Four Important Announcements Regarding the SSERVI CAN

This article contains four important announcements regarding the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Cooperative Agreement Notice: we present new text, a FAQ, a Pre-proposal Briefing, and a request for volunteer reviewers.

Background: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) released a joint Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) on 10 January 2013, soliciting team proposals to become members of the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). NASA is seeking innovative, broadly based research programs addressing basic and applied scientific questions fundamental to understanding the nature of the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids, Phobos and Deimos, and the near space environments of these target bodies, to enable human exploration of these destinations. SSERVI will build upon the foundation and structure established by the NASA Lunar Science Institute, details of which can be found at http://lunarscience.nasa.gov.

1. Revised Text for the SSERVI CAN: a new version of the text has been posted on NSPIRES. It can be found at http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/SSERVI or by going to http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ choosing solicitations, then open solicitations, and then following the link from NNH13ZDA006C. A number of changes have been made including:

i) a reference to the Martian polar caps was deleted from Section 1.4;

ii) The role of the IT specialist in Section 1.5;

iii) The absence of NASA Civil Servant Salaries and associated indirect costs from budgets in Section 2.1;

iv) reference to institutional PI and NESXIS3 were deleted from A.2.3 and

v) other small changes were made to section 1.5. New text is in bold and deleted text is struck through.

2. A FAQ has been posted on the same NSPIRES web page where the CAN may be found at http://solicitation.nasaprs.com/SSERVI. This FAQ will be updated periodically.

3. A Pre-proposal Briefing will be held Thursday, 21 February 2013, 3:00-5:00 pm EST to provide interested parties with the opportunity to better understand the intent, scope, and selection criteria of the SSERVI CAN (Solicitation number NNH13ZDA006C). A short presentation on the Institute and the solicitation will be followed by a question/answer period. The briefing will be live-streamed with participation available to anyone having internet access.

You can attend this briefing in one of three ways:

i) Phone-in only, and ask your questions when called upon at the end of the session if time allows;

ii) Phone in and use Adobe Connect via your computer, so that you can see the charts; or

iii) Participate via Adobe Connect only and listen through your computer (no phone line needed). When using Adobe Connect you can raise your hand via the chat room and follow up verbally, via chat when called upon, or just ask your questions by typing into the chat room.

To log in to the Adobe Connect link, go to http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/sservi_can/ as a "Guest" using your full name. If you would like to ask your question by voice, please dial into the teleconference line at 1-866-692-4538 and use Passcode: 7496560#

Adobe Connect requires Adobe Flash. To test your systems ahead of the briefing https://connect.arc.nasa.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm runs a little test and provides troubleshooting. Ricky Guest ([email protected]) is also available to assist anyone who might have troubles accessing the Adobe Connect meeting room.

4. We are seeking volunteers who might serve as potential reviewers of submissions in response to the SSERVI CAN. Interested parties should go to the volunteer page at http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/ and answer the questions. By indicating areas of expertise volunteers will help us match potential reviewers to proposals.