ROSES 2025: F.3 Exoplanets Research

The NASA Exoplanets Research Program (XRP), administered under the ROSES 2025 solicitation, is a competitive federal grant opportunity managed jointly by the Science Mission Directorate’s Divisions of Astrophysics, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics. The purpose of the XRP is to solicit basic research proposals that significantly enhance the understanding of exoplanets and their formation, supporting investigations that align with NASA’s current and future space missions. This program invites interdisciplinary scientific proposals that cross traditional division lines and encourages inclusion of techniques and concepts from heliophysics and related fields. Observational, modeling, laboratory, and theoretical studies are all eligible if they help interpret or predict outcomes from NASA space missions. The XRP targets several key research areas including the detection and confirmation of exoplanets, the characterization and demographic analysis of exoplanetary systems, the interaction between exoplanets and their host stars, chemical and physical process exploration (including atmospheric and internal dynamics), and the identification of potentially habitable environments beyond our solar system. Proposals must detail how their results will support or be tested against NASA space mission observations. Studies using data from any NASA-supported ground-based observatory are within scope, provided there is clear alignment with NASA’s mission. Ground-based telescope time may be purchased only if it constitutes less than 25% of the total project cost and is integral to the work. Proposers must be aware of scope exclusions. Investigations related solely to the Solar System’s origin or biosignature theory development, technology R&D, and studies focused primarily on data collection from existing Great Observatories or missions with General Observer programs (e.g., Webb, Hubble, TESS) are outside the scope unless they involve comparative analysis or utilize archival data in combination with other NASA data sets. Additionally, investigators from agencies or institutions receiving interagency funding must obtain advance approval from the XRP Program Officer. Requests under $100,000 per year are unlikely to receive approval. Applications follow a two-step process: a required Step-1 proposal due November 25, 2025, and a full Step-2 proposal due on a later date specified in ROSES Tables 2 and 3. Step-1 proposals are limited to 4,000 characters and must include science goals, methodologies, and relevance. They must be submitted through NSPIRES and will be reviewed for program alignment. Only invited Step-1 applicants may proceed to Step-2. Step-2 proposals undergo dual-anonymous peer review (DAPR), and both the science proposal and supporting documentation must follow strict anonymization and format rules outlined in NSPIRES and the ROSES DAPR guidelines. The total program budget for the first year of new awards is estimated at $4 million, with approximately 18 new awards expected. Most awards will span three years, although four-year proposals are permitted with strong justification. Researchers may also be eligible to participate in Research Coordination Networks if their investigations align with network goals, and early-career researchers may pursue funding through the associated Early Career Award (ECA) program. Computing resources are available for projects needing high-performance computational support. All proposals must include a two-page anonymized Open Science and Data Management Plan, which is evaluated under intrinsic merit. The projected start date for selected projects is January 1, 2026. For proposal submission, NSPIRES is the required platform unless a request to use Grants.gov is submitted at least 30 days in advance. Questions and approval requests, particularly related to interagency funding, should be directed to John Wisniewski, the main point of contact for the program, at hq-xrp@mail.nasa.gov.

Ensure DAPR compliance and relevance to NASA mission goals.