ROSES25: C.12 Foundational Artificial Intelligence for the Moon and Mars

The Foundational Artificial Intelligence for the Moon and Mars program element, under NASA's Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2025 omnibus solicitation, seeks proposals focused on artificial intelligence (AI) as it applies to NASA's objectives in lunar and Martian exploration. Administered by NASA Headquarters under the Science Mission Directorate, this grant opportunity invites submissions that contribute to foundational research and development in AI technologies that will support exploration, operations, and scientific discovery relevant to the Moon and Mars. This element, coded as C.12 in the ROSES framework, falls within the Science Division's broader research investment strategy, focusing on long-term capability building for planetary science missions. NASA, as the U.S. space agency, issues the ROSES omnibus annually. The 2025 edition includes numerous program elements across different scientific domains, each with its own submission deadline and evaluation criteria. Awards from ROSES can be issued as grants, cooperative agreements, or in limited cases, contracts, although most will be grants. The opportunity NNH25ZDA001N-FAIMM does not require Notices of Intent or Step-1 proposals and is open for direct full proposal submissions by April 28, 2026. While proposals are generally accepted from a wide range of institutions, funding will only be awarded to organizations registered in the NSPIRES system, which typically includes U.S.-based institutions. However, international participation is permitted under certain restrictions, particularly via no-exchange-of-funds policies or joint programs. The call supports various research and technology activities aligned with NASA’s goals. The anticipated performance period for awards is typically three years, though some may extend up to five years. While no exact number of awards or funding ceiling/floor has been published, the solicitation emphasizes the flexibility and diversity of funding levels depending on the scope and merit of the proposals. The funding mechanism may include inter- or intra-agency transfers for Co-Investigators from government labs. To apply, proposers must access the specific program element through the ROSES Tables 2 or 3 at NASA’s NSPIRES portal. There, they can download the full PDF text of the call for C.12 Foundational AI for the Moon and Mars. Proposals are submitted via NSPIRES, and in some cases, Grants.gov may be used if requested 30 days in advance. Evaluation will follow NASA's peer-review process, considering scientific merit, relevance to mission goals, and technical feasibility. Final award decisions rest with NASA SMD leadership. For questions regarding this program element, applicants are directed to contact Rebekah Dawson-Rigas at [email protected]. Additionally, general inquiries about ROSES-2025 can be sent to the Science Mission Directorate’s research office via [email protected]. Applicants are encouraged to subscribe to updates through NASA’s email lists, the ROSES-2025 blog, or Google Calendars for division-specific deadlines to remain informed about amendments or new elements. While this specific call closes on April 28, 2026, the ROSES program is issued annually, and future iterations of this or related AI elements are expected. Those interested in recurring opportunities should mark their calendars and track announcements through the official solicitation pages and NASA's Science Research blog.