Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Cooperative Agreement Notice (SSERVI CAN-4) | NNH22ZDA020C

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH22ZDA020C

NASA Headquarters, through its Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), issued the fourth Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Cooperative Agreement Notice, known as SSERVI CAN-4 (solicitation number NNH22ZDA020C). This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement funding mechanism to add new, multi-institutional, team-based research groups as participating members of SSERVI, a virtual institute structure designed to coordinate and amplify lunar and related exploration research across organizations.

The core purpose of CAN-4 is to fund innovative research programs that improve fundamental understanding of the Moon and its near-space environment in ways that directly enable future human and robotic lunar exploration, especially in support of NASA's Artemis program and the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. NASA is looking for proposals that clearly connect their science and technology questions to exploration needs, whether the work is basic research (improving scientific understanding) or applied research (producing methods, models, measurements, tools, or decision-enabling knowledge used for missions). A notable emphasis is placed on strengthening the sample science community, with particular interest in proposals centered on lunar samples and the broader ecosystem of capabilities, collaborations, and scientific frameworks needed to maximize the value of returned or curated lunar materials.

In addition to Moon-focused research, NASA explicitly welcomes "Mars forward" concepts, meaning proposals that use lunar research as a proving ground for approaches, techniques, or operational concepts that would ultimately help with Mars exploration. In practice, that can include developing instrumentation strategies, surface operations concepts, environmental or resource models, or analytical methods that can be matured on the Moon and then adapted for Mars, while still keeping the Moon as the primary research anchor for this solicitation.

The solicitation uses a required two-step submission process. Only teams that submit a Step-1 proposal are eligible to submit a Step-2 proposal, so the Step-1 deadline is effectively a gate to full participation. For this cycle, Step-1 proposals were due October 18, 2022, and Step-2 proposals were due December 15, 2022 (the original closing date). NASA indicates that the final text was previously released in draft form, and while it states there were no substantive content changes between draft and final, proposers are expected to carefully read the final version and consult an FAQ posted on the NSPIRES page because it explains what was adjusted between versions.

NASA also signals that it will give strong consideration to proposed research that either complements existing SSERVI teams selected under the prior CAN-3 call or fills important gaps not currently covered by those teams. Applicants are directed to review the list of current institute teams to understand the existing portfolio and position new proposals accordingly. Review, selection, and award are conducted according to the procedures described in Sections 5.0 and 6.0 of the announcement, while Section 4.0 highlights practical submission rules, including restrictions and timing related to changes in the Principal Investigator and other key personnel, along with other date placeholders that can affect eligibility and compliance.

For questions, NASA sets a clear communications window. Clarification questions must be emailed to HQ-SSERVI@mail.nasa.gov no later than 14 calendar days before the Step-2 deadline. Depending on whether a question is specific to a single proposer or broadly applicable, NASA may respond privately by email or publish edited questions and answers to the solicitation landing page in NSPIRES no later than 10 days before the Step-2 due date. The published Q&A process is designed to help the full proposer community while protecting the identity of the individuals and institutions submitting questions.

Eligibility and participation rules follow NASA's standard proposal infrastructure. Proposers must be affiliated with an organization registered in NSPIRES (nspires.nasaprs.com). As a general policy, NASA provides funding only to U.S. institutions, though non-U.S. organizations may participate under a no-exchange-of-funds arrangement, and such participants are directed to follow NASA's Guidebook for Proposers for detailed requirements. The announcement also notes that certain NASA research announcements may be jointly issued with non-U.S. partners and may include special participation guidelines, and it points to the Guidebook for Proposers for cases where non-U.S. organizations include U.S. personnel for whom NASA funding is requested.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity under CFDA number 43.001, categorized as science and technology and other research and development, with NASA Headquarters as the issuing agency. The notice lists the expected award and award ceiling fields without specific values in the provided source text, meaning applicants would need to consult the full solicitation in NSPIRES for funding level details, performance expectations, and any programmatic constraints tied to cooperative agreement management.

• The NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Cooperative Agreement Notice (SSERVI CAN-4)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-09-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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