2020 HERO Appendix E: Human Health and Performance Topics | 80JSC020N0001 HHP

Opportunity Information: Apply for 80JSC020N0001 HHP

NASA Johnson Space Center, through NASA's Human Research Program (HRP), issued a solicited research call under the Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO) umbrella announcement. This specific call is titled "2020 HERO Appendix E: Human Health and Performance Topics" and is released as NRA 80JSC020N0001-HHP. The purpose is to fund applied research that directly supports HRP goals and objectives tied to keeping astronauts healthy and capable during space missions, particularly as NASA plans for longer-duration exploration where human performance risks become more mission-critical.

The solicitation focuses on two main research areas. The first topic is Manual Control Countermeasures, which centers on strategies, tools, training approaches, or interventions that help astronauts maintain or recover manual control performance in spaceflight conditions. This can include mitigating known stressors such as altered sensorimotor cues, workload changes, fatigue, and other operational factors that may degrade fine motor control or piloting performance. The second topic is Computational Brain Modeling to Characterize the Effects of Space Radiation Exposure, which targets modeling approaches that can help NASA better predict, understand, and quantify how space radiation may affect the brain and related cognitive or neurological functions. In practice, this emphasis signals interest in computational or simulation-based methods that can translate radiation exposure scenarios into biologically meaningful estimates of risk to neural structures and performance, supporting countermeasure development and mission planning.

From an applicant and partnership standpoint, eligibility is broad. Any category of U.S. institution can apply, meaning universities, companies, nonprofits, and government-affiliated research entities are generally all able to submit, subject to the standard solicitation terms. Principal Investigators are explicitly allowed to collaborate with universities, federal labs, private-sector partners, and state or local government labs. The applicant organization that submits the proposal is expected to manage and administer the project according to the management plan described in the proposal. NASA also notes its general policy regarding non-U.S. organizations: international cooperation may be possible, but typically only on a no-exchange-of-funds basis, meaning NASA does not provide funding directly to non-U.S. partners and collaboration is structured cooperatively.

The opportunity uses multiple possible funding instruments, including grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts, depending on the nature of the proposed work and NASA's determination of the appropriate mechanism. The funding activity category is research and development in science and technology, and the CFDA listing associated with this opportunity is 43.003. NASA anticipated making about four awards under this appendix, with an award ceiling listed at $800,000, indicating the maximum expected amount per award (as published in the opportunity notice).

The submission process followed NASA's two-step approach for many HERO appendices. A Step-1 proposal (typically a shorter, initial submission) was due April 30, 2021, and only applicants invited by NASA would proceed to submit a more detailed Step-2 proposal, due July 29, 2021. NASA also scheduled a virtual pre-proposers conference for April 14, 2021, intended to explain the solicitation, answer general questions, and help potential applicants align proposed work with NASA's needs. Additional documents and the formal Appendix E package were made available through NASA's HERO pages and the NSPIRES system, which is NASA's platform for proposal submission and solicitation management.

In short, this grant opportunity is a targeted applied-research solicitation from NASA HRP aimed at improving astronaut health and operational performance, with particular emphasis on maintaining manual control capabilities and using computational brain models to better characterize radiation-related neurological risks. It is open to a wide range of U.S.-based applicants, encourages cross-sector collaboration, and is structured around a competitive, two-stage proposal process with a limited number of expected awards and a published maximum award level.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Johnson Space Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 HERO Appendix E: Human Health and Performance Topics" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 31, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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