RRNES) program, issued by the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) of NASA, serves as a strategic mechanism to support highly time-sensitive and groundbreaking Earth science investigations. Managed under the auspices of the Earth Science Division (ESD), this funding opportunity is tailored for two specific types of research that cannot be anticipated in the standard ROSES (Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science) annual solicitation cycle: (1) urgent, rapid response investigations triggered by unplanned or unforeseen Earth system events, and (2) exceptionally novel research proposals that introduce groundbreaking remote sensing concepts or methodologies not covered under any NASA call in the preceding three years. This program does not earmark a dedicated budget. Instead, support is provided through discretionary funds from relevant ESD programs, contingent on merit and fund availability. The first stream of research, rapid response, is directed at proposals that require immediate action due to environmental extremes such as volcanic eruptions, severe flooding, large-scale pollution events, or unexpected ecological changes like coral bleaching. These events demand swift data acquisition and processing, field work, and accelerated dissemination of findings to inform the scientific community. Proposals in this category are limited to five pages for their Scientific/Technical/Management section and are usually one-year efforts unless strongly justified for longer durations. The second focus area is dedicated to transformative and unconventional ideas that promise to significantly advance the field of Earth remote sensing but fall outside the scope of existing NASA programs. These proposals must demonstrate originality and a clear disconnect from past solicitations over the last three years, ensuring the submission is not redundant. Unlike the rapid response stream, novel idea proposals can be up to 15 pages and are generally anticipated to operate on modest budgets for one year, with optional extension up to three years pending robust justification. While rapid response projects prioritize timeliness and feasibility, novel proposals are evaluated on their intrinsic merit, innovation, and alignment with NASA’s strategic science goals. The application process does not require a Notice of Intent and proposals may be submitted at any time through NSPIRES. However, the current ROSES cycle closes August 31, 2026, and proposals received after that will be considered under the subsequent cycle. Proposers must contact both the relevant ESD program officer and the RRNES program officer before submitting to ensure alignment with scope and budget availability. This early engagement step is mandatory, and failure to comply increases the likelihood of a proposal being declined without review. All proposals must include an Open Science and Data Management Plan outlining how data, results, and software will be made publicly available in accordance with NASA's Earth Science Data Policy. Awards are issued via grants, cooperative agreements, or internal funding to NASA centers (contracts are not used), and the performance period can range from one to three years. Contact for the RRNES program is Krishna Vadrevu at [email protected] or 256-321-9492. Proposals involving NASA flight assets must coordinate with the Airborne Science Program flight request system curators. Although the opportunity is recurring in nature, selections are rare and highly selective due to its strategic positioning and reliance on discretionary budgets. Proposers are encouraged to align their work closely with Earth Science goals, as articulated in ROSES program elements, the NASA Science Plan, and decadal surveys, to improve the proposal’s relevance and success likelihood.

Contacting the program officer in advance is critical. Failure to do so increases the chance of rejection without review.