ROSES25: D.8 Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science Investigation
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 27, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions supporting NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory Precursor Science Investigation.
U.S. institutions and their researchers can apply, including universities, research centers, and nonprofit organizations. Some foreign institutions may participate under specific no-exchange-of-funds policies. Consult NASA's Grant and Cooperative Agreement Manual (GCAM) for details.
This program funds science investigations that directly support NASA's future Habitable Worlds Observatory mission. Research must align with precursor science objectives and mission planning goals.
Proposers must register their institution at nspires.nasaprs.com and comply with NASA research security training requirements.
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 September 10, 2026. See the full posting on NSPIRES for details.
NOTICE: Amended July 27, 2026. This amendment presents a new program element in ROSES-2025. Mandatory NOIs (see Section 3.1) are due by September 10, 2026, and proposals are due by October 26, 2026. The 7-page limit to the S/T/M Section and required content of proposals to this program element differ in several ways from the defaults set in the ROSES-2025 Summary of Solicitation (see Section 3).
NOTICE: Research security training required starting August 5, 2026. All PIs and any Co-Is that would spend ≥ 10% time on a proposed grants or cooperative agreements must certify they have taken research security training. NASA will be satisfied with the four online research security training modules on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Security Training website at https://www.nsf.gov/research-security/training or the SECURE Center condensed version of the four modules at https://www.secure-center.org/ctm
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
- Notice of Intent (mandatory, due September 10, 2026)
- Research security training certification
- Science/Technical/Management narrative (7-page limit)
- Budget and budget justification
- Institutional registration at nspires.nasaprs.com
- Co-Investigator information and commitments
- Project timeline and milestones
Program contact
- 👤 Caleb Schuler Grantor
- 📧 Megan.C.Ansdell@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
-
$96,343,237
-
$87,578,015
-
$63,074,615
-
$57,436,086
-
$55,593,686
Top States by Funding
- MD 17 awards $686.8M
- CA 16 awards $341.2M
- TX 6 awards $213.9M
- AL 4 awards $194.5M
- DC 5 awards $178.6M
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 for this grant?
U.S. research institutions, universities, and nonprofits can apply. Some foreign institutions may participate under no-exchange-of-funds arrangements. Check GCAM for specific details.
What is the deadline?
Notices of Intent are mandatory and due September 10, 2026. Full proposals are due October 26, 2026.
What types of research are supported?
This program funds precursor science investigations that directly support NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory mission planning and objectives.
Is this competitive?
Yes, this is a competitive grants program. Proposals are evaluated on scientific merit, feasibility, and alignment with mission priorities.
What is the funding range?
Specific funding amounts are not stated in the announcement. Contact NASA for typical award sizes in this program element.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Complete research security training before submitting your proposal. All PIs and Co-Is spending ≥10% time must certify completion using NSF or SECURE Center modules.
- Submit a Notice of Intent by September 10, 2026. This mandatory step is required before your full proposal can be considered.
- Review the full PDF of this program element on NSPIRES. The 7-page limit for science/technical/management sections differs from ROSES defaults.
- Register your institution at nspires.nasaprs.com early. This registration is required for proposal submission.
- Emphasize how your research directly supports the Habitable Worlds Observatory mission. Clear alignment with mission priorities strengthens competitiveness.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to submit mandatory Notice of Intent by September 10 deadline. Proposers not completing required research security training before submitting. Exceeding the 7-page limit for science/technical/management sections (differs from standard ROSES guidance).
Similar grants
- OPEN ROSES25: C.4 Planetary Science Enabling Facilities — NASA Headquarters
- OPEN ROSES25: A.14 Atmosphere — 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: D.6 Astrophysics Research and Analysis — NASA Headquarters