POTENTIAL SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA ON TECHNOSIGNATURE DETECTION

1. Summary The NASA Science Mission Directorate requests information on ongoing searches for non-terrestrial technosignatures, technosignature searches in development, and conceptual ideas for future technosignature searches. This information will be used to inform NASA's program planning, to determine, conditional on the availability of appropriated funds, how best to support the search for non-terrestrial technosignatures through partnership with private or philanthropic organizations. 2. Background NASA's program of exoplanet exploration considers the question: what are the characteristics of planetary systems orbiting other stars, and do they harbor life? NASA is currently investing in its strategic goal to reveal the diversity of planets and planetary system architectures in our galaxy and pinpoint potentially life-supporting planets in other stellar systems. As components of the search for life, the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) issues this request for information (RFI) to help NASA: • Assess the advances coming near-term in the technosignatures field. What assets are in place that can be applied to the search for technosignatures, and what planned and funded projects will advance the state-of-the-art in future years? • Understand the future potential of the technosignatures field. Where would new investment deliver the most dividend? As examples only, what advances could occur with additional survey investment, additional technology development, more sophisticated data-mining algorithms, new theory and modeling development, etc.? • Identify how NASA could most-effectively partner with private sector and philanthropic organizations to deliver meaningful advances in the technosignatures field. NASA has specific interest in how investment in partnership starting before the end of the current decade will deliver the greatest possible advances and retain a long-lasting footprint in this field. If so requested in your response, all information received from this RFI will be considered confidential and proprietary; however NASA will use your response to aid in programmatic decisions about future investments in the search for technosignatures, including partnerships with private sector and philanthropic organizations. 3. Information Requested NASA is soliciting information that might be used by the agency in planning for partnerships with the private sector and philanthropic organizations that would yield significant progress in the search for non-terrestrial technosignatures. The response to this RFI will be in the form of a PDF document that is uploaded through NASA's NSPIRES system (see instructions below). The response should not exceed three pages in length. The response must contain the following information: • Name of submitter and contact information (institutional affiliation, email address); • Description of a potential science partnership between NASA and private or philanthropic organizations that can be developed or implemented starting in fiscal year 2019. This information might include a description of an investigation or program, including science objectives, the status of any existing facilities or hardware, the program's heritage, the expected cost of operating any facilities, the expected duration of the partnership, and any other information that might be helpful to NASA in planning for potential partnerships. Material in a RFI response is confidential, nonbinding on the respondent, and will be used by NASA for information and planning purposes only. This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. No proposals will be awarded funding as a result of this RFI. 4. Instructions for Submission The information obtained will be used by NASA for planning and acquisition strategy development. NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on a non- attribution basis. Restricted/limited data/information is not solicited. Responders may submit proprietary information, export-controlled information (including ITAR restricted information), or confidential information in response to this RFI, but this is strictly voluntary. All responses submitted in response to this RFI must be submitted in electronic form via NSPIRES, the NASA online announcement data management system, located at http://nspires.nasaprs.com /. For this RFI, a response submission will take the form of a Notice of Intent (NOI) within the NSPIRES online announcement data management system. The RFI response itself will be a PDF-formatted document that is attached (uploaded) to the NSPIRES system. You must be registered with NSPIRES to submit a RFI response. See registration instructions at http://nspires.nasaprs.com (select "Getting an account"). Neither institution registration nor an institution affiliation is required to respond to this RFI. 1. Log in to your account at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ . 2. Select "Proposals/NOIs" from your account page. 3. Select "Create NOI" from your proposals page. 4. Click "Continue" on the next page. 5. Select " Request for Information: NNH18ZDA015L (Potential Science Partnerships with NASA on Technosignature Detection)" from the bullet list of announcements. Click "Continue". 6. Enter RFI response title ("NOI title" field will be shown). 7. Select "do not link at this time" for submitting organization page. 8. Click "Save" on next page. 9. It is not necessary to complete any of the "NOI Details"; all requested information should be included in the attached PDF document. Information which is entered into "NOI Details" but not included in the attached PDF document will not be considered. 10. Prepare your RFI response offline and save as a PDF document (note NSPIRES instructions on PDF formats). The response document must include the respondent's Name, institution, and e-mail address so the file is self-contained. File names format should be "PI Last Name - First Name - Number - RFI". "Number" will be used to distinguish multiple responses from the same PI. The response should not exceed five pages in length. 11. To attach (upload) your PDF document: a. Click "add" under NOI attachments section; b. Select "Proposal Document" from the drop-down list; c. Browse to attach your PDF file; d. Select "Upload"; e. Click "OK"; f. Your RFI document has been uploaded to NSPIRES. 12. Click Submit NOI button. NOTE that this does not complete the submission process. 13. Ignore any warnings about incomplete NOI elements. Ensure that your NOI document is attached and click "Continue". 14. Click "Submit". This will take you to the NOI submission confirmation page, which provides you with the NOI/RFI number for your records. Please note: You may delete and replace form fields and uploaded documents any time before the submission deadline, however once your RFI is submitted, it cannot be deleted. It is emphasized that this RFI is neither a Request for Proposal, nor an Invitation for Bid. This RFI is being used to obtain information for planning purposes only; therefore, NASA does not plan to respond to the individual RFI responses. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Pursuant to FAR 52.215-3, entitled Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes, this information is being made available for market research, information, and planning purposes and to allow potential proposers the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirements, as well as promote competition. This RFI is subject to review or cancellation at any time and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. The Government will not pay for the information submitted in response to this request, and respondents will not be notified of the results. Please do not request a copy of the solicitation, as no solicitation exists at this time. If a firm requirement is developed and a solicitation is issued, the solicitation will be made available through NSPIRES ( https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external ). It is the responsibility of Offerors and interested parties to monitor the internet sites for the release of the solicitation and amendments, if any, and they will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the documents. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for potential acquisitions can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html . 6. Point of Contact Questions concerning this Request for Information may be addressed to: Dr. Martin Still, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Email: [email protected].