2020 Astrophysics Decadal Large Mission Concept, Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (LUVOIR) Systems Studies | NNG16401001C

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNG16401001C

NASA, through the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), issued Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) NNG16401001C to fund industry partnerships that would carry out targeted systems engineering studies in support of the Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor mission concept ahead of the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. The central purpose of the opportunity was not to build flight hardware, but to strengthen the credibility of LUVOIR as a large strategic mission concept by generating practical, engineering-based trade studies and analyses that help demonstrate feasible "existence-proof" point designs. These studies were intended to help the LUVOIR Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) and GSFC understand how different science objectives translate into architecture choices, technical complexity, cost, schedule, and risk, and to clarify what capabilities deliver the most science return per dollar.

The opportunity sits within a broader NASA Headquarters effort to mature four large mission concepts for consideration by the Decadal Survey: the Far Infrared Surveyor (later called the Origins Space Telescope), HabEx, LUVOIR, and the X-Ray Surveyor. NASA assigned LUVOIR to GSFC for engineering support, leveraging GSFC's mission formulation and management experience from major observatories such as Hubble, JWST, and WFIRST (now the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope). LUVOIR was framed as a potential flagship observatory for the post-Hubble and post-JWST era, designed to enable transformative science across astrophysics, including cosmic origins, exoplanet exploration, and fundamental physics, plus some Solar System science. A particularly prominent driver described in the notice is the search for "Earth 2.0": surveying a statistically meaningful sample of potentially habitable exoplanets around Sun-like stars, directly imaging them, and characterizing their atmospheres for possible biosignatures.

NASA structured the funding mechanism as a cooperative agreement, emphasizing collaboration and cost sharing between GSFC and selected U.S. commercial businesses. Eligibility was limited to U.S. commercial firms (the listing notes for-profit organizations other than small businesses), and offerors could apply as a single company or as a partnership of companies. NASA explicitly encouraged teaming arrangements when that would improve the ability to deliver useful systems engineering trades and analyses aligned with LUVOIR and GSFC needs. Awards were relatively small, positioned as catalytic contributions rather than full-cost contracts: GSFC planned to contribute resources valued between $10,000 and $100,000 per award, with the recipient required to match or exceed NASA's contribution using cash, in-kind contributions, or a mix of both. NASA anticipated making up to roughly 10 awards, but reserved the right to make fewer awards or none at all depending on proposal quality and funding availability. The period of performance was up to 12 months.

The studies supported by this CAN were meant to inform architectural decisions and technology maturation paths rather than define final mission requirements. The notice repeatedly stresses that the LUVOIR architecture(s) and point design(s) produced for the Decadal Survey would not automatically become the eventual flight mission design, even if LUVOIR were recommended. Instead, the output of these cooperative agreements would feed into the broader concept development process, helping the STDT evaluate scalable architecture options and understand tradeoffs among science performance, complexity, and affordability. The LUVOIR team planned to produce two scalable point designs, and industry study inputs were expected to help strengthen those designs through disciplined systems engineering and comparative trades.

The solicitation followed a single-step submission process with a fixed open period. Key dates were: release on December 22, 2016; proposal due date February 17, 2017 at 5:00 PM Eastern; selection notifications by March 15, 2017; and cooperative agreement award and study start around April 3, 2017. Proposals had to be complete and submitted by the deadline; late or incomplete submissions were not accepted for that fiscal year call. The point of contact identified for questions and submissions was the NASA GSFC contracting officer Wanda Moore (wanda.b.moore@nasa.gov), and questions about technical collaboration with GSFC civil servant partners were also directed there by email.

Proposals were evaluated by a GSFC panel composed of LUVOIR science, technology, and engineering civil servants along with additional independent GSFC personnel, with the LUVOIR Study Manager named as the selection official. While the detailed evaluation criteria are referenced in the table of contents (Selection and Evaluation Factors), the overall thrust is clear from the notice's emphasis: NASA was looking for studies that directly support LUVOIR concept maturation through credible systems engineering, meaningful trades, and analysis products that clarify cost, schedule, risk, and performance implications of competing design options.

The notice also highlights compliance and award administration requirements typical for federal assistance instruments. Awards were governed by NASA's Grant and Cooperative Agreement Handbook and associated regulatory provisions, with additional government-wide requirements such as reporting subawards and executive compensation (2 CFR Part 170), anti-trafficking terms (2 CFR Part 175), and drug-free workplace requirements (2 CFR Part 182). It included a section on Personal Identity Verification (PIV) procedures for contractor personnel who may require access, reflecting security and facility access considerations at GSFC.

On intellectual property and data rights, NASA signaled a strong preference for broad dissemination of data and materials produced under the awards with minimal restrictions, consistent with award terms. The notice distinguishes between data first produced under the award (where the government typically retains broad rights, often unlimited rights in technical data) and proprietary data developed at private expense prior to the award (where NASA generally does not require delivery of confidential/trade-secret technical data except as needed to monitor progress and evaluate the technology against metrics). Invention rights follow standard federal frameworks: small businesses and nonprofits could typically retain title under Bayh-Dole, while large businesses were subject to the Space Act provisions under which title initially vests with NASA, with the possibility of requesting a waiver (either in advance, shortly after award, or on a per-invention basis later).

In practical terms, this opportunity was a short-duration, cost-shared partnership vehicle designed to pull in specialized industry expertise to sharpen LUVOIR concept trades before the Decadal Survey. The expected deliverables were systems studies that help the LUVOIR team tell a more convincing story: how science goals drive engineering requirements, what architectures best balance ambition and realism, where technology maturation most reduces mission risk and cost, and how to present point designs that are technically credible and independently costable by an external organization such as The Aerospace Corporation.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 Astrophysics Decadal Large Mission Concept, Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared (LUVOIR) Systems Studies" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-12-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-02-17. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: For-profit organizations other than small businesses.

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