Research Opportunities in Space Science 2022-2027

2022 application and award Cycle 1

• Application deadline 1: Closed December 22, 2022, at 16:00 (ET)

2023 application and award Cycle 2

• Application deadline 2: Closed July 28th, 2023, at 16:00 (ET)

2024 application and award Cycle 3

• Application deadline 3: September 20th, 2024, at 16:00 (ET)New
• Approximate project start and end dates: January, 2025 to January, 2028
• Estimated number of projects awarded:
  • 4 to Lunar Gateway/Artemis Science and Technology Utilization
    • 3-year awards
    • Three projects leveraging only Category A expenses ($75,000/year)
    • One project leveraging Category A and B expenses ($175,000/year)
  • 2 to Planetary Exploration and Space Astronomy
    • 1, 2 or 3-year awards, $50,000/year for each award
  • Note: there are no plans to fund projects in Atmospheric and Earth-System Science, or Solar-Terrestrial science for Cycle 3.
• Funding from CSA: up to $1.5M toward eligible costs
• Estimated number of projects awarded broken down by priorities and eligible activities will be provided no later than eight (8) weeks prior to the cycle deadline

2025 application and award Cycle 4

• Application deadline 4: August 22nd, 2025
• Approximate project start and end dates: January, 2026 to January, 2029
• Estimated number of projects awarded:
  • 1 to Lunar Gateway/Artemis Science and Technology Utilization
    • 3-year awards, $75,000/year for each award
  • 2 to Planetary Exploration and Space Astronomy
    • 3-year awards, $50,000/year for each award
• Funding from CSA: up to $525,000 toward eligible costs
• Estimated number of projects awarded broken down by priorities and eligible activities will be provided no later than eight (8) weeks prior to the cycle deadline

2026 application and award Cycle 5

• Application deadline 5: August 21st, 2026
• Approximate project start and end dates: January, 2027 to January, 2030
• Estimated number of projects awarded:
  • 5 to Atmospheric and Earth-System Science
    • 3-year awards, $75,000/year for each award
  • 1 to Lunar Gateway/Artemis Science and Technology Utilization
    • 3-year award leveraging Category A and B expenses ($175,000/year)
  • 2 to Planetary Exploration and Space Astronomy
    • 3-year awards, $50,000/year for each award
  • 5 to Solar-Terrestrial Science
    • 3-year awards, $75,000/year for each award
• Funding from CSA: up to $3.075M toward eligible costs
• Estimated number of projects awarded broken down by priorities and eligible activities will be provided no later than eight (8) weeks prior to the cycle deadline

Note for all CSA Cycles: It is anticipated that some grants awarded through this CSA in the discipline of Lunar Gateway/Artemis Science and Technology Utilization will be extended beyond the initial 3 years. The total value of these extensions is anticipated to be $0.875M.

3.1 Eligible Recipients

To be eligible, the applicant must be a recognized Canadian university or post-secondary institution. The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) maintains a directory of recognized schools in Canada.

The researcher leading these projects must:

• Hold a PhD obtained from a recognized institution.
• Hold a permanent, term, or contract position at the applicant institution for the duration of the funding agreement. The position may be paid or unpaid. This includes Adjunct Faculty that may be employed by industry. The signature of the Duly Authorized Representative on the Application Form is sufficient evidence that the Applicant believes that the Lead Researcher will hold a position at the applicant institution for the duration of the funding agreement.

Note: A Lead Researcher may lead only one (1) ROSS grant at a time

These are the sole conditions that must be satisfied at the time of application.

3.2 Eligible Projects

To be eligible for CSA funding, projects must consist of one or more of the following:

• Research activities of interest to Canada related to space science and technology disciplines and their applications;
• End project phases such as analyses of space data and the transformation of that data into useful information.

