CFPs: Advancing Space Science and Engineering in Central America

They aim to support innovative ideas from brilliant minds in the region, where there is a lack funding and infrastructure support for space initiatives. Proposals must align with their mission to position Central America within the global space economy.

Objectives

• Support the development and maturation of space science, engineering, and/or entrepreneurship projects in Central America.
• Enable Central American teams to participate and succeed in the global space economy.

Funding Information

• Total funding pool: USD $5,000.
• Up to three projects may be selected. Jaguar Space reserves the right not to fund any proposal if none score at least 70%, none is aligned with the call for proposal theme, or if proposals are otherwise determined non-fundable.
• Each proposal may request up to $5,000, though the intent is to fund multiple (ideally three) projects.
• Awards disbursed in three stages via electronic bank-to-bank transfer:
  • 30% after approved Kick-Off Presentation Deck (including Jaguar Space feedback addressed)
  • 50% after approved Critical Review Deck (including Jaguar Space feedback addressed)
  • 20% after approved Closeout Review Deck (including Jaguar Space feedback addressed)
• All funded projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving Authority to Proceed (ATP).

Expected Deliverables

• The deliverable for each milestone is described in brackets and payment is based on the receipt and approval of the deliverables by Jaguar Space:
  • ATP Issued – Official project start
  • Kick-Off Presentation – Within 30 days of ATP – [Presentation Deck and Jaguar Space feedback addressed]
  • Critical Review – Within 9 months of ATP – [Critical Review Deck and Jaguar Space feedback addressed]
  • Closeout Review – No later than 15 days before the project end date [Closeout Review Deck and Jaguar Space feedback addressed]

Eligibility Criteria

• Teams must be based in, and projects conducted within, one or more Central American countries.
• Leadership team members must be residents of Central America. Non-resident contributors are welcome but may not hold leadership roles.
• Principal Investigator (PI) must be a citizen of a Central American country and at least 18 years old by the date of Step-1 proposal submittal.
• Non-Central American collaborators may be included but are not eligible for funding.
• Project work must be conducted within Central America unless prior written approval is obtained from Jaguar Space.

Application Requirements

• All proposals must be:
  • Submitted as PDF, letter-size
  • Single-spaced, one-column layout, with 1-inch margins
  • Written in Times New Roman, 12 pt
  • Prepared in English, to align with international engagement goals
• Step-1 Proposal Contents (max. 2 pages)
  • Cover Letter: Jaguar Space format included at the end of this call for proposals. Does not count towards the 2-page maximum.
  • Executive Summary: Max. 100 words. Shall contain information on each of the segments of the Step-1 proposal described below.
  • Background: Myriad topics are expected, and the reviewers may not be experts on the specific theme of each proposal. The background section allows non-experts to understand the topic of each proposal and be ready to review it.
  • Technical Aspects: This section describes the goals, methodology, hypotheses (as applicable), deliverables (the output of the project), and their significance. Enough detail must be provided for the reviewers to be able to make informed judgements on the overall merit of the proposal, its relevance to the call for proposals, and its novelty and ability to allow the team to enter the global new space economy.
  • Budget: This section describes how much is needed and why. Each team may choose their own format, but a brief narrative or explanation of why each category of expense will be needed is required. Funds from this grant cannot be used for travel. Acceptable categories include consumables, equipment, tools, personnel salary, publications, and overhead (applicable to institutions only).
  • Team: Indicate the name of each leadership position and briefly describe their previous experience that will enable them to fulfill their responsibilities within this project. Enough detail must be provided for the reviewers to be able to make informed judgements on the probability that the investigators will be able to accomplish their stated objectives with current and requested resources.
  • References and citations: No page limit. Does not count against the 2-page limit.

For more information, visit Jaguar Space.