The complete details of this Call for Proposals are contained within this downloadable PDF document: Roman_Cycle1_Call.pdf.

Executive Summary

This Call for Proposals invites investigators to submit proposals to conduct scientific investigations with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The entirety of Roman data have no exclusive use period and will be released publicly after pipeline processing through the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). The Roman General Investigator Program solicits proposals to analyze Roman Wide Field Instrument (WFI) data, request new General Astrophysics Surveys with WFI, conduct theoretical investigations, and/or conduct analyses of publicly accessible ancillary data with direct relevance to Roman science. 

During the course of the five-year prime mission, we anticipate issuing five annual calls for proposals for most types of investigations, with three of the calls containing solicitations for new Roman observations: Cycles 1, 3, and 4 (subject to change). Approximately 30 General Astrophysics Survey (GAS) programs in total will be supported during the prime mission. In Cycle 1, up to six new GAS programs will be selected for a combined total of no more than 1200 hours of Roman observing time. These observations will primarily be scheduled within the first two years of the mission, but some may be scheduled later to accommodate scheduling constraints or science needs.

All proposals must be submitted electronically to the Science Support Center at IPAC using the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS) website. For Cycle 1, the proposal due date is Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 5:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time.

Proposal Planning

This Call provides an overview of Roman's technical capabilities, survey data products, research support, and information on proposal preparation and proposal submission procedure. Important proposal tools and documentation include the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS), the Exposure Time Calculator (ETC), the Roman Astronomer’s Proposal Tool (APT), and the Roman Documentation (RDox). Additional proposal submission assistance is available through the Roman Help Desk. Proposers should use RTPS (and APT version 2025.6.3 or later, where applicable) to submit their proposals.

Proposal Submission

Proposals should include the following elements:

• A Science Justification PDF: 
  • A justification for the scientific rationale of the project.
  • An analysis plan that details the path to science, including a detailed description of any Roman data to be analyzed such as the number of spectral elements and sky coverage in square degrees.
  • An implementation plan that describes the compute resources requested (if applicable), dissemination of results, and a high-level description of how the funds will be utilized. 
  • If requesting observing time: A technical justification describing how the observations will be implemented, including an explanation of field selection, observing modes, exposure time estimates, and target duplication (if applicable).
• A Team Expertise document providing a description of the expertise, background, and roles of key team members as they relate to the project proposed.
• If requesting observing time: A file generated by APT that provides a detailed specification of Roman observations. 

All proposals should be submitted to the Roman Science Support Center (SSC) at IPAC electronically, using the RTPS proposal submission tool. Proposals must conform to all the requirements and constraints described in this Call, including the Dual Anonymous Peer Review (DAPR) guidelines for the Science Justification PDF and the format and page limits listed in Proposal Templates. Proposals must be received by the due date and time indicated above. Late proposals will not be accepted.

Submission Policies

This solicitation is for proposals to the Roman General Investigator program. Each proposal must identify a single individual who will serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) and will be responsible for the scientific and administrative conduct of the project. There is no limit to the number of Co-Investigators (Co-Is) that may appear on a proposal. PIs based at a foreign institution can choose to designate a US-based co-PI for the administration of funding. The PI may also designate a Technical Contact for purposes of communications about technical topics with the Roman science operations team.

The program is open to investigators of any nationality or institutional affiliation. However, proposals involving only investigators based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or involving only PRC-based and U.S. investigators are subject to the NASA restriction on bilateral activity with China (see Section 1340 of the Public Law 112-10). Such investigations, whether funded or performed under a no-exchange-of-funds basis, shall be ineligible for award. See the PRC-related Frequently Answered Questions for further details. For purposes of this provision, Taiwan is not considered part of the PRC; however, Hong Kong is. 

There is no restriction on career level for who may serve as the Principal Investigator of a proposal. If the Principal Investigator is not eligible to administer funds at their institution, they must designate a co-PI for administration of funding. 

Proposal Review

Topical Science Review Panels and a Time Allocation Committee (TAC) organized by the SSC will adopt the DAPR process and evaluate the proposals based primarily on scientific merit and relevance to Roman capabilities. The TAC will recommend a list of programs to the Roman Selection Official at the Project Science Office, who will select the final list of approved programs for Cycle 1. Upon selection by the Roman Selection Official, programs that request new Roman observations will be entered into the Roman Planning and Scheduling Database for implementation of observations that will commence in January 2027, assuming a September 2026 launch. Pending the availability of NASA funds, funding for approved programs will be issued once the cycle begins.