All development phases necessary for a project are eligible. Any logical breakdown or combination of these phases can constitute a funded project under this AO. However, breaking down a project into numerous phases submitted as distinct proposals to obtain more than the maximum grant or contribution under this AO is not allowed. Furthermore, the completion of a funded phase does not automatically guarantee future funding of the remaining phases. To be eligible, the activities outlined in the project must also align with at least one of the following categories:

• Co-Investigation on an international mission or project
  • A researcher having a formal invitation and role as a Co-I on a mission or project not otherwise supported by the CSA.
• Guest Observation via external partnership
  • A researcher having obtained observation time on a mission or instrument can apply for support to the scientific investigation.
• Data Analysis from CSA supported instruments
  • A researcher can propose to perform data analysis that uses CSA-supported measurements as its primary data source

Proposals require supporting documents specific to the proposed activities. Detailed definitions of eligible activities can be found in Appendix B.

For a list of eligible costs, see Section 6.2.

3.3 Links to CSA Priorities

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must contribute to investigations addressing the following CSA priorities:

• Atmospheric and Earth-System Science
• Lunar Gateway/Artemis Science and Technology Utilization
• Planetary Exploration and Space Astronomy
• Solar-Terrestrial Science

Detailed descriptions of these priorities can be found in Appendix C.

3.4 Links to G&C Program objectives

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must contribute to the achievement of the following CSA objectives:

• To support the development of space science and technology relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• To foster the continuing development of a critical mass of researchers and highly qualified people in Canada in areas relevant to the priorities of the CSA;
• To support the creation of new knowledge, scientific studies, and research related to space.

4.1 Notice of intent (NoI)

The objective of the NoI is to verify the eligibility of the applicant and the project before receiving a complete application. This optional step is not intended to eliminate potential applicants, but to provide early confirmation that a project meets the eligibility criteria. An applicant can submit multiple NoIs, but can only submit one proposal. For the formal evaluation, the information in the proposal will take precedence over the information provided in the NoI. If there is a change between the information provided by the proponent in the NoI and in the proposal, the eligibility information provided with the NoI acknowledgement may no longer be valid.

4.2 Application Form

5.1 Eligibility Criteria

Applications must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

• Represents an eligible recipient as defined in Section 3.1
• Represents an eligible project as defined in Section 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4
• Meets program funding provisions as defined in Section 6.1

5.2 Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation committee will evaluate eligible applications according to the following criteria. These are further described in Appendix A.

The minimum overall score required to be considered for funding is 60 points.

5.3 Evaluation Process

Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment listed in Section 5.1 will be given further consideration.

Once the eligibility criteria are confirmed, evaluators will assess the screened applications according to the criteria listed in Section 5.2. Evaluators shall be experts in the fields relevant to the applications and may include representatives of Canada and other countries, and representatives of other government and non-government agencies and organizations. Proposals will only be evaluated and ranked relative to others within their science discipline.

Before a final decision is made, the CSA's Program Managers responsible for this AO may seek input and advice from other organizations, including (but not limited to) federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government agencies and organizations.

For the final selection, the CSA will consider the applicants having the highest final scores. The CSA could also take into consideration factors such as a balanced grants distribution across Canada as well as a diversified representativeness among the four designated groups. We encourage you to indicate on a voluntary basis if you belong to one or more of the four following groups: women, Aboriginal People, persons with disabilities and member of visibility minority. Please visit the Employment Equity site for a complete definition of each group.

6.1 Available Funding and project Duration

The maximum annual funding per grant agreement to an eligible recipient is $75,000 per year^{Footnote 2} from Category A expenses, up to a total of $225,000. Additional funds may be available for grant agreements eligible for Category B expenses in the amount of $100,000 per year, up to a total of $300,000. See Section 6.2 for a detailed list of Category A and Category B expenses.

The CSA reserves the right to reject any proposals or reduce the amount of the grants at its entire discretion.

Applicants must identify all sources of funding in their applications and confirm this information in a funding agreement if the project is selected for funding. Upon completion of a project, the recipient must also disclose all sources of funding.

The number of projects under this AO will depend on funding availability. Submitted proposals should plan to be completed within a maximum period of three (3) years.

An applicant (university or post-secondary institution) may be funded for more than one (1) project under this AO provided each project has a different Lead Researcher.

A researcher can only be the Lead Researcher for one (1) active grant under this AO at any given time. A Lead Researcher with an active grant under this AO may submit a new proposal to this AO in the final year of their existing grant so long as their existing grant will conclude prior to the commencement of the proposed work.

