NASA Stennis Space Center
in support of the NASA Applied Sciences Program
Solicitation for Proposals
through the Mississippi Research Consortium (MRC)
for Competitive Selection of Projects
to establish and evolve Applied Sciences Systems Engineering Capacity
in the Functional Areas of
Solutions Networks, Rapid Prototyping Capability and Integrated Systems Solutions
Statement of Work
Revision September 9, 2005
Table of Contents
Revision September 9, 2005 1
Table of Contents 2
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Purpose of Statement of Work 1
1.2 Background 1
1.3 Scope of Activity Addressed in This Solicitation 2
2.0 Solutions Networks 7
2.1 Tasks 7
2.1.1 Task 1 7
2.1.2 Task 2 8
2.1.3 Task 3 8
3.0 Rapid Prototyping Capability 9
3.1 Scope of Work 9
3.2 Tasks 10
3.3 Deliverables 11
4.0 Integrated System Solutions 12
4.1 Scope of Work 12
4.2 Tasks 12
4.2.1 Coastal Management 12
4.2.2 Homeland Security 13
4.2.3 Disaster Management 15
4.2.4 Agriculture Efficiency 15
4.2.5 Water Management 16
4.2.6 Energy Management 16
4.2.7 Optional Project Areas 17
4.3 Deliverables 18
5.0 Proposals 18
5.1 Format and Content 18
5.2 Evaluation Criteria 20
5.2.1 Intrinsic Merit 20
5.2.2 Relevance to NASA's Objectives and National Priorities 20
5.2.3 Costs and Management 20
5.3 Schedule 21
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose of Statement of Work
Via this solicitation, the NASA Applied Sciences Program seeks proposals in three programmatic functional areas: Solutions Networks, Rapid Prototyping Capability, and Integrated System Solutions.
1.2 Background
NASA strategic goals and corresponding objectives are defined in “The New Age of Exploration” released by the Agency in February 2005. The guiding objectives for the NASA Earth-Sun System Division Applied Sciences Program are:
National Objective 5 – Study the Earth system from space and develop new space-based and related capabilities for this purpose.
NASA Objective 14
Advance scientific knowledge of the Earth system through space-based observation, assimilation of new observations, and development and deployment of enabling technologies, systems, and capabilities, including those with potential to improve future operational systems.
NASA Objective 15
Explore the Sun-Earth system to understand the Sun and its effects on Earth, the solar system, and the space environmental conditions that will be experienced by human explorers, and demonstrate technologies that can improve future operational systems.
The NASA Applied Sciences Program implementation strategy, as described in the NASA Earth Science Applications Plan (http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/esappdocs/ES_Applications_Plan_Final.pdf), is directly aligned with these objectives. The results of NASA Earth-Sun system science include, but are not limited to:
• NASA research spacecraft and their observations of the Earth-Sun system;
• NASA models and their predictive capabilities for weather, climate and natural hazards; and
• published improvements to scientific knowledge of the Earth-Sun system.
NASA results are extended in two ways: 1) through the transition of research results to operational utilization, and 2) through projects that extend NASA research results into integrated system solutions for specific application areas of national priority (identified in the NASA Earth Science Applications Plan).
NASA has designed a system engineering approach to applications comprising four process steps: Evaluation, Verification, Validation, and Benchmarking. Brief working definitions of these key systems engineering terms are:
Evaluation – assess the capacity of NASA research results to contribute to operational systems, including the transition of research results to operational use and the adoption or adaptation into integrated systems solutions;
Verification – a life cycle process to determine if NASA Earth-Sun research products meet their stated specifications (i.e., function, performance, and design) within the context of an integrated system solution configuration or other operational configuration;
Validation – a process to determine if NASA Earth-Sun system research products (e.g., software, algorithms, models) can effectively serve the functional requirements of an integrated system solution configuration or an operational configuration;
Benchmarking – the process of establishing a standard by which a product can be measured or judged (e.g., a measure of an application’s performance with assimilated NASA measurements in terms of operations and functions compared to the application’s performance without the NASA results).
The NASA Applied Sciences Program has developed a systems engineering capacity that is consistent with the Agency’s approach to implementing complex research and development projects.The three functional areas contribute to the program’s systems engineering capacity:
Solutions Networks – systematically examine the portfolio of results from NASA funded research in the seven science focus areas of the Earth-Sun System Division to find candidates that may be transitioned from research to operations or that could be integrated into solutions with specific decision support systems;
Rapid Prototyping Capability – systematically evaluate research capabilities, based on the use of specific research results in a simulated operational environment in order to evaluate components and/or configurations that could be considered for verification, validation, and benchmarking for transition from research to operations and/or into an integrated system solution,
Integrated System Solutions – extend the benefits of NASA research by following a rigorous systems engineering process with our federal partners to evaluate (if necessary), verify, validate, and benchmark the assimilation of NASA research results into their decision support system(s).
