EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI26)
NASA’s Early Stage Innovations (ESI26) grant seeks proposals from U.S. universities for early-stage, high-priority space technology research in eight specified topics, with mandatory preliminary proposals due August 13, 2026.
Funder: NASA Headquarters
Due Dates: August 13, 2026: Mandatory preliminary proposal deadline (5:00 PM Eastern) | December 16, 2026: Target deadline for invited full proposals (5:00 PM Eastern)
Funding Amounts: Up to $750