Approved proposals will be eligible for a total amount of government assistance (federal, provincial, territorial and municipal) of up to 100% of total project costs.

To determine the amount of funding to be allocated, consideration will be given to the availability of CSA funds, the total cost of the project, and the other confirmed sources of funds provided by other stakeholders and the applicant.

Proposals will only be evaluated and ranked relative to others within their science discipline.

6.2 Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are direct expenses that are associated with the delivery of the approved project and that are required to achieve the expected results of the project. Expenses will be covered subject to the applicant signing a funding agreement, in the form of a grant, with the CSA.

Category A Expenses: It is expected that all projects will be eligible for Category A Expenses and these expenses will be sufficient to complete the majority of projects.

• Access fees;
• Accommodation and meal allowances;
• Acquisition, development and printing of materials;
• Acquisition or rental of equipment;
• Consultant services;
• Costs related to obtaining security clearance;
• Data acquisition;
• Data management;
• Laboratory analysis services;
• License and permit fees;
• Marketing and printing services;
• Materials and supplies;
• Overhead (administrative) costs (not to exceed 20% of eligible costs for universities);
• Participation fees at conferences, committees and events;
• PST, HST and GST net of any rebate to which the recipient is entitled and the reimbursement of any taxes for goods and services acquired in a foreign country net of any rebate or reimbursement received in the foreign country;
• Publication and communication services;
• Registration fees;
• Salaries and benefits;
• Training;
• Translation services;
• Travel; and
• Tuition fees.

Category B Expenses: It is understood that life sciences work with living organisms (including human subjects) often entails special requirements and additional costs. Category 'B' is reserved for accommodating such situations. The applicant should provide a fully itemized justification for the additional budget required to perform the proposed work.

• Additional expenses for the following eligible costs (e.g. pre & post-flight data collection, sample preparation and recovery, crew training)
  • Travel;
  • Accommodation and meal allowances;
• Additional expenses for the following eligible costs (e.g. personnel, laboratory consumables, rental of specialized measurement systems such as MRI scanner time)
  • Laboratory analysis services;

7.1 Payments

The CSA and each successful applicant (the recipient) will sign a funding agreement. This is a condition for any payment made by the CSA with respect to the approved project.

Payments will be made in a lump sum or instalments as described in the signed agreement. Grant funding agreements will include a clause stipulating the recipient's obligation to confirm—once a year in the case of multi-year agreements—their eligibility for the G&C Program – Research Component and inform the CSA in writing of any changes to the conditions used in determining their eligibility for this component.

7.2 Audit

The recipient of a funding agreement shall keep proper records of all documentation related to the funded project, for the duration of the project and for six (6) years after the completion date of the project, in the event of an audit. This documentation shall be available upon request.

7.3 Conflict of Interest

In the funding agreement, the recipient will certify that any current or former public office holder or public servant it employs complies with the provisions of the relevant Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector respectively.

7.4 Intellectual Property

All intellectual property developed by the recipient in the course of the project shall vest in the recipient.

7.5 Organizations in Quebec

An organization in Quebec whose operations are partially or fully funded by the province of Quebec may be subject to the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif, R.S.Q., Chapter M-30.

Under Sections 3.11 and 3.12 of this Act, certain entities/organizations, as defined in the meaning of the Act, such as municipal bodies, school bodies, or public agencies, must obtain authorization from the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC), as indicated by the Act, before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada, its departments or agencies, or a federal public agency.

Consequently, any entity that is subject to the Act is responsible for obtaining such authorization before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada.

Quebec applicants must complete, sign and include the M-30 Supporting Documentation form with their application.

7.6 Performance Measurement

The CSA will ask the recipients to report on certain aspects of their projects such as:

• Knowledge Creation
  • Knowledge production (including publications)
  • Presentations
  • Intellectual property (including patents)
• Capacity Building
  • Project's research team (including highly qualified personnel supported)
• Collaboration
  • Partners' contributions
  • Partnerships
  • Multidisciplinarity

7.7 Open Access Publications

In the event that publications result from the project, the CSA wishes to promote the dissemination of findings that result from the projects it funds as quickly and to the greatest number of people as possible. Improved access to scientific results not only allows scientists to use a broader range of resources and knowledge, but also improves research collaboration and coordination, strengthens citizen engagement and supports the economy.

