Astronomical Sciences Innovations (Astro-Innovations)

The Astronomical Sciences Innovations program (Astro-Innovations) supports a small number of larger astronomical activities. This program is formally divided into four subcategories: 1) limited-term, self-contained science projects; 2) longer-term mid-scale facilities; 3) development investments for future mid-scale and large-scale projects; and 4) community open access capabilities. Astro-Innovations will emphasize both strong scientific merit and a well-developed plan for student training and involvement of a comprehensive workforce in instrumentation, facility development, or data management. Suitable proposal topics include all areas of research supported by MPS Astronomical Sciences. Proposals focused on studying the Sun’s effects on Earth’s atmosphere and near-Earth space environment, including impacts on telecommunications and other human activity, may be more suitable for the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Program (AGS). 

Prospective Principal Investigators (PIs) are strongly encouraged to contact the cognizant Program Officer(s) for this program prior to developing a proposal, in order to determine suitability for the program and to determine whether current fiscal year budgets will allow for the program. 

Important Considerations: We encourage submissions from NSF Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) as well as collaborative groups. We expect a single organization to accept overall management responsibility. Collaborative proposals are allowed via sub-awards or separately submitted linked proposals.   

The Astro-Innovations program is anticipated to be especially competitive in Fiscal Year 2027. For this reason, please note that multiple submissions from any given lead institution are strongly discouraged. 

Program Design: The Astro-Innovations program is intended to complement the NSF-wide Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and bridge the gap to the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure (Mid-scale RI) program. The Astro-Innovations program provides additional opportunities beyond the NSF-wide programs and emphasizes the categories of support that others do not address. Astro-Innovations differs from other programs in allowing science use and operations and is not limited to infrastructure development. Astro-Innovations will support proposals in the following four categories:  

1. Science Projects: Self-contained, limited-term projects with well-defined construction and science utilization phases.  

2. Facilities: Construction or operation of stand-alone, long-term, mid-scale facilities.  

3. Development Investments: Design and development for future mid-scale and large-scale facilities.  

4. Open Access Capabilities: 

• New instruments for existing telescopes, both national and private, in return for U.S. community access.  

• Provision of observing time for U.S. community access on existing telescopes (e.g., providing open access nights in return for partial support of operational costs of a facility).  

• Data archiving, management, and analysis projects that permit or increase public access to data resources.  

All proposers to the Astro-Innovations program are urged to indicate which of the four categories best fits their projects. The budgets for each of the four categories will be flexible, and distribution across categories will depend on proposal pressure and programmatic considerations. Astro-Innovations awards may not be issued in all or any category in a given year pending availability of funds. Some projects may undergo a cost, schedule, and management review, generally involving a reverse site visit with specialist reviewers, before funds are awarded.   

Program elements: This program encourages investigators to solve the most pressing problems, such as those called out in the decadal surveys, using new technologies, techniques, and concepts. Strong proposals will show the project's value and benefit to the U.S. community. Examples of benefit include, but are not limited to, open-access observing time on the facility, access to data products and software, and cooperation and sharing of technology with other projects.  As such, strong proposals in categories 1-3 will focus on innovative, potentially transformative, research programs that include a strong component of student training in instrumentation and facility development. For strong proposals in category 4, the science justification will demonstrate the demand for the proposed capability relative to what is currently available to the general U.S. astronomical community. Strong category 4 proposals typically include a plan to adequately support outside users in obtaining and using data from the facility. 

Project Execution Plan (PEP): Strong proposals will also emphasize good project management, particularly for more costly or complex programs. As noted in the MPS Astro funding opportunity, proposals in categories 2 and 3 must include a detailed PEP outline as a supplementary document, consistent with the project’s scope and complexity. Some projects in categories 1 and 4, such as open access to telescopes, may benefit from an optional, minimal PEP outline, whereas construction projects will benefit from a clear description of the project management methods and resources to be applied. Some projects may be asked to submit a fully developed PEP prior to award at the Program Officer’s request. Guidelines for writing a PEP (including project and design execution plans) are provided in NSF’s Research Infrastructure Guide (RIG).  

Applicants are strongly encouraged to account for all foreseeable costs in the project budget, including adequate plans for risk mitigation, the cost needed for budget management and project control, and any plans for budget contingency. If the budget requires contingency, it should be risk-based and tied to a risk register covering identified cost or schedule risks. For details, consult the RIG, and then contact the Program Officer. The above elements should also be included in the PEP outline.  

Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources: PIs are encouraged to include an aggregated, narrative description of the internal and external resources that the organization and its collaborators will provide, should the project be funded, in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources section of the proposal. The description should not include any quantifiable financial information.  

Other supporting materials: The following supporting materials, included as supplementary documents, are strongly encouraged: 

• a list of the major team members, their affiliations, and their role in the project;  

• a list of partner organizations and their role in the project;  

• letters of collaboration from unfunded collaborators; and  

• environmental impact studies and decommissioning plans, if relevant. 

The Astro-Innovations program will select proposals according to the standard merit review defined in the MPS Astro funding opportunity. Competitive proposals typically give special attention to scientific merit, student training, relevance to community-established strategic goals and roadmaps, project management, and planning for both operations and data archive funding.