B.2 Airspace Technology Demonstration (ATD) Project | NNH15ZEA001N ATD

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH15ZEA001N ATD

The B.2 Airspace Technology Demonstration (ATD) Project opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NNH15ZEA001N ATD) is a NASA Headquarters discretionary grant solicitation released as Amendment 8 to the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) Research Opportunities in Aeronautics (ROA) 2015 NASA Research Announcement (NRA). It was published in NSPIRES on October 13, 2015, and it invites research and development proposals that support NASA's Airspace Technology Demonstration efforts, which are aimed at maturing and demonstrating technologies that can improve the performance, safety, and efficiency of the National Airspace System. The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and it is associated with CFDA 43.002. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning NASA is broadly open to proposals from qualified applicants rather than limiting the competition to a narrow applicant type.

This amendment includes four specific subtopics under Appendix B.2, each targeting a different airspace modernization challenge where NASA is looking for practical, demonstrable outcomes rather than purely theoretical work. The first subtopic (2.1) calls for a feasibility study focused on identifying retrofit avionics solutions that can support multiple ADS-B In applications, with particular emphasis on the data interfaces needed to make those applications implementable. In practical terms, this is about determining how existing aircraft can be equipped or upgraded (without requiring brand-new avionics architectures) to take advantage of ADS-B In capabilities, and how the data should flow between avionics components, displays, and decision-support tools so the solutions are realistically deployable.

The second subtopic (2.2) seeks technologies that help indicate system status and interdependencies during complex non-normal situations. This area is aimed at improving how operators and/or automation understand what is happening when things do not go according to plan, especially when multiple systems interact and a failure or abnormal condition in one system can cascade into others. The intent is to develop or evaluate approaches that make it clearer what is working, what is degraded, what assumptions are no longer valid, and what downstream impacts might occur, so that decision-making under time pressure becomes more accurate and less error-prone.

The third subtopic (2.3) requests an assessment of the benefits and costs of integrating arrival, departure, and surface operations with ATD-2. This is essentially an evaluation effort: applicants are asked to analyze what improvements can be achieved (for example, throughput, reduced delays, better predictability, operational efficiency, or reduced fuel burn) when these phases of operation are integrated under the ATD-2 concept, and to weigh those benefits against the costs and practical considerations of implementation. The deliverable emphasis is on a structured benefits-and-costs picture that can inform whether and how integrated operational concepts should be pursued, transitioned, or scaled.

The fourth subtopic (2.4) focuses on analyzing common routing for multiple flights during severe weather events. This topic is aimed at understanding how flights can be coordinated around disruptive weather in ways that reduce complexity and improve efficiency, potentially by identifying shared or standardized route structures that many aircraft can use. The work implied here is analytical in nature, looking at how common-route strategies might perform during weather disruptions, what constraints and tradeoffs emerge, and what the operational impacts could be for airlines, air traffic management, and overall system performance.

In terms of deadlines, the solicitation required Notices of Intent (NOIs) by October 21, 2015, and full proposals by November 23, 2015. The grant mechanism indicates NASA intended to fund selected proposals through financial assistance awards rather than procurement contracts, and submissions were to be managed through NSPIRES as part of the broader ROA 2015 NRA framework.

• The NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "B.2 Airspace Technology Demonstration (ATD) Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.002.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-11-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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