Thus, the CSA promotes the use of open access publication and archiving by recipients in order to facilitate the widest dissemination of findings that results from its funded projects. Thus, recipients are invited to publish, in a timely matter, their articles by using one of the following methods:

1. Accessible online repository (institutional or disciplinary) so that the publication is freely accessible.
2. Journal offering open access to articles.

It should be noted that these two methods are not mutually exclusive and that recipients are encouraged to use both.

Finally, the CSA wishes to receive, as a courtesy, a copy of the publications (if not freely accessible) or the hyperlink (if freely accessible) and its digital object identifier (DOI). These will be used to improve accessibility by including them in the CSA publications directory.

1. Benefits to Canada

• Maximum: 30
• Minimum: 20

2. Results

• Maximum: 30
• Minimum: 12

3. Feasibility

• Maximum: 10
• Minimum: 4

4. Resources

• Maximum: 20
• Minimum: 8

5. Risk and mitigation

• Maximum: 10
• Minimum: 4

The purpose of this criterion is to evaluate how well the proposal identifies potential risks associated with the proposed scope of work, as well as mitigation strategies for those risks. Possible risks could include difficulty hiring appropriate HQP, loss of HQP to the project, difficulty acquiring needed parts, delay in mission launch, change in data availability, etc.

Evaluation score

• Maximum score 100
• Minimum passing score 60

1. Co-Investigator of international mission

To meet eligibility with this activity, the project lead of the proposal must have received a formal invitation to participate as a Co-Investigator (Co-I) of an international mission that has been selected (approved) by its lead agency for concept study or development. Missions from both governmental space agencies as well as capable privately owned space companies are eligible. A Co-I is a member of the mission science team with a defined role on the mission and contributing unique expertise and/or providing capabilities needed for achieving the science goals. A Co-I must have a well-defined role in the mission investigation, science team, or consortium, and serve under the direction of a mission or instrument Principal Investigator (PI). It is understood that certain eligible missions may not use the term "Co-I" (for example, Member of the Science Team).

Typical mission Co-I responsibilities may include a role in instrument calibration, data product generation, science requirements validation, science model development, strategic science planning or science operations planning. In return for their commitment to these roles, Co-Is also participate in science analysis activities within the science team as agreed with the mission / instrument PI and according to mission Rules of the Road that define authorship of mission publications and data sharing.

Missions for which CSA has an existing agreement(s) for science team participation and support are ineligible under this AO. The following table lists examples of mission ineligible under this AO for co-investigator activity:

The above table of missions ineligible under this AO for co-investigator activity is subject to change based on mission status.

To meet eligibility with this activity, the Proposal must include

• A letter signifying that the mission of interest has been funded for concept study or development or is currently in operations by an agency other than the CSA.
• A letter of invitation to participate as a co-investigator in the above-mentioned mission. This letter should briefly summarize the roles and responsibilities of the Co-I. The letter of invitation can be contingent on the success of this proposal.

2. Guest Observation via external partnership

Projects meeting eligibility with this activity require an existing agreement with a partner external to the CSA for observation time, guest mission participation, and/or scheduling experiments. Existing agreements can take the form of (but are not limited to):

• a letter of invitation from the mission/instrument PI confirming that the Lead Researcher of the proposal will be granted observation time, will be able to schedule experiments, or is otherwise invited to participate in the mission in order to carry out the proposed work.
• a notice of selection by a competitive process for a mission/instrument external to the CSA.

Examples of upcoming external competitive processes that will be prioritized by the CSA in the upcoming cycle are:

• No external competitive processes have been identified for the upcoming cycle

To meet eligibility with this activity, the proposal must include:

• A letter demonstrating the existing agreement with a partner external to the CSA.

