Roses 2025: A.10 Innovate

The INNOVATE program is administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration within its Earth Science Division as part of the broader Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences initiative. The program is designed to accelerate the practical use of satellite-based Earth observations in support of economic development, national security, and societal applications. It specifically targets high-risk, high-reward concepts that may not yet be competitive for traditional funding but have strong potential to deliver impactful, near-term solutions. NASA emphasizes advancing applications aligned with its Earth Science to Action Strategy, particularly those that translate scientific data into actionable decision-making tools. The primary objective of the program is to bridge the gap between early-stage concept development and operational deployment, often referred to as the proof-of-concept valley. Projects are expected to integrate NASA Earth observation data, models, and related datasets into systems that support real-world decision-making by identified end-user organizations. These end users must be directly involved throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring that proposed tools or products are relevant, practical, and capable of sustained use beyond the funding period. Projects may include applications such as early warning systems, predictive analytics, or environmental monitoring tools, with a strong emphasis on scalability and transferability. Funding is structured across a three-year performance period with phased support. Year one focuses on concept formulation, feasibility assessment, and prototyping, with funding up to two hundred thousand dollars. Year two supports development, testing, and validation with funding up to five hundred thousand dollars. Year three provides up to three hundred thousand dollars to transition the developed solution into operational use by the end-user organization. Continued funding beyond each year is contingent upon successful progress reviews conducted by NASA, making this a milestone-driven funding model. There is no fixed total program budget, and awards are subject to the availability of funds. Eligibility for the program is broad and includes domestic and international organizations of all types, including private companies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and government entities. However, companies currently under contract with NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program are not eligible. Non-governmental organizations, particularly those new to NASA, are strongly encouraged to lead or participate in proposals, often in partnership with NASA centers or academic institutions. International participants may collaborate on a no-exchange-of-funds basis. There is no limit on the number of proposals an organization may submit. The application process is structured to enable rapid evaluation and decision-making. Proposals may be submitted at any time during the open period, but submissions received after early July are deferred for consideration until the next fiscal cycle. Applicants are required to contact the program officer prior to submission to confirm alignment with program goals and eligibility. The submission package consists of three components: an anonymized proposal including a five-page technical section, a slide deck of up to ten pages summarizing the concept, and a non-anonymized document detailing expertise and resources. Proposals are evaluated using a dual-anonymous peer review process to reduce bias. Evaluation criteria focus on intrinsic merit, relevance to NASA priorities, and cost reasonableness. Projects must demonstrate strong potential for impact, clear integration of Earth observation data, and a viable path to operational use. Additional requirements include open data usage, justification for any proprietary data, and a clear plan for sustaining the solution beyond the grant period through non-NASA support. Awardees are expected to deliver incremental progress, participate in regular reporting, and engage with NASA experts and stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

Ensure strong alignment with NASA Earth Science to Action Strategy and clearly demonstrate end user involvement and operational impact