High Altitude Community Observatory (HACO) Development Program

High Altitude Community Observatory (HACO) Development Program is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF supports development of high-altitude platforms for astronomical observations, including buoyant systems like aerostats for ultra-high altitude research applications. This program should be reviewed carefully against your organization's mission, staffing capacity, timeline, and compliance readiness before you commit resources to a full application. Strong submissions usually translate sponsor priorities into concrete objectives, clear implementation milestones, and measurable public benefit.

For planning purposes, treat March 15, 2026 as your working submission target unless the sponsor publishes an updated notice. A competitive project plan should include a documented need statement, implementation approach, evaluation framework, risk controls, and a realistic budget narrative. Even when a grant allows broad program design, reviewers still expect credible evidence that the proposed work can be executed within the grant period and with appropriate accountability.

Current published award information indicates $1,000,000 - $5,000,000 Organizations should verify the final funding range, matching requirements, and allowability rules directly in the official opportunity materials before preparing a budget. Finance and program teams should align early so direct costs, indirect costs, staffing assumptions, procurement timelines, and reporting obligations all remain consistent throughout drafting and post-award administration.

Eligibility guidance for this opportunity is: Universities, research institutions, consortia If your organization has partnerships, subrecipients, or collaborators, define responsibilities and compliance ownership before submission. Reviewers often look for implementation credibility, so letters of commitment, prior performance evidence, and a clear governance model can materially strengthen the application narrative and reduce concerns about delivery risk.

A practical approach is to begin with a focused readiness review, then build a workback schedule from the sponsor deadline. Confirm required attachments, registration dependencies, and internal approval checkpoints early. This reduces last-minute issues and improves submission quality. For the most accurate requirements, always rely on the official notice and primary source links associated with High Altitude Community Observatory (HACO) Development Program.

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S. National Science Foundation Document Type:Grants Notice Funding Opportunity Number:08-581 Funding Opportunity Title:NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships Opportunity Category:Discretionary Opportunity Category Explanation: Funding Instrument Type:Grant Category of Funding Activity:Science and Technology and other Research and Development Expected Number of Awards:9 Assistance Listings:47.

049 -- Mathematical and Physical Sciences Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:No Last Updated Date:Aug 12, 2011 Original Closing Date for Applications:Oct 14, 2009 Full Proposal Deadline(s): Second Wednesday in October, Annually Current Closing Date for Applications:This publication has been replaced by NSF 11-559 and has been archived Archive Date:Aug 12, 2011 Estimated Total Program Funding:$ 750,000 Eligible Applicants:Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification) Additional Information on Eligibility:*Organization Limit: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships are awards to individuals; proposals are submitted directly by the fellowship candidate to NSF.

Each candidate must identify one or more sponsoring scientist(s) and host institution(s) at the time of proposal submission. Candidates may propose to hold the fellowship at: <ul><li>U. S.

institutions of higher education,</li><li>NSF-funded national centers, facilities or institutes such as the national observatories or the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP),</li><li>U. S. non-profit organizations with research and educational missions, and/or</li><li>International sites that are operated by U.

S. organizations eligible for NSF funding, such as Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory (CTIO) or Gemini South. </li></ul> National centers, facilities or institutes funded by other federal agencies, such as NASA or the U.

S. Department of Energy, are ineligible as host institutions for the NSF AAPF Program. *PI Limit:Fellowships are awarded to individuals.

The fellowship candidate submits his or her proposal directly to NSF. See the Additional Eligibility Information section for further information about eligibility limitations. Agency Name:U.

S. National Science Foundation Description:NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships provide an opportunity for highly qualified, recent doctoral scientists to carry out an integrated program of independent research and education.

Fellows may engage in observational, instrumental, theoretical, laboratory or archival data research in any area of astronomy or astrophysics, in combination with a coherent educational plan for the duration of the fellowship. The program supports researchers for a period of up to three years with fellowships that may be taken to eligible host institution(s) of their choice.

The program is intended to recognize early-career investigators of significant potential and to provide them with experience in research and education that will establish them in positions of distinction and leadership in the community.

Link to Additional Information:NSF Publication 08-581 Grantor Contact Information:If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: If you have any problems linking to this funding announcement, please contact #### Health & Human Services * Vulnerability Disclosure Policy * Frequently Asked Questions Your session will expire in 3 minutes. To continue working, click on the "OK" button below.

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