3. Data Analysis of CSA supported instruments

Projects meeting eligibility with this activity use observation from CSA-supported instruments as a significant data source. To meet eligibility with this activity, the proposal must include:

• A list of CSA-supported instruments that will be used as a primary data source in the project.
• A letter demonstrating the availability of the scientific data needed for the proposal if that data is not openly available. This should take the form of a letter from the PI(s) of the instrument(s) in question that the needed data will be made available to the Lead Researcher of the proposed work. Open data is defined as structured data that is machine-readable, freely shared, used and built on without restrictions.

1. Atmospheric and Earth-System Science

Projects that align with Atmospheric and Earth System Science priorities should help advance the national and international priorities defined by Canada's adherence to various agreements and treaties and should provide benefits to the Canadian population. They should support:

• The quantitative monitoring of relevant variables as required by national and international laws, treaties, agreements and priorities; and/or
• Emergency management, mitigation, environmental and human health studies, ultimately contributing to the safety of human life and the prevention of economic losses from extreme events and climate change.

The relevant CSA Atmospheric and Earth-System Science goal is to 'advance the understanding of physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and geosphere', particularly

• Transfer this new knowledge to government where it improves air quality, climate, hydrological, agricultural and other environmental prediction system and services.
• Increase data assimilation capacity that will contribute to developing atmospheric, oceanic, and surface prediction and warning systems, and contribute to characterize pollutant and greenhouse gas sources, sinks, and trends.
• Develop Earth System Models including the atmosphere, ocean, ice, land, vegetation and other components and their interactions, through collaboration between academia and government departments.

Detail on current Canadian Atmospheric objectives and priorities can be found in the document '2020 Canadian Atmospheric Science Roadmap'. The goals listed in this document are a summary of the aforementioned roadmap, generalized to include priorities relevant to the Earth System Sciences. Proposals must demonstrate traceability to this document.

2. Lunar Gateway/Artemis Science and Technology Utilization

Gateway/Artemis utilization will be implemented through a multilateral working group, the Gateway Utilization Coordination Panel (GUCP). The GUCP has established overarching strategic objectives:

1. Enable lunar related science
   • Enable return of lunar surface samples to Earth
   • Test and demonstrate technologies that enable surface science
   • Conduct scientific research of the Moon from Gateway/Artemis
2. Prepare for Mars and deep space exploration
   • Advance knowledge of how to support safe, productive human space travel beyond low Earth orbit
   • Expand experience in spacecraft technologies that enable deep space operations
   • Investigate environmental impacts on biology, materials, and technology
3. Conduct science/research unique to Gateway/Artemis's deep space location
   • Study the natural environment at Gateway/Artemis
   • Characterize the induced environment at Gateway/Artemis
   • Conduct heliophysics investigations
   • Conduct astrophysics and fundamental physics investigations
   • Conduct space biology and life science research
   • Advance deep space health science
4. Engage the public and inspire future generations
   • Host public outreach activities
   • Engage students in STEM-related fields and inspire next generation STEM leaders

Technology Working Group (TWG) has generated a report dealing with Critical Technology Needs that identifies and maps the essential enhanced and new technologies required for human and robotics exploration of the vicinity and surfaces of the Moon and Mars. A summary of these needed technologies and thus opportunities for potential Canadian technology contributions that are mission critical, highly visible and can evolve into signature technologies and strategic assets for Canada's space industry is available on the ISECG website.

The Canadian Space Strategy lays out the high-level objectives for Canada's investments in space activities: enabling scientific opportunities and global partnerships, allowing Canadian researchers to perform observations in fields of national strategic importance, improving our understanding of solar storms and their effects on astronauts and terrestrial infrastructure and improving remote medicine and health care.

CSA's Business Need for GU can be defined as follows: the CSA will make Gateway a science laboratory and a testbed for new technologies, as well as use this opportunity to fund research seeking to keep astronauts healthy. CSA will privilege activities that are best suited for being implemented in the lunar environment. Said activities will prepare human space exploration for Mars and beyond, and have a high potential for Earth benefits.

Successful proposals must address this Business Need. Additional context for GU is available at Lunar Gateway Science and Technology Utilization context. Additional information for GU is also available upon request. In this AO, 'Artemis' refers to studies that meet the above high-level objectives, but are part of non-Gateway elements of the NASA Artemis program (e.g. Orion).