Detailed information on definitions and the goals and objectives of the Solutions Networks, Rapid Prototyping Capability, and Integrated System Solutions functional areas can be found at the Applications Implementation Working Group (AIWG) web site (http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/).
The Applied Sciences Program systems engineering capacity is described in Extending NASA Earth-Sun System Research through a Systems Engineering Capacity accessible at (http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/esappdocs/capabilityplan.doc). Additional key documents are the Earth Science Applications Plan (http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/esappdocs/ES_Applications_Plan_Final.pdf), the Earth-Sun System Applied Sciences Program Crosscutting Solutions Program Element FY2005-2006 Program Plan (http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/esappdocs/progplans/crosscutting_ver1-0.pdf) and the Individual Program Plans for the Applied Sciences Program twelve national application areas (http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/dss.html).
1.3 Scope of Activity Addressed in This Solicitation
The NASA Applied Sciences Program is establishing a systems engineering capacity configured for the outputs from Solutions Networks activities to serve as inputs to the Rapid Prototyping Capability activities and, similarly, for the outputs from the Rapid Prototyping Capability activities to serve as inputs to Integrated Systems Solutions projects. The Mississippi Research Consortium (MRC) projects selected will contribute to evolving this overall systems engineering capacity for extending the benefits of NASA Earth-Sun system research.
The Applied Sciences Program activities include evaluating NASA research results achieved in the course of performing the Earth-Sun System Division mission. These results include observations from the NASA Earth-Sun system observation spacecraft and the predictive capability of models developed in scientific studies of the Earth-Sun system. One intent in this solicitation is to advance capabilities for use of NASA research results and capabilities thus far under-utilized for applications purposes. This statement of work focuses on projects that:
• directly meet the NASA Earth-Sun System theme 2006 IBPD metrics (IBPD metrics are available at http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov),
• use selected NASA spacecraft observations of the Earth and Sun that have recently been scientifically verified and validated, (Table 1a) including use in conjunction with other NASA science data products,
• exploit geophysical parameters and understanding of Earth system interactions (e.g., land-atmosphere, land-oceans, oceans-atmosphere, Sun-climate) for societal benefit,
• evaluate, through simulations or other means, potential uses of science data products from selected NASA spacecraft missions that have been deployed recently or are in formulation and/or development for future deployment (Table 1b),
• evaluate the use of models included in the Earth Science Model Framework (Table 2),
• include collaboration with Earth-Sun system science laboratories (e.g., Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), Short-Term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT)),
• contribute to strategic national activities associated with the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), Climate Change Technology Program (CCTP), United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO), and the U.S. Oceans Action Plan, and
• define and document innovative approaches to contributing to NASA’s systems engineering capability for Earth-Sun systems.
To obtain the greatest benefit from the activities funded through this Statement of Work, each project will be required to use a specific format for deliverables and adhere to the systems engineering definitions established by NASA and described in this document. Further, the project teams of selected projects will have a requirement to establish relationships with NASA project managers and disseminate timely results throughout the MRC.
Institutions may propose individual elements or comprehensive, coordinated sets of activities with clearly delineated elements (Solutions Networks, Rapid Prototyping Capabilities, Integrated Systems Solutions) and associated budgets and schedules. Collaborations with institutions external to the Mississippi Research Consortium is encouraged, including engagement of such institutions as substantive research partners where appropriate.
