2025: A.18 Geosphere
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 20, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for universities, research institutions, and organizations with NASA-affiliated status to conduct geosphere research. U.S. institutions are the primary eligible applicants, though non-U.S. organizations may participate under specific policy frameworks. Proposers must be affiliated with an institution recognized in the NSPIRES system and register through NASA's formal application portal.
Individual researchers, for-profit entities, and unaffiliated organizations are generally not eligible. Research must align with NASA's Earth Science Division priorities and geosphere focus areas. International collaboration is possible but requires adherence to NASA's no-exchange-of-funds policies.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
PLEASE NOTE: this program has MANDATORY Notices of Intent, which are due via NSPIRES by 11/16/2026. See the full posting on NSPIRES for details.
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
- Notices of Intent (mandatory, due 11/16/2026)
- NASA Cover Page (form 1842)
- Proposal Narrative/Scientific Justification
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketches (key personnel)
- Current and Pending Support documentation
- Institutional Endorsement/Commitment
- Facilities and Equipment descriptions
- References and supporting materials (as specified in program element PDF)
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
-
$97,031,502
-
$87,578,015
-
$74,314,104
-
$59,639,440
-
$55,593,686
Top States by Funding
- MD 17 awards $691.5M
- CA 17 awards $367.5M
- TX 6 awards $213.9M
- AL 4 awards $201.8M
- DC 5 awards $182.6M
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 grant?
U.S. research institutions, universities, and NASA-affiliated organizations are eligible. Non-U.S. organizations may participate under specific NASA policies. Individual researchers must be affiliated with an eligible institution.
When is the deadline?
The full proposal deadline is January 15, 2027. Notices of Intent are mandatory and due November 16, 2026 via NSPIRES.
What types of research does this fund?
This program supports basic and applied research in geosphere science. Research must fall within NASA's Earth Science Division priorities and specific geosphere focus areas outlined in the solicitation.
How competitive is this program?
ROSES is highly competitive. NASA receives thousands of proposals across all program elements. Strong preliminary data, clear innovation, and alignment with NASA priorities significantly improve competitiveness.
What funding range should I expect?
Award amounts vary by program element and project scope. Consult the specific geosphere element PDF in ROSES 2025 tables for typical award ranges and budget guidance.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Download the specific Geosphere program element PDF from ROSES 2025 tables immediately. The generic summary does not contain critical details for your proposal.
- Submit your Notices of Intent by November 16, 2026. Missing this mandatory deadline will disqualify your full proposal, regardless of quality.
- Register your institution in NSPIRES well before the deadline. Account setup delays can cause submission failures.
- Align your project directly with NASA Earth Science Division strategic priorities. Review the division overview document (A.1) alongside the geosphere element details.
- Budget realistically and justify all costs carefully. NASA has specific cost policies outlined in the GCAM. Missing justifications are a common rejection reason.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting full proposals without filing mandatory Notices of Intent by November 16, 2026 results in automatic disqualification. Many applicants miss this requirement entirely.
Relying on the generic ROSES summary instead of reading the specific program element PDF causes proposals to miss critical requirements, page limits, and technical criteria unique to geosphere research.
Failing to establish institutional NSPIRES affiliation and registration early creates last-minute technical barriers. This delays submission and sometimes prevents proposal upload.
Similar grants
- OPEN ROSES 2025: A.17 Hydrosphere — NASA Headquarters
- OPEN ROSES25: A.15 Biosphere — NASA Headquarters
- OPEN ROSES 2025: A.4 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science — NASA Headquarters
- OPEN ROSES25: A.14 Atmosphere — NASA Headquarters
- OPEN ROSES 2025: C.2 Solar System Science — NASA Headquarters