The primary goal of the Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program (CSESP) is to develop and implement capabilities to augment and enhance NASA scientific data and capacity through voluntary observations, interpretations, or other direct participation by members of the general public to advance understanding of the Earth as a system. The program complements NASA's capability of observing Earth globally from space, air, land, and water by engaging the public in NASA's strategic goals in Earth Science (see https://science.nasa.gov/about-us/science-strategy).
The program aims to advance the use of citizen science in scientific research about Earth by directly supporting citizen science activities, as well as by deploying technology to further citizen science research. This program element is a follow on to the 2020 CSESP ROSES Program element and for which the funded projects are described on the Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program page. While much of the focus of the original program element has remained, the solicitation has been simplified into a request for full projects of up to three years with annual budget limits. There is no longer a prototype phase or separate proposal types.
For the purpose of this program element, citizen science is defined as efforts or projects that use voluntary public participation in the scientific endeavor, including – but not limited to – formulating research questions, conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data collected by citizen and/or professional scientists, interpreting results, making new discoveries, and/or developing or deploying technologies and applications. Crowdsourcing, another frequently used term describing voluntary contributions, is included under citizen science in this program element.
Deadlines:
- Mandatory NOI: April 14, 2024
- Proposals: May 14, 2024