Deployed
Spacecraft / Sensors / Date
Launched
Aqua / AIRS - Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
AMSU-A - Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A
CERES - Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System
HSB - Humidity Sounder for Brazil
AMSR-E - Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS / May 4, 2002
Aura / HIRDLS - High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder
MLS - Microwave Limb Sounder
OMI - Ozone Monitoring Instrument
TES - Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer / July 15, 2004
GRACE / GPS Receiver - Global Positioning System Receiver
LRA - Laser Retroreflector Array
KBR or - K-Band Ranging System
HAIRS High Accuracy Inter-satellite Ranging System
SCA - Star Camera Assembly
SuperSTAR - SuperSTAR Accelerometer / March 17, 2002
ICESat / GLAS - Geo-science Laser Altimeter System
GPS Receiver - Global Positioning System Receiver / January 12, 2003
SORCE / XPS - Extreme Ultraviolet (XUV) Photometer System
TIM - Total Irradiance Monitor
SIM - Spectral Irradiance Monitor
SOLSTICE - Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment / January 25, 2003
Terra / CERES - Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System
MOPITT - Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere
MISR - Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer
ASTER - Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer / December 18, 1999
Table 2a. Future Earth-Sun System Spacecraft Selected for This SOW
Future
Spacecraft / Sensors / Planned
Launch Date
Aquarius / Aquarius Radiometer - Aquarius Radiometer/Scatterometer / September 2008
CALIPSO / IIR - Imaging Infrared Radiometer
WFC - Wide Field Camera
CALIOP - Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization / September 2005
CloudSat / CloudSat CPR - Cloud Profiling Radar / September, 2005
Glory / TIM - Total Irradiance Monitor
APS - Aerosol Polarimetric Sensor / December 2007
GPM / DPR - Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar
GMI - GPM Microwave Image / 2010
NPP / CrIS - Crosstrack Infrared Sounder
OMPS - Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite
ATMS - Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder
VIIRS - Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite / 2008
OCO / OCO Spectrometers - Orbiting Carbon Observatory Spectrometers / December 2007
Table 3. NASA Models
Earth System Modeling Framework
NASA-Led
GMAO (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) Atmospheric Analysis
GMAO (Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) Atmosphere
GMAO Ocean Analysis
GSFC Global LIS (Land Information System)
Partner-Led
ECCO (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean) OSE (Ocean State Estimation)
GFDL (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory) FMS (Flexible Modeling System) B-Grid Atmosphere
GFDL FMS HIM Ocean
GFDL MOM4 (Modular Ocean Model)
GMAO Ocean
LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) CICE (Sea Ice Model)
LANL POP (Parallel Ocean Program) Ocean
NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) CLM (Community Land Model)
UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) AGCM (Atmospheric General Circulation Model)
WRF-Weather Research and Forecast Model
NASA Affiliated Earth-Sun Science Models and Analysis Systems
NASA-Led
CASA-Carnegie-Ames Stanford Approach
GEOS-4 (Goddard Earth Observing System) AGCM
GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) Model Model IE (Ionospheric Electrodynamics)
GISS Model II
GISS Model III
GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center) Catchment LSM (Land Surface Model)
GSFC GOCART- Goddard Chemistry Aerosol, Radiation, and Transport
GSFC Ocean Biology
GSFC Ozone Assimilation System
GSFC 2D Model
Mosaic LSM-Land Surface Model
RAQMS- Regional Air Quality Modeling System
Partner-Led
AGWA-Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment
GEOS CHEM-CHEMistry
Hysplit4
MM5-Mesoscale Meteorology 5
NCAR TIMEGCM (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model)
WACCM (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate)
WAVEWATCH III-WAVEWATCH III
Partner-Led Solar
RCM (Rice Convection Model)
2.0 Solutions Networks
Solutions Networks activities focus on systematically “harvesting” the results of research sponsored by the NASA Science Mission Directorate's Research and Analysis Program. Research capabilities in the form of observations from NASA spacecraft, predictive models, simulations, algorithms, and knowledge derived from NASA's investment in Earth-Sun system science are candidate inputs for transition from research to operations and/or solutions that improve decision support systems in the 12 national applications.
The Solutions Networks “harvestings” approach involves:
1. assessing the potential of NASA science and technology results to contribute to solutions in applied sciences projects;
2. identifying and analyzing the current network of interactions between organizations within the Earth-Sun system science community-of-practice;
3. formulating plans to evolve and optimize the effectiveness of these science research and applications networks; and
4. coordinating a network to deliver systems engineering capacity to extend the benefits of NASA research results to integrated systems solutions and future operational utilization within the networks.
Additionally, Solutions Networks activities include characterizing existing Earth-Sun system science organizational networks, expanding these networks by enhancing and adding connections, and assessing the potential for Earth-Sun system science results to address additional solutions for applications of national priority. Network nodes are primarily partner organizations funded by the NASA Science Missions Directorate to conduct activities that advance the research goals. Activities under Solutions Networks are crosscutting in nature. That is, outputs from Solutions Networks activities may serve as an input to some or all activities sponsored by the Applied Sciences Program's National Applications Program Elements. Representative members of the community-of-practice for NASA Earth-Sun system science can be found in documents at http://aiwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
2.1 Tasks
2.1.1 Task 1
Systematically identify NASA Earth-Sun system science results with focus on the capacity to serve in a) transition from research to operations, and/or b) assimilation into decision support tools. The government will provide specific targets for applying NASA research capabilities and will provide information on NASA research capabilities.