The Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program (APRA) solicits basic research proposals for investigations that are relevant to NASA's programs in astronomy and astrophysics and includes research over the entire range of photons, gravitational waves, and particle astrophysics. Awards may be for up to four years’ duration (up to five years for suborbital investigations), but shorter-term proposals are typical; four-year or five-year proposals must be well justified. APRA investigations may advance technologies anywhere along the full line of readiness levels, from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1 through TRL 9. The TRL definitions are articulated in detail in NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirement (NPR) 7123.1D Appendix E https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?t=NPR&c=7123&s=1D (updated on July 5, 2023). The emphasis of this program element is on technologies and investigations that advance NASA astrophysics missions and goals. For the long-term future, these missions and goals will be guided based on the recommendations of the 2020 Decadal Survey Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, which identifies the most compelling science goals and presents an ambitious program of space-based activities for NASA investment.
Deadlines:
- Mandatory NOI: Dec. 13 2024
- Proposals: Jan. 30, 2025
The APRA program seeks to support research that addresses the best possible (i) state-of-the-art detector technology development for instruments that may be proposed as candidate experiments for future space flight opportunities; (ii) science and/or technology investigations that can be carried out with instruments flown as suborbital-class payloads on balloon-borne, sounding rocket, CubeSat, or other platforms; and (iii) supporting technology and laboratory research that are directly applicable to space astrophysics missions. Accordingly, proposals are solicited in the following four broad categories:
• Suborbital/Suborbital-class Investigations
• Detector Development
• Supporting Technology
• Laboratory Astrophysics