USAID Erasure Impact: NASA Halts SERVIR Solicitations
Keith’s note: as you may recall “SERVIR is was a joint development initiative of NASA and USAID, SERVIR works worked in partnership with leading regional organizations worldwide to help developing countries use information provided by Earth-observing satellites and geospatial technologies for managing climate risks and land use.” It is gone now – so NASA issued this notice: “ROSES-24 Amendment 118: SERVIR Applied Sciences Team Not Solicited” which says:
A.41 SERVIR Applied Sciences Team (AST) solicited proposals for membership on the SERVIR Applied Sciences Team and Team member projects until it was paused on February 19, 2025. Earlier this month USAID notified SERVIR partners that they have terminated all agreements and contracts with NASA and the SERVIR network. Without the partnership with USAID, NASA cannot continue the SERVIR program.
Thus, ROSES-2024 Amendment 118 announces that A.41 SERVIR AST is no longer solicited.
On or about March 31, 2025, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement “Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024” (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024
Questions concerning A.41 SERVIR AST may be directed to Nancy Searby at [email protected] and Ashutosh Limaye at [email protected].
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Formerly a NASA Communications Lead, I worked at NASA SERVIR in Huntsville, AL, before moving on to NASA Ames’ SBIR/STTR Department. SERVIR provided global access to NASA Earth data, empowering local communities to protect their economies from threats like frost, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters – realities of climate change. In rural communities that rely on farming, a single frost can wipe out an entire harvest, disrupting the economy for a year and affecting jobs. SERVIR helped tens of thousands across the globe.
I get that some might say, “Well, that was in other countries – and not the U.S.,” but consider the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and other disasters where the U.S. desperately needed aid from neighboring nations. I’ve met victims of the Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires in LA—on both sides of the political aisle—and seen the fear in their eyes as they struggle to rebuild their lives. Natural disasters and climate change do not heed any political beliefs.
It’s unfortunate that climate change has become such a politically divisive issue. In Cosmos, Neil deGrasse Tyson points out how culture has often blocked scientific understanding—like when people believed the Earth was the center of the universe. History is full of these moments, like the resistance to banning leaded gasoline despite its devastating health and environmental effects. So, we have to ask ourselves: What cultural beliefs do we currently hold onto that are no longer serving us? What are we so afraid of?
While I’m not asking for people to post their response, I encourage you to come from a place of peace and stillness within yourself in answering this question.
The cancelled SERVIR Applied Science Team was a USG program that won good will toward America by connecting partner countries with US grown science and its cutting edge scientists. How? By increasing the forecast lead time of extreme weather from weeks to days thereby saving lives with strengthened early warning systems in Southern Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, by giving farmers in West Africa critical weather information for agricultural decision making for increased crop yields, by tracking air pollution across South East Asia, droughts, illegal gold mining, and deforestation in South America, just to name a few. Sadly, the cancellation of the NASA/USAID SERVIR partnership ensures that America is no longer a global leader in applied geospatial information. America is no longer a trusted partner to help address the world’s most pressing needs for food security, water security, sustainable natural resource management, and clean air. Americans should be alarmed that China is actively filling the void of American soft power and scientific diplomacy. The People’s Republic of China is loving the Trump-Musk duo for giving them an unexpected power boost of legitimacy and global standing.