ROSES 2025: C.8 Yearly Opportunities for Research in Planetary Defense

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, through its Planetary Defense Coordination Office and Near-Earth Object Observations Program, administers the Yearly Opportunities for Research in Planetary Defense program as part of ROSES-2025. The program, known as YORPD, is designed to advance the national and international goal of identifying, tracking, and mitigating hazards from near-Earth objects. NASA has set a primary objective of inventorying more than ninety percent of the asteroid population larger than 140 meters in diameter that passes within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth’s orbit. Proposals submitted under this program must demonstrate clear alignment with these objectives and be consistent with the broader National Preparedness Strategy for Near-Earth Object Hazards and Planetary Defense. The scope of research supported by YORPD includes near-Earth object survey operations, rapid astrometric follow-up, physical and compositional characterization, and the development of operational tools for planetary defense. Proposals may involve the use of ground-based or space-based observatories and must include commitments to rapid reporting of astrometric data to the Minor Planet Center. In addition to survey and characterization activities, the program welcomes analysis of existing data from spacecraft missions and ground-based surveys, recovery of legacy datasets, laboratory investigations with meteoritic materials, and dynamical population modeling. Studies in support of planetary defense applications, such as mitigation approaches to deflect or disrupt impact trajectories, and pre-formulation mission concepts may also be funded:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. NASA explicitly excludes from this opportunity scientific investigations not relevant to planetary defense as well as proposals to develop spacecraft or suborbital missions. Projects funded under YORPD must comply with open science requirements, ensuring timely and permanent public access to all data, particularly astrometric observations, which must be deposited in the International Astronomical Union–sanctioned Minor Planet Center. Proposers making use of NASA facilities such as the Goldstone Solar System Radar or the Infrared Telescope Facility must incorporate specific facility planning into their proposal documents and follow dual-anonymous peer review guidelines:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. The application process follows a mandatory two-step procedure. Both Step-1 and Step-2 proposals must be anonymized in accordance with NASA’s dual-anonymous peer review standards. The central Science/Technical/Management section of the proposal has a 15-page limit, and applicants must provide an anonymized Open Science and Data Management Plan of no more than two pages. A separate non-anonymized document must contain institutional affiliations, personnel details, biographical sketches, facilities access, and required letters of support. Budget documentation is required, with redacted versions included in anonymized submissions and full versions uploaded separately through NSPIRES:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. The expected program budget for the first year of new awards is approximately $1.5 million, with an anticipated seven to nine new awards depending on proposal merit. Awards are typically funded for three years, though durations of up to five years are possible. The timeline for investigations begins roughly seven months after the Step-2 proposal due date, and applicants should consult Tables 2 and 3 of the ROSES-2025 NRA for the exact submission deadlines. Applications are submitted electronically through NSPIRES, and assistance is available through the NSPIRES help desk:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}. Points of contact for this program are Julie Ziffer, Kelly Fast, and Adelle Helble. Inquiries should be directed to HQ-YORPD@mail.nasa.gov. Applicants requiring submission through Grants.gov rather than NSPIRES must make their request at least thirty days before the application deadline, with notification sent to the designated point of contact and copied to sara@nasa.gov. The official funding opportunity number for use on Grants.gov is NNH25ZDA001N-YORPD:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.

Follow strict anonymization rules; deposit data at MPC.