NASA ROSES-2025 B.8 Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations
Research funding for pre-formulation studies that prepare high-impact heliophysics spaceflight science investigations for cost-effective implementation.
NASA ROSES-2025 B.8 Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations
Overview: what B.8 supports
NASA’s ROSES-2025 B.8 program element funds basic science and pre-formulation research to prepare high-impact heliophysics spaceflight investigations for cost-effective implementation. The work can help define science objectives, measurements, and mission architectures. A strong fit connects research results to decisions that would shape a future spaceflight investigation, rather than presenting science results with no clear pre-formulation use. The B.8 solicitation document describes the program’s scientific and pre-formulation purpose.
The call supports work related to two Decadal Survey investigations: Links and Solar Polar. Examples of work within scope include scientific research, hypothesis refinement, system characterization, and new data-analysis methods. The proposal should say which investigation it supports and explain how the work could inform its science objectives, measurements, or mission architecture. These are possible approaches identified by NASA, not a requirement to use all of them.
NSPIRES lists the opportunity as open. It was released October 8, 2026, and uses a two-step submission process. Step 1 is due November 20, 2026; Step 2 is due February 5, 2027, and is available only to invited applicants. Check the NSPIRES listing and the solicitation document for controlling instructions and any official updates.
At a glance
| Item | Published information |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Basic science and pre-formulation for heliophysics spaceflight investigations |
| Targeted investigations | Links and Solar Polar |
| Funding estimate | About $1 million per award per year |
| Expected awards | Roughly two to three, dependent on merit and available funds |
| Usual duration | Up to three years |
| Step 1 | November 20, 2026; anonymized three-page concept |
| Step 2 | February 5, 2027; invited applicants only |
| PI and team | One proposal as PI or Science PI; three months of PI effort annually; program manager required |
These estimates and requirements are from the B.8 solicitation document and NSPIRES. They describe expected program scale, not a guaranteed award amount, count, or outcome for an applicant.
What work is a good fit?
B.8 may suit a team whose heliophysics research can reduce scientific or mission-design uncertainty for Links or Solar Polar. For example, a project might refine a hypothesis, characterize a system, or develop an analysis method that helps determine what a future investigation should measure. The key connection is practical: explain how the proposed work could shape a high-impact spaceflight science project for cost-effective implementation. The solicitation names these approaches but does not say that every proposal must include each one.
Use the concept to make the path from research to investigation clear: identify the science question, describe the work, and explain what decision or understanding the result could support. This is a way to communicate alignment with the stated purpose, not a separate NASA form or scoring criterion established in the supplied brief. The exact selection criteria should be confirmed in the full solicitation materials.
Who should apply and eligibility
An individual may serve as PI or Science PI on only one proposal to B.8. The PI is expected to commit at least three months per year, and each team must include a program manager. These are program-specific provisions. Before drafting, confirm that the proposed PI is not already listed on another B.8 proposal, plan for the required PI effort, and identify a program manager. The B.8 document contains the applicable role language.
The one-proposal rule has a stated exception for certain institutional-PI arrangements. The brief does not specify the full conditions of that exception. Anyone relying on it should review the precise solicitation language and confirm its application to the proposed roles; a title change alone should not be assumed to create an exception.
Investigators or organizations receiving interagency funds need prior program-official approval before submitting Step 1. If that applies, seek approval before the concept deadline and document the result. The supplied brief does not give a contact name or address; use the official solicitation materials to identify the appropriate route.
Organization-level eligibility follows the common ROSES-2025 solicitation and NASA grant rules. The B.8 page does not restate all of those rules, so it cannot establish which organization types qualify on its own. Applicants should check the common solicitation and applicable NASA grant requirements, and consult their organization’s grant office if a provision is unclear.
Funding and project structure
NASA expects about $1 million per award per year and roughly two to three awards. The usual award duration is limited to three years. The final number of awards depends on proposal merit and available funds, so the estimates are not guaranteed funding levels or award outcomes. Develop the requested work and budget using the full solicitation instructions and the project’s needs.
Applicants must include an annual Science Showcase travel budget for up to two team members, capped at $5,000 per year. Awardees are expected to attend the event annually. Account for this budget line when planning the project. The cap is the stated annual travel provision; it should not be treated as a general award limit. See the B.8 solicitation document for the program’s funding expectations and further budget instructions.
How to Apply
B.8 begins with an anonymized, three-page Step 1 concept submitted electronically by an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). No budget is required at Step 1. Step 2 is restricted to applicants invited after Step 1. Both steps are subject to dual-anonymous review, and proposal materials must follow NASA’s anonymization guidance. NASA sends Step 1 outcomes through NSPIRES. See the B.8 solicitation document and NSPIRES page for the official workflow.
