Funding Wizard

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released a solicitation, titled Early Stage Innovations (ESI), as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2021 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2021), on April 28, 2021. The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ by selecting "Solicitations," then selecting "Open Solicitations," and, finally, selecting "Early Stage Innovations (ESI)."The Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within STMD seeks proposals from accredited U.S. universities to develop unique, disruptive, or transformational space technologies that have the potential to lead to dramatic improvements at the system level — performance, weight, cost, reliability, operational simplicity, or other figures of merit associated with space flight hardware or missions. The projected impact at the system level must be substantial and clearly defined.Our Nation’s universities couple fundamental research with education, encouraging a culture of innovation based on the discovery of knowledge. Universities are, therefore, ideally positioned to both conduct fundamental space technology research and diffuse newly-found knowledge into society at large through graduate students and industry, government, and other partnerships. STMD investments in space technology research at U.S. universities promote the continued leadership of our universities as an international symbol of the country's scientific innovation, engineering creativity, and technological skill. These investments also create, fortify, and nurture the talent base of highly skilled engineers, scientists, and technologists to improve America’s technological and economic competitiveness.Only accredited U.S. universities are eligible to submit proposals. Teaming is permitted - see solicitation for complete eligibility requirements as well as teaming restrictions.A PI (see solicitation for restrictions) or Co-I may participate in no more than two proposals in response to this solicitation.NASA encourages submission of ESI proposals on behalf of tenure-track faculty members at all U.S. universities and especially encourages proposals submitted on behalf of women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities.The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to one of the five topics:Topic 1 – Advanced Materials for High-Voltage Power Transmission on the MoonTopic 2 – Development of Quantum Communication TechnologiesTopic 3 – Cognitive Networking Advancements for Lunar Communication and NavigationTopic 4 – Supersonic Retropropulsion Wind Tunnel Data AnalysisTopic 5 – Advanced Heat Rejection Technologies for Space-Flight RadiatorsNASA anticipates addressing other topics in future ESI Appendix releases.The financial and programmatic support for ESI comes from the Space Technology Research Grants Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. Awards are planned to start in mid-January 2022. NASA plans to make approximately 10 awards as a result of this ESI solicitation, subject to the receipt of meritorious proposals. The actual number of awards will depend on the quality of the proposals received; NASA reserves the right to make no awards under this solicitation.All proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES or through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) by an authorized organizational representative. Notices of Intent (strongly encouraged) are due by May 26, 2021 with proposals due on or before June 28, 2021, 5 pm Eastern. Detailed submission instructions and due dates are provided in the solicitation. Potential proposers and their proposing organizations are urged to familiarize themselves with the submission system(s), ensure they are registered in NSPIRES, and submit the required proposal materials well in advance of the deadline.All technical and programmatic comments and questions may be addressed by email to the Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive, at hq-esi-call@mail.nasa.gov. Responses to inquiries will be answered by email and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.

MAIANSE CONNECT fosters STEM Ecosystems that focus on building connections between indigenous culture and NASA through community collaborations. Eligible institutions include Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs), and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHs), as identified by the U.S. Department of Education. MAIANSE CONNECT seeks proposals which include curriculum development, research activities, and student engagement with an overall goal to broaden participation in STEM. Proposers are encouraged to involve students at multiple grade levels resulting in a vertically- integrated program supporting sustainability and long-term community involvement.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Engagement (OSTEM) Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) solicits proposals from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to establish a MUREP Aerospace Academy (MAA) for high school students. Through opportunities to engage with STEM, the MAA will increase participation and retention of historically underserved (i.e., persons who live in rural areas and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality) and underrepresented (i.e., women, Black or African American, Latino/a, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color, members of religious minorities, LGBTQ+ persons and/or persons with disabilities) high school students in STEM areas and prepare them for success in college STEM degree programs and eventual STEM careers.

MUREP DEAP awards will establish Data Science Institutes (DEAP Institutes), led by PBIs and HBCUs, for data-intensive research in science and engineering that can accelerate discovery and innovation in a broad array of NASA Science Mission Directorate research domains. The DEAP Institutes will lead innovation by closely collaborating with NASA mentors for harnessing diverse data sources and developing and applying new methodologies, technologies, and infrastructure for data management and analysis research. The DEAP Institutes will support convergence between science and engineering research communities as well as expertise in Data Science foundations, systems, and applications. In addition, the DEAP Institutes will enable breakthroughs in science and engineering through collaborative, co-designed programs implementing NASA open science principles and architecture to formulate innovative data-intensive approaches to address critical national challenges.

