B.5 System-Wide Safety Project (SWS) | NNH19ZEA001N SWS

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is part of Amendment 6 to the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) Research Opportunities in Aeronautics (ROA) 2019 NASA Research Announcement (NRA), specifically for the System-Wide Safety Project (SWS).

Who is offering (soliciting) this opportunity?

NASA Headquarters is soliciting research proposals for this opportunity.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is NNH19ZEA001N.

What program or project is this opportunity focused on?

The solicitation is specifically for NASA's System-Wide Safety Project (SWS), which is part of NASA's broader aeronautics research portfolio.

What is the purpose of the System-Wide Safety (SWS) Project?

The SWS project is focused on protecting and strengthening aviation's strong safety record as the aviation ecosystem changes rapidly. NASA emphasizes that aviation is becoming more complex and diverse, and SWS aims to understand how those changes affect safety risk and to develop capabilities that manage or reduce emerging risks.

How does NASA describe the aviation changes that motivate this work?

NASA describes modern aviation as increasingly complex due to advanced systems intended to improve efficiency, including increasingly automated flight-deck functions, data-driven operations, and more integrated airspace procedures. NASA also highlights growth in the number and variety of aircraft, including both piloted and unpiloted vehicles, and a widening range of operators and customers.

What is NASA's first stated goal under this SWS effort?

NASA's first stated goal is to study and understand how shifts in aviation complexity, scale, and diversity can introduce new safety risks or change existing risk profiles across the overall aviation system, including operations, infrastructure, and stakeholders (not just individual aircraft).

What is NASA's second stated goal under this SWS effort?

NASA's second stated goal is to develop and demonstrate research tools, innovative technologies, and operational methods that can proactively reduce or manage emerging risks. The emphasis is on anticipating hazards earlier, improving the quality and timeliness of safety-relevant information, and enabling interventions that prevent incidents rather than only analyzing them after the fact.

What kind of future safety ecosystem does NASA envision for SWS?

NASA describes a future aviation safety ecosystem that includes expanded safety awareness, improved access to relevant data, integrated analysis capabilities, stronger real-time hazard detection and alerting, decision-support functions for operators and authorities, and (where appropriate) automated safety mitigation strategies.

What types of research areas (subtopics) are requested in this solicitation?

The solicitation seeks proposals in three subtopic areas: (1) a demonstration of an integrated, domain-specific In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS), (2) development of novel, predictive, online, and automated analytics-based risk assessment tools, and (3) development of trusted contingency management methods.

What does NASA mean by an In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) in this context?

Based on the solicitation description, the IASMS subtopic points toward a capability that integrates safety-relevant data streams and analyses in an operationally meaningful way, supporting timely safety management actions as conditions evolve.

What is emphasized for the predictive, online, automated risk assessment tools subtopic?

The key themes stated are forward-looking risk estimation (not just retrospective reporting), automation, and near real-time operation, suggesting tools that can continuously assess risk as new data arrive.

What is meant by "trusted contingency management methods"?

The solicitation describes this as methods for managing off-nominal situations safely and reliably, including responses to disruptions, anomalies, or unexpected hazards. The term "trusted" indicates concerns beyond technical performance, including reliability, validation, assurance, and operational acceptability in safety-critical contexts.

How is this opportunity categorized?

The opportunity is categorized as science and technology and other research and development.

What type of award does NASA expect to make?

Awards are expected to be made through cooperative agreements.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 43.002.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted. This means proposals may be submitted by any qualified applicant type (including academia, industry, nonprofits, and other entities) as long as they meet the solicitation requirements.

Where were proposals required to be submitted?

Submissions were required to be made electronically through NSPIRES at https://nspires.nasaprs.com.

What was the proposal due date and time?

Proposals were due by September 21, 2020 at 5:00 PM Eastern.

When was this opportunity posting created?

The posting indicates the opportunity was created on August 3, 2020.

Does the provided information state an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?

No. The provided source text does not list an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.

What kind of work is NASA trying to fund through this solicitation?

Based on the description, NASA intends to fund collaborative research and development efforts that integrate with and extend NASA's system-wide aviation safety research, with particular emphasis on demonstrations, predictive analytics, and dependable contingency management capabilities.

Is this opportunity intended to complement NASA internal work and align with other sectors?

Yes. The solicitation states that the three subtopic areas are intended to complement NASA's internal work and align with related efforts across industry, government, and academia.