Request for Information: Conference on Lunar, Planetary and Space Sciences

1. Summary NASA is seeking interest from entities in collaborating with NASA on a nonreimbursable (no exchange of funds) basis to collaborate on planning and logistics, as well as development of program content, for an annual planetary, lunar, and space science conference over the next five years. This partnership is expected to follow established models, where NASA partners on a collaborative basis with a host that holds its own conference. In this arrangement, NASA pays for its own contributions to the partnership, while the partner covers the other conference costs, including providing the venue. This Request for Information seeks input to identify interest of potential partner(s) (“Partner”) for a potential partnership opportunity with NASA. NASA is interested in receiving responses with creative ideas for a potential opportunity to collaborate on scientific program content for the conference once yearly from 2026 – 2030 over the course of the 5-year partnership. Those entities that can expand participation among planetary science community members with disabilities and/or from underrepresented groups are encouraged to respond.
2 Depending on the responses to this RFI, NASA may 1) proceed to have discussions with individual respondents or 2) release an Announcement for Partnership Proposals (AFPP) to compete this opportunity with NASA under a nonreimbursable (no exchange of funds) Space Act Agreement, or both 1 and 2. Any resultant agreement(s) from this RFI or potential future AFPP will define the full roles and responsibilities of NASA and the selected Partner(s). For more information on Space Act Agreements and to see samples of such agreements, please see https://www.nasa.gov/partnerships.html. 2. Background Over the past several decades, NASA’s Planetary Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate has supported the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) to engage and advance the planetary science community. This conference has served as a forum for the sharing of lunar, planetary and space science research, with more than 2,000 scientists attending each year. On the order of 2,000 abstracts are submitted each year, with scientific results being disseminated through the publication of those abstracts, along with poster and oral presentations. Details about the 2024 LPSC conference can be found here: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2024/index.shtml#about. Going forward, NASA is interested in partnering with an entity on a no-funds-exchanged basis on a community-led, community-organized annual conference on planetary, lunar, and space science of a similar size and scope as LPSC. NASA anticipates collaborating with a Partner on a conference that will provide a forum or venue for reporting on new discoveries, sharing data and insights, advancing collaborative efforts and initiating new ones, planning new projects, and educating the next generation of planetary scientists. Many