The Heliophysics Division competitively solicits and funds technology and mission concept study proposals. The following lists funding sources available for heliophysics technology development, laboratory studies, and science mission concept studies.

NASA Funding Sources

With the exception of SBIR, these solicitations are officially released through NASA’s Research Opportunities for Space and Earth Science (ROSES) NASA Research Announcement (NRA) and can be found on NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). Proposers should refer to the NASA Guidebook for Proposers for more help.

Potential sources of funding are also listed on the NASA TechPort website.

Due dates for ROSES-2024 solicitations.

Heliophysics Technology Program Solicitations

Solicitations are generally released annually, typically on February 14th:

• Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (HTIDS)
  • Funds the development of new instruments and technologies and their application to enable investigation of key heliophysics science questions. Also funds relevant laboratory studies that probe fundamental nuclear, atomic, and plasma physical processes and produce chemical and spectroscopic measurements that support spacecraft observations and atmospheric models.
  • Duration: Up to 3 years
  • ROSES-2024 solicitation
    
• Heliophysics Flight Opportunities Studies (HFOS)
  • Solicits and competitively funds  pre-phase A studies of space flight mission concepts with emphasis on those relevant to Heliophysics Flight Opportunities for Research and Technology (HFORT) program element.
  • Duration: Up to 1 year
  • ROSES-2024 solicitation

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

The NASA SBIR program is part of America’s Seed Fund, the nation’s largest source of early-stage non-dilutive funding for innovative technologies. Through this program, entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses with less than 500 employees can receive funding and non-monetary support to build, mature, and commercialize their technologies, advancing NASA missions and helping solve important problems facing our country.

• Duration: Phase I – 6 months, Phase II – 24 months
• Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) page

Other Solicitations

• Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science Technology (FINESST)
  • Funds future investigators to performed research and technology projects that contribute to SMD’s science, technology, and exploration goals.
  • Duration: Up to 3 years
  • ROSES-2024 solicitation

Flight Opportunities Solicitations

These solicitations provide opportunities to develop, mature, and apply new technologies to NASA Heliophysics Science goals. Solicitations generally released annually, typically on February 14th:

• Heliophysics Low Cost Access to Space (LCAS)
  • Solicits and competitively funds sub-orbital flight missions (i.e. suborbital rockets, stratospheric balloons, or airborne platforms) that seek to investigate key heliophysics science questions and to advance the development of technologies and their application to enable new heliophysics science.
  • Typical Duration: 3 years
  • ROSES-2024 solicitation
• Heliophysics Flight Opportunities in Research and Technology (H-FORT)
  • Solicits and competitively funds space and sub-orbital science and science-enabling investigations that use platforms that include SmallSats (including CubeSats) and Hosted Rideshare Payloads, such as International Space Station (ISS)-attached payloads. The program encourages the development of technologies that will enable future investigation of heliophysics science questions and proposed investigations must be responsive to NASA Heliophysics Science Goals.
  • Maximum Duration: 5 years
  • ROSES-2024 solicitation
• Explorers Program
  • The mission of this program is to provide frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific investigations from space utilizing innovative, streamlined and efficient management approaches within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas.
  • Explorers Program page

Non-NASA Funding Sources

The following lists non-NASA funding vehicles which may be relevant to heliophysics technology research.

• NOAA Joint Venture Partnerships, this funding vehicle can be used to augment existing funded efforts providing a way for NOAA to partner with other agencies such as NASA if there is a common interest.