Roses 2025: A.10 Innovate

The A.10 INNOVATE program, administered by NASA under its Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES-25) umbrella, is designed to accelerate the development of satellite-based Earth observation applications that directly serve the U.S. economy, national security, and broader societal needs. Managed by NASA’s Earth Science Division, this initiative is rooted in NASA’s Earth Science to Action Strategy, specifically targeting innovative, high-risk, high-reward proposals that integrate Earth science data into actionable solutions. The INNOVATE element is structured to bridge the so-called "valley of death" between concept development and operational adoption, particularly for emerging technologies and commercial Earth information providers who may face difficulty securing traditional funding. Proposals can be submitted at any time until March 31, 2026, and do not require a Notice of Intent. However, applicants must contact the program officer in advance to confirm their concept aligns with programmatic priorities and is not redundant with existing efforts. Each submission must include a 5-page anonymized proposal, a 10-slide deck highlighting key project aspects, and a separate "Expertise and Resources Not Anonymized" (E&R) document. The dual-anonymous peer review (DAPR) process ensures unbiased evaluation by keeping both reviewers and proposers anonymous during the review stage. Proposals that do not meet these stringent format and content requirements risk being returned or declined without detailed feedback. INNOVATE supports three years of funding, divided into three phases: Year 1 (up to $200,000) for project formulation, feasibility, and prototyping; Year 2 (up to $500,000) for system development and integration; and Year 3 (up to $300,000) for transitioning the solution to end-user operations. There is no predefined total program budget, as awards are contingent upon funding availability and project merit. Proposals must outline a plan for sustaining the developed tools or products beyond the grant period, and outputs are expected to be openly accessible. While proprietary tools are allowed under certain conditions, projects must provide public value and clearly identify and engage end-user organizations (e.g., city governments, public agencies) from inception through implementation. All proposals must integrate NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) assets, such as satellite data, modeling tools (e.g., MERRA-2, IMERG), or outputs from initiatives like the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program and Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). While non-NASA data sources, including commercial or foreign datasets, are permissible, they must be used in conjunction with NASA resources. Successful proposals will demonstrate meaningful partnerships with end-user organizations and show how project outputs can be scaled, transferred, and integrated into decision-making systems, particularly for applications in climate resilience, disaster response, water and energy resource management, health, and air quality, among others. Eligibility is broad but excludes certain federal entities and contractors currently under the CSDA program. Domestic and foreign institutions may apply, including for-profit, nonprofit, educational institutions, and small businesses. However, foreign entities may only participate on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. Collaborations between new commercial entities and academic or NASA partners are particularly encouraged. Projects must include mechanisms for ongoing user engagement, feedback, and demonstration of user adoption. Cost-sharing is not required but may be included as a voluntary component and will not affect evaluation outcomes. For inquiries, applicants must contact Nima Pahlevan, the NASA program officer overseeing this grant, at nima.pahlevan@nasa.gov or by phone at (202) 294-3954. Applications are reviewed within 20 business days of submission, and selected projects are expected to begin within approximately 12 weeks. While there are no interim deadlines, the final proposal submission deadline is March 31, 2026. Declined applications may not be resubmitted until ROSES-2026 opens after that date. Applicants are strongly advised to review the complete ROSES-25 solicitation, NSPIRES guidelines, and DAPR anonymization requirements before applying.

Contact the Program Officer before applying. Strictly adhere to anonymization and format requirements.