- Confirm fit and roles. Connect the project to Links or Solar Polar and B.8’s research and pre-formulation purpose. Confirm the PI’s one-proposal limit, plan for three months of annual PI effort, and include a program manager. Obtain advance approval if interagency funding applies.
- Prepare Step 1. Write the anonymized three-page concept and follow the solicitation’s formatting and anonymity guidance. Do not include a budget at this stage.
- Submit by the first deadline. The AOR submits Step 1 electronically through the organizational process by November 20, 2026. NASA communicates Step 1 outcomes through NSPIRES.
- Prepare Step 2 if invited. The full submission is due February 5, 2027. It includes an anonymized proposal and data-management plan, a separate non-anonymized Expertise and Resources document, and a separately uploaded total budget. Biosketches and current-and-pending-support forms must use SciENcv formats.
- Check materials and budget. Preserve dual-anonymous review in the proposal materials, while keeping the Expertise and Resources document non-anonymized as instructed. Include annual Science Showcase travel for up to two people, within the $5,000 yearly cap.
The brief does not provide all Step 2 page limits, file-format details, or the anonymity status of every attachment. Confirm templates, upload categories, and attachment-specific rules in the official B.8 document and NASA anonymization guidance. Coordinate early with the AOR and institutional staff; that timing is practical advice, not a published internal deadline.
Timeline and deadlines
NSPIRES lists an October 8, 2026 release date, November 20, 2026 Step 1 deadline, and February 5, 2027 Step 2 deadline. Step 2 applies only to invitees. NASA will notify proposers of Step 1 outcomes through NSPIRES. The solicitation anticipates project starts about six months after the Step 2 deadline. The start timing is approximate, not a confirmed date for a particular award. Verify updates on the official NSPIRES listing and consult the B.8 document. The brief does not establish a late-submission process or extension policy.
Preparation and common mistakes
Published requirements: Step 1 must be anonymized, three pages, budget-free, electronically submitted by an AOR, and received by November 20, 2026. Step 2 is due February 5, 2027, only for invitees, and has its own anonymized proposal and data-management plan, separate Expertise and Resources document, separate budget, and SciENcv personnel forms. Both steps have dual-anonymous review. The PI limit, annual effort expectation, program-manager inclusion, interagency approval condition, and Science Showcase travel budget also apply. Use NASA’s full instructions for exact formats.
Optional preparation advice: Draft a short logic chain from science question to analysis or characterization to a possible measurement or mission-design decision. It helps reviewers understand the project’s pre-formulation value, but is not a separate required form. Ask someone outside the team to check the concept for clarity and identifying clues; this is a practical anonymity review, not an additional program requirement.
Common pitfalls include adding a budget to Step 1, assuming every Step 1 applicant may submit Step 2, overlooking the PI cap or program-manager requirement, and omitting the annual Science Showcase budget. At Step 2, do not assume an attachment’s anonymity status from its filename. Check the rules for each document, especially the distinction between anonymized proposal materials and the non-anonymized Expertise and Resources document. Also treat the expected project start as approximate rather than a commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Can the same PI lead multiple B.8 proposals?
An individual may be PI or Science PI on only one proposal, with a stated exception for certain institutional-PI arrangements. Because the brief does not give the exception’s full conditions, check the exact solicitation language and ask the appropriate program official if the role arrangement is uncertain.
Does Step 1 require a budget, and does it guarantee Step 2 access?
Step 1 has no budget requirement. It is an anonymized, three-page concept submitted by an AOR. It does not guarantee a Step 2 submission: only invited applicants may proceed. NSPIRES is the stated channel for Step 1 outcome notices.
How much funding is available?
The program expects approximately $1 million per award per year, around two to three awards, and a usual maximum duration of three years. Award count depends on merit and available funds. These estimates do not guarantee a specific applicant’s amount or outcome.
Which organizations are eligible?
The supplied B.8 summary does not list every organization-level rule. Those requirements follow the common ROSES-2025 solicitation and NASA grant rules. Check those governing documents and consult the organization’s grant office rather than assuming the program summary is exhaustive.
Where can applicants verify current instructions?
Use the NSPIRES B.8 listing for status and dates, and the linked B.8 solicitation document for scope and submission details. The supplied facts do not identify a specific contact, extension policy, or complete organization-level rules; verify those items in official NASA and ROSES materials.
Official sources
- NASA NSPIRES: ROSES-2025 B.8 listing — status, release date, and deadlines.
- NASA: B.8 solicitation document — scope, roles, award expectations, materials, and program requirements.
Organization-level eligibility follows the common ROSES-2025 solicitation and NASA grant rules; B.8 does not repeat every provision. Applicants should verify those rules and any unspecified submission details in the governing official materials before filing.