Based on the availability of funding, proposals from eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions will be accepted and awards selected through a merit-based, peer-review competition for a cooperative agreement of up to $750,000 over 36 months.The following are the specific objectives of NASA EPSCoR:• Contribute to and promote the development of research capability in NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions in areas of strategic importance to the NASA mission;• Improve the capabilities of the NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions to gain support from sources outside the NASA EPSCoR program;• Develop partnerships among NASA research assets, academic institutions, and industry;• Contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities of higher education, and economic development of the jurisdiction.Per Public Law 102-588, proposals will be accepted only from the 26 NASA EPSCoR Directors at the lead institutions for which they are currently serving.The NASA EPSCoR Directors from the following jurisdictions are eligible to submit one proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, US Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Based on the availability of funding, proposals from eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions will be accepted and awards selected through a merit-based, peer-review competition for a cooperative agreement of up to $100,000 over 12 months.The following are the specific objectives of NASA EPSCoR:• Contribute to and promote the development of research capability in NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions in areas of strategic importance to the NASA mission;• Improve the capabilities of the NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions to gain support from sources outside the NASA EPSCoR program;• Develop partnerships among NASA research assets, academic institutions, and industry;• Contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities of higher education, and economic development of the jurisdiction.Per Public Law 102-588, proposals will be accepted only from the 28 NASA EPSCoR Directors at the lead institutions for which they are currently serving.The NASA EPSCoR Directors from the following jurisdictions are eligible to submit one proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, US Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Engagement (OSTEM) Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) solicits proposals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) to establish a MUREP Precollege Summer Institute (PSI) that will increase participation and retention of historically underserved and underrepresented high school students in STEM areas and prepare them for success in college STEM degree programs and STEM careers.

Based on the availability of funding, proposals from eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions will be accepted and awards selected through a merit-based, peer-review competition for a cooperative agreement of up to $100,000 over 36 months.The following are the specific objectives of NASA EPSCoR:• Contribute to and promote the development of research capability in NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions in areas of strategic importance to the NASA mission;• Improve the capabilities of the NASA EPSCoR jurisdictions to gain support from sources outside the NASA EPSCoR program;• Develop partnerships among NASA research assets, academic institutions, and industry;• Contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities of higher education, and economic development of the jurisdiction.Per Public Law 102-588, proposals will be accepted only from the 28 NASA EPSCoR Directors at the lead institutions for which they are currently serving.The NASA EPSCoR Directors from the following jurisdictions are eligible to submit one proposal to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, US Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

White House Space Policy Directive-1 (SPD-1), signed by the President in December 2017, directs NASA to lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system, and to bring new knowledge and opportunities back to Earth. The National Space Exploration Campaign calls for human and robotic exploration missions to expand our presence and understanding of the Earth, other worlds, and the cosmos. In response to this call and consistent with the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, NASA submitted to Congress a plan to revitalize and add direction to the Agency’s enduring purpose through the Artemis Program. Artemis is NASA’s lunar exploration program, which includes sending the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon by 2025. Through the Artemis Program, NASA will use new technology to study the Moon in new and better ways and to prepare for human missions to Mars. In support of NASA’s Artemis Program, the MUREP Space Technology Artemis Research (M STAR) activity is established to strengthen and develop the research capacity and infrastructure of U.S. MSIs in areas of strategic importance and value to NASA’s mission and national priorities.

NASA MUREP Women's Colleges and Universities (MUREP WCU) Activity is a new initiative seeking to address the significant gender gap and disparate experiences of women in STEM in the United States, both in higher education and the workforce. MUREP WCU contributes to NASA’s goals and priorities for STEM engagement by inspiring, training, and equipping women undergraduate and graduate students from groups traditionally underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields with the motivation, knowledge, and skills needed for success in undergraduate and graduate STEM degree programs and afterward in STEM careers. By providing students with access to NASA STEM Engagement content, resources, and technical assistance, MUREP WCU enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills, college/university and career readiness, student’s STEM efficacy, and personal investment and motivation to continue in STEM, thereby advancing U.S. national workforce development and educational goals. Note: This NOFO is open only to U.S. Women's Colleges and Universities (WCUs).