ROSES25: B.2 Heliophysics Foundational Research
Can you apply?
This grant is for early-career and established researchers to conduct foundational heliophysics research. Proposers must be affiliated with U.S. institutions recognized by NASA. Non-U.S. organizations may apply under no-exchange-of-funds arrangements. Each PI may lead only one proposal to this program element. Research must advance understanding of sun-Earth interactions and space weather phenomena.
Program description
The close date above is the date ROSES25 closes. The Step-2 due date will be announced at least 60 days before the Step-2 proposal due date. The Step-1 proposal due date is May 1, 2026. Step-2 proposals cannot be submitted if a Step-1 proposal was not submitted.
NOTICE: Amended February 11, 2026. This amendment makes two corrections to this program element: The length of the Step-1 Proposal in Section 3.3.1 has been corrected from two pages to three, and the expected budget numbers given in the summary table are per award, per year, not the budget for all of the new awards in the SST.
NOTICE: Amended February 3, 2026. This amendment releases the final text for this program element, which was previously TBD. Step-1 proposals are due May 1, 2026. The Step-2 due date will be announced at least 60 days before the Step-2 proposal due date, see Section 3.1.
An individual may be Principal Investigator (PI) of one and only one proposal to this program element. There is an exception for multiple submissions per PI only when institutions require oversight for efforts that involve Science PIs.
The rules regarding interagency awards described in Section 1.1.1 of B.1 Heliophysics Research Program Overview and Section 7 apply to this program element.
Proposals submitted to this program will be evaluated using a dual-anonymous review process. Proposals must be prepared according to the guidelines in Section 2.4.2 and in the associated “Guidelines for Proposers to ROSES DAPR Programs” document under “Other Documents” on the NSPIRES page for this program element.
All proposers are strongly encouraged to use the standard SMD template for the Open Science Data Management Plan see https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/faqs/OSDMP
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
- Step-1 Proposal (3 pages maximum)
- Project Narrative with scientific objectives and methodology
- Open Science Data Management Plan
- Budget narrative (if applicable for Step-1)
- Institutional affiliation verification
- Step-2 Proposal (invited submissions only)
Program contact
- 👤 Caleb Schuler Grantor
- 📧 hq-hpd-hfr@mail.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
-
$105,511,960
-
$104,153,585
-
$93,418,756
-
$87,602,041
-
$60,957,520
-
$57,012,909
-
$55,593,686
Top States by Funding
- MD 16 awards $673.7M
- CA 14 awards $323.2M
- TX 6 awards $213.6M
- AL 4 awards $191.4M
- DC 5 awards $175.0M
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 be a Principal Investigator?
U.S. researchers affiliated with NASA-recognized institutions. Each PI may lead only one proposal to this program element. Non-U.S. researchers at approved organizations may apply under special arrangements.
What is the two-step submission process?
Step-1 proposals (3 pages) are due May 1, 2026. Step-2 proposals are announced at least 60 days before their deadline. Only teams selected from Step-1 may submit Step-2.
What special requirements apply to proposals?
Proposals use dual-anonymous review, so remove identifying information. An Open Science Data Management Plan is strongly encouraged. Follow all NASA formatting guidelines for ROSES programs.
When is the overall deadline?
The ROSES25 solicitation closes August 31, 2026. Step-2 deadlines will be announced separately. Do not miss the May 1 Step-1 deadline.
What types of heliophysics research are supported?
Foundational research on solar physics, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and space weather. Research must advance scientific knowledge and support NASA's heliophysics mission goals.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Submit a three-page Step-1 proposal focused on innovation and scientific merit. Make your research question and approach crystal clear.
- Follow dual-anonymous review guidelines strictly. Remove author names, institutions, and identifying citations from the proposal narrative.
- Include a strong Open Science Data Management Plan explaining how you will make data publicly accessible. NASA increasingly values open science practices.
- Check NSPIRES affiliation status before writing. Ensure your institution is registered and eligible with NASA.
- Prepare a detailed budget narrative even for Step-1. Show how funding supports the proposed heliophysics research directly.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting a Step-2 proposal without a successful Step-1. Violating dual-anonymous review by including identifying information. Underestimating data management requirements for modern heliophysics research.
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