3. Planetary Exploration and Space Astronomy

The relevant CSA Space Exploration goal is to 'Gain knowledge about the solar system and the Universe', particularly:

• The origin and evolution of the solar system: Identifying the characteristics of the asteroids and comets that form the building blocks of the solar system, and discover the evolutionary history of the planets, their moons, and their atmospheres.
• Habitability and life detection: Determining if life is, or ever was, present beyond Earth, focusing on astrobiological investigations of environments that support (or supported) life, identifying exoplanets and characterizing their atmospheres, and searching for possible biosignatures.
• Origin and evolution of the Universe: Explain the properties of the observable Universe, of its hidden dark matter and energy components, and how the Universe evolved to its current state.
• Stars, galaxies and planets: Study the processes of formation and evolution of galaxies, stars and planets and of the baryonic matter.
• Physics in extreme conditions: Investigate phenomena in extreme physical conditions observations such as in the environments of black holes and neutron stars.

Detail on current Canadian planetary science and space astronomy objectives and priorities can be found in the document 'Canadian Space Exploration: Science and Space Health Priorities for the Next Decade'. Proposals must demonstrate traceability to this document.

4. Solar-Terrestrial Science

The relevant CSA Solar-Terrestrial Sciences goal is to advance understanding of the physical processes that generate space weather, particularly:

• How the Sun varies: Investigating solar structures and physical processes, and how those processes influence the solar wind and the space environment.
• Physical processes controlling the space environment: Investigating processes for mass, energy, and momentum transport within the space environment, and how those processes couple the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmospheres.
• How space weather affects society and human activities: Exploring the impact of solar weather on terrestrial weather and climate, ground-based infrastructure, communication, radio-wave propagation, and satellite operations, as well as how to mitigate these impacts.

Detail on current Canadian solar-terrestrial science objectives and priorities can be found in the document '2020 Canadian Solar-Terrestrial Science Roadmap'. Proposals must demonstrate traceability to this document.

Summary (approx. one page)

This summary is a self-contained description of the activity that would result if the proposal were funded. The summary must identify the project objectives, introduce the approach to be used, and clearly demonstrate that the project is eligible under the terms of the AO. As far as possible, the summary should be understandable to a scientifically literate lay reader.

The information provided in this section will be used in determining whether the application satisfies the screening criteria (see Section 4 of the application form).

Scientific and technical description (approx. seven pages)

This section of the proposal describes the scientific objectives of the proposed project and the methodology to be used in conducting the research. The description relates the research and approach to the current scientific and technical developments, supported by references to the literature pertinent to the proposal. The methodology describes the relationship between the data source(s), the analysis method(s), and the proposed model(s). This section should also demonstrate the relevance of the research to the objective of the CSA's objectives and priorities (see Appendix C – Objectives and priorities).

The information provided in this section will be used in assessing the following criteria: Benefits to Canada, Results, and Feasibility (see Appendix A – Evaluation Criteria Definition, Scale Rating, and Scores).

Resources (approx. two pages)

This section of the proposal describes the resources of the proposed project, including the team, complementary funding sources, and in-kind contributions, and how they would be managed. The description identifies the pertinent expertise, the roles, and the expected contributions of the team members to the project, referring to CVs as needed. Note that the team is limited to five (5) team members (including the leading researcher); any additional team members may be dropped from the provided list of team members. Co-Is must be qualified to undertake research independently. They may be collaborators from Government or Industry that contribute to the overall intellectual direction of the research project and bring their own resources to the collaboration. The diversified representativeness of the team may be described in this section (see 5.3 Evaluation process). The description also includes a project work plan that describes how the research team and the project would be managed and the availability of the equipment and infrastructure as well as a discussion of the risks and strategies for their mitigation. The description of funding sources and in-kind contributions refers to the Budget page of the application as needed.

The information provided in this section will be used in assessing the following criteria: Resources, Risk and mitigation, and Feasibility (see Appendix A – Evaluation Criteria Definition, Scale Rating, and Scores).