NASA Astrobiology Institute - Cycle 8 | NNH17ZDA003C

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH17ZDA003C

NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) Cycle 8 is a NASA Science Mission Directorate Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) that invites team-based, interdisciplinary proposals to become part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The central purpose of this cycle is to keep the NAI as a strong, multidisciplinary research institute by selecting a set of focused teams whose expertise fills gaps and adds new capabilities, while avoiding duplication of the scientific strengths already covered by teams that will continue. In practical terms, NASA is looking for research teams that can bring complementary approaches to astrobiology, meaning proposals should be clearly distinctive in their themes, methods, and contributions relative to the existing NAI portfolio.

This solicitation is structured around a two-step submission process. Applicants must first submit a brief Step-1 proposal, which for Cycle 8 was due on April 12, 2017 (roughly six weeks after the CAN was released). NASA then conducts a programmatic review of those Step-1 submissions and uses that review to guide who should proceed: proposers are explicitly encouraged or discouraged from submitting a full Step-2 proposal based on the Step-1 outcome. The intent is to reduce wasted effort on full proposals that do not align well with program needs and to help teams gauge fit before investing heavily in a complete submission.

Cycle 8 is also a transition cycle for the institute. The teams selected under this CAN are intended to replace the teams originally selected in Cycle 6, whose five-year cooperative agreements were expiring. That replacement function shapes the selection strategy: NASA is not simply funding isolated projects, but refreshing the membership of an ongoing institute and making choices that preserve breadth across astrobiology while adding targeted, high-value research directions.

A notable administrative emphasis in this cycle is open access to research, with changes from prior solicitations referenced under Section 1.7 of the CAN ("Open Access to Research"). While the summary text does not spell out those requirements, it flags that proposers should pay attention to updated expectations around access to publications, data, or other research products consistent with NASA policy and evolving federal guidance.

There are also important funding and risk caveats. Issuance and execution of the CAN depends on programmatic factors, including NASA receiving an appropriation and an operating plan that provides adequate funding within the Planetary Science Division budget. NASA also states that any costs incurred in preparing a submission are entirely at the submitter's own risk, which is a standard reminder that proposal preparation is not reimbursed and that solicitations can be affected by budget realities.

To help the community interpret the intent and selection criteria, NASA scheduled a preproposal conference for March 10, 2017 at 11 AM Pacific (2 PM Eastern). Information was to be posted on the NAI Cycle 8 funding page (https://nai.nasa.gov/funding/can-8/). For formal questions about the solicitation, NASA directed inquiries to Dr. Mary Voytek, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology and NAI Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters, with the instruction that programmatic questions should be submitted in writing or by email no later than 10 days prior to the Step-2 proposal due date.

In terms of eligibility and organizational requirements, proposers must be affiliated with an institution registered in NSPIRES (nspires.nasaprs.com), NASA's system for proposal submission and award management. As a general rule, NASA funding is provided only to U.S. institutions, though the notice highlights limited pathways for non-U.S. participation. Organizations outside the United States may participate under a no-exchange-of-funds arrangement (meaning they bring their own funding rather than receiving NASA funds) and are directed to consult the NASA Guidebook for Proposers, Appendix B, Section (l), for details. The notice also points out that some NASA research announcements can be issued jointly with non-U.S. organizations and may include special guidelines for foreign participants, and it references additional Guidebook sections for proposals from non-U.S. organizations that involve U.S. personnel for whom NASA support is requested.

From the published opportunity metadata, this is a discretionary funding opportunity administered by NASA Headquarters, using the cooperative agreement funding instrument (not a standard grant), and categorized under science and technology and other research and development. The opportunity number is NNH17ZDA003C, the CFDA number listed is 43.001, and the original closing date for the opportunity was July 6, 2017. The posting date in the record is February 28, 2017. The public summary does not specify an award ceiling or the exact number of expected awards in the provided fields, reinforcing that interested teams would need to consult the full CAN text for budget ranges, award size expectations, performance periods, and the detailed evaluation criteria used for selection.

• The NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NASA Astrobiology Institute - Cycle 8" 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 2017-02-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-07-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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