2025: A.16 Cryosphere
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 4, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers at U.S. institutions studying cryosphere science (ice, snow, glaciers, and frozen ground). Universities, research centers, and other eligible institutions can apply. NASA typically funds U.S.-based organizations, though some international collaboration is allowed under no-exchange-of-funds agreements. Proposers must be affiliated with a registered institution and submit a mandatory Notice of Intent before the full proposal.
Projects must align with NASA Earth Science Division priorities in cryosphere research. Both cooperative agreements and grants are available funding instruments.
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Program description
PLEASE NOTE: this program has MANDATORY Notices of Intent, which are due via NSPIRES by October 16, 2026. See the full posting on NSPIRES for details.
NOTICE: Amended September 1, 2026. This amendment adds this new program element to ROSES-2025. Mandatory Notices of Intent (see Section 4) are due by October 16, 2026, and proposals are due December 4, 2026. Any proposal not preceded by an on-time Notice of Intent (NOI) will be returned without review. The length of the S/T/M section is limited to 12 pages.
A briefing for proposers to this program element will occur approximately 6 weeks before the proposal due date. Teleconference information will be posted under “other documents” on the NSPIRES page for this program element.
Proposers are strongly encouraged to use the optional Earth Science Division template for the required summary table of work effort, see https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/templates-for-earth-science-division-appendix-a-roses-proposals.
Proposals submitted to this program will be evaluated using dual anonymous peer review, see Section 5.2.
This synopsis is a generic summary that is posted for each of the many individual “program elements” in NASA’s Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) – 2025 solicitation. For specific information on this particular program element download and read the PDF of the text of this program element by going to Tables 2 or 3 of ROSES at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2025table2
and https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2025table3, respectively, click the title of the program element of interest, a hypertext link will take you to a page for that particular program element. On that page, on the right side under “Announcement Documents” the link on the bottom will be to the PDF of the text of the call for proposals. For example, if one were interested in the Solar System Science program (NNH25ZDA001N-SCUBED) one would follow the link to the NSPIRES page for that program element and then to read the text of the call one would click on “C.2 Solar System Science (.pdf)” to download the text of the call. If one wanted to set it into the context of the goals, objectives and know the default rules for all elements within Appendix C, the planetary science division, one might download and read “C.1 Planetary Science Research Program Overview (.pdf)” from that same page. While the letters and numbers are different for each element within ROSES (A.10, B.3, etc.) the basic configuration is always the same, e.g., the letter indicates the Science Division (A is Earth Science, B is Heliophysics etc.) and whatever the letter, #1 is always the division overview. In 2025, most program elements will be set up for application via Grants.gov only if requested at least 30 days in advance of the due date. For more on Grants.gov submissions see Section IV(b)v of the ROSES Summary of Solicitation, that may be found at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2025.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) released its annual omnibus Research Announcement (NRA), Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) – 2025 (OMB Approval Number 2700-0092, CFDA Number 43.001) on February 21, 2025. In this case “omnibus” means that this NRA has many individual program elements, each with its own due dates and topics. All together these cover the wide range of basic and applied supporting research and technology supported by SMD. Awards will be made as grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts depending on the nature of the work proposed. However, most extramural research awards deriving from ROSES will be grants, and many program elements of ROSES specifically exclude contracts, because contracts would not be appropriate for the nature of the work solicited. Funded Co-Is at government labs will receive inter- or intra-agency transfers. The typical period of performance for an award is three years, but some programs may allow up to five years and others specify shorter periods. In most cases, organizations of every type, Government and private, for profit and not-for-profit, domestic and foreign (with some caveats), may submit proposals without restriction on teaming arrangements. Tables listing the program elements and due dates (Tables 2 and 3), a table that provides a very top level summary of proposal contents (Table 1), and the full text of the ROSES-2025 “Summary of Solicitation”, may all be found NSPIRES at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2025.
Frequently asked questions for ROSES are posted at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/faqs. Questions concerning specific program elements should be directed to the point(s) of contact for that particular element, who may be found either at the end of the individual program element in the summary table of key information or on the web list of topics and points of contact at: http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/program-officers-list. General questions concerning ROSES-2025 may be directed to the office of the SMD Deputy Associate Administrator for Research at sara@nasa.gov.
Not all program elements are known at the time of the release of ROSES. To be informed of new program elements or amendments to this NRA, proposers may subscribe to: (1) The SMD mailing lists (by logging in at http://nspires.nasaprs.com and checking the appropriate boxes under “Account Management” and “Email Subscriptions”), (2) The ROSES-2025 blog feed for amendments, clarifications, and corrections to at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/solicitations/roses-2025/, and (3) The ROSES-2025 due date Google calendars (one for each science division). Instructions are at https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/library-and-useful-links (link from the words due date calendar).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Mandatory Notice of Intent (due October 16, 2026)
- Scientific/Technical/Management proposal section (max 12 pages)
- Budget and budget justification
- Work effort summary table (use NASA template)
- Biographical sketches for key personnel
- Current and pending support documentation
- Institutional commitment letters (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 Caleb Schuler Grantor
- 📧 thorsten.markus@nasa.gov
- 📞 2406169381
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 43.001 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$243,555,196
-
$139,591,380
-
$137,783,105
-
$104,843,521
-
$104,153,585
-
$96,343,237
-
$87,578,015
-
$66,739,548
-
$58,442,149
-
$55,593,686
Top States by Funding
- MD 17 awards $690.3M
- CA 16 awards $353.5M
- TX 6 awards $213.9M
- AL 4 awards $197.0M
- DC 5 awards $180.1M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 43.001). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $921,764,932 | |
| 2025 | $1,189,411,503 | |
| 2026 est. | $907,114,426 |
FAQ
Who can apply to this NASA cryosphere grant?
U.S. institutions and universities can apply. Researchers must be affiliated with a registered organization on NSPIRES. Some international collaboration is permitted under specific policy agreements.
Is a Notice of Intent required?
Yes. Notices of Intent are mandatory and due October 16, 2026. Proposals without an on-time NOI will be rejected without review.
What research activities are supported?
This program funds research on cryosphere science, including glaciers, sea ice, snow, and frozen ground systems. Projects should address Earth Science Division priorities.
When is the proposal deadline?
Full proposals are due December 4, 2026. The mandatory NOI deadline is October 16, 2026, approximately 6 weeks earlier.
What makes an application competitive?
Strong scientific merit, clear connection to cryosphere priorities, and realistic budgets help. Proposals undergo dual anonymous peer review, so quality of science and methods matter most.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Submit your Notice of Intent on time (October 16, 2026). Late or missing NOIs result in automatic rejection.
- Limit the Science/Technology/Management section to 12 pages maximum as specified.
- Use the optional NASA Earth Science Division template for the work effort summary table to align with reviewer expectations.
- Attend the proposer briefing approximately 6 weeks before the deadline for guidance on priorities and evaluation criteria.
- Ensure your institution is registered on NSPIRES before starting your proposal to avoid last-minute registration delays.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Missing or late Notice of Intent—proposals without on-time NOI are rejected without review. Exceeding the 12-page limit for the Science/Technology/Management section causes automatic proposal rejection. Unclear connection to NASA cryosphere science priorities or weak scientific justification reduces competitiveness.
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