NASA ROSES08 Air Quality Solicitation

1.1 Overview, Objectives

The Applied Sciences Program seeks proposals that develop and demonstrate innovative and practicable applications of NASA Earth science observations and research in eight application areas: The Applied Sciences Program focuses on extending Earth science research results to decision-making activities in eight applications areas: Agriculture, Air Quality, Disaster Management, Ecological Forecasting, Public Health, Water Resources, Weather, Climate. Proposals that focus on improving decision making1activities for these eight areas are encouraged, and those that focus on climate change and water resources are particularly encouraged. Applicants are also referred to Appendix A.19, Earth Science Application Feasibility, and Appendices A.2 through A.17, Earth Science Research and Analysis.

The overarching purpose of the Applied Sciences Program is to discover and demonstrate innovative applications of NASA Earth science research and technology and to maximize the benefits to society of the nation’s investments in the NASA Earth science research program.. To this end, the program develops and demonstrates practical applications. The phrase “decision making” is used here in a broad sense and encompasses resource management (e.g. land, water, ecosystems management), assessments, forecasting (e.g. natural disasters, agricultural yields, climate impacts), response and management of events and disasters (e.g. wildfires, infectious disease outbreaks), and policy making (e.g. impacts of climate mitigation approaches).

AirQuality

The Air Quality program facilitates the application of satellite products and models to air quality management and policy issues, particularly issues associated with the implementation of air quality standards, policy, and regulation for environmental, economic, and human welfare. The program is organized around five themes: Air Quality Planning, Compliance, Forecasting, Emissions Inventories, and Climate. For this solicitation, the Air Quality program requests proposals in the following areas:

a. Climate Change and Air Quality

The Program solicits proposals that address how Earth science products can be used to inform policymakers on domestic air quality impacts as a consequence of climate change policies and related adaptation and mitigation approaches. These projects should support policy designers, managers, and end-users in characterizing methods in which Earth science products might support the assessment of alternative climate policies and approaches as well as the assessment of associated benefits and impacts. Proposers might address direct impacts, such as how changes in temperature, humidity, and precipitation affect pollution concentrations. Proposers might also investigate indirect implications, such as how changing climates influence emissions. Proposers might consider the scaling A.18-3 of global climate model simulations to regional and national levels and the use of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios as baselines for prediction of domestic air quality impacts.

b. North American Emissions Inventories

The program solicits proposals on how Earth science products can improve the emission inventories of natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles (e.g., sulfate, organic species, black carbon, nitrates), and gas species (e.g., NO2, CO, CO2, SO2, HCHO, VOCs) in North America (United States, Canada and Mexico). The program particularly encourages proposals that address how Earth science products can be applied to enhance the National Emissions Inventory or CMAQ Emissions Modeling Framework; proposals might address methods to use Earth science products to improve their production, accuracy, timeliness, cost, etc. and/or the decision making activities associated with use of them. Support to these inventories might include the current state of emissions in the North America. In addition, support might also address future emissions scenarios in relation to climate change, such as emissions inventories relative to mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as how changing climates might impact air-quality relevant anthropogenic and biogenic emissions.

c. Air Quality Trend Analysis and Forecasting.

The Program solicits proposals to use Earth science products to improve air quality decision support systems. The program encourages proposals that contribute to air quality state and forecasting advisories for the public interest. The program also encourages proposals involving systems that retrospectively determine air quality compliance and trends to assess policy accountability (and the decision making activities based on these analyses). Examples of possible products might include (but not limited to) OMI NO2, aerosol products (MODIS, MISR, CALIPSO, OMI), CO (MOPITT, TES, AIRS), and products from GOES, foreign satellites (e.g., Metop-1, Envisat), upcoming planned NASA satellites, and model analyses.

In addition, proposal teams can address issues associated with long-range transport in each of these areas. The program encourages proposals involving multiple Regional Planning Organizations, major regional or national associations, private companies, and/or federal agencies. The program encourages proposals to use international satellite products (e.g., Metop, Envisat) in conduction with NASA and US Earth science products. Proposals should address how the proposed project will benefit the Air Quality community and public beyond the immediate life of A-train sensors.

2.1 Project Scope and Purpose

The Applied Sciences Program seeks results-oriented projects focused on the integration of Earth science research results into decision making activities related to one or more of the eight applications areas. This solicitation will accept proposals at various stages of maturity; however, it will not accept proposals to conduct substantially new research areas in Earth science; for this the reader is referred to the Earth Science R&A appendices (Appendices A.2 through A.17). Proposals may

enhance the performance of existing decision-making activities and processes

(whether complete or in development by the owning organization) through the integration of NASA Earth science products; or

develop new capabilities for decision making, provided that the need and activity

can be clearly defined, and that end users (i.e., organizations that will ultimately use and operate the decision-making activity) are strongly involved in the project and expressly committed to maintaining, supporting, and using the decisionmaking activity.

Proposals must demonstrate a strong interest and commitment by the end users of the decision-making activity to adopt the results from the proposed work. The program strongly encourages direct involvement of operational organizations as part of the proposal team (either as a co-investigator or as a collaborator).

Proposals that pursue innovative uses and integration of an array of Earth science results and develop and demonstrate improvements to decision-making activities are preferred. NASA Earth science research results can include Earth science measurements (particularly NASA spacecraft observations, both in orbit and planned), outputs and predictive capabilities from Earth science models (especially ones that use NASA spacecraft observations or are NASA-sponsored), algorithms, visualizations, new knowledge about the Earth system, and other techniques and geosciences products.

A-TRAIN Satellite Constellation

Proposals may blend commercial remote sensing and geospatial information with NASA Earth science measurements to integrate into and improve decision making.4 Proposed projects can be performed with partners at any level-- subregional (e.g. local, state) to international but must articulate potential national/regional benefits.

Specific Suggestions and Considerations. The Applied Sciences Program strongly encourages projects to use an array of Earth science research results, including multiple spacecraft observations, geophysical parameters, and Earth system models and predictive capabilities. The Program encourages project teams to consider and use products from recently-launched NASA missions as well as simulated products from upcoming, planned missions.

The Program encourages multi-organizational and multidisciplinary teams to consider having dual Institutional Principal Investigators – for example, one to lead technical aspects of the project and one to lead the decision-making and project management aspects of the project. The Program encourages early interaction with people knowledgeable of NASA science, model, and sensors (e.g., science teams and instrument scientists) to understand capabilities and limitations.

Funding

Total Amount of Funding (FY09-12) $20M total ($5M per annum)
Anticipated Number of Awards 20 – 23 projects
Expected Range of Award per project $230K - $310K per annum
Period of Performance up to 4 years
Expected Project Start Date circa February 1, 2009
Contributions from Partner Organizations Strongly encouraged.

Regulatory Air Quality Applications of NASA Earth Science Observations, Models and Infrmation Technologies: Realtime and Event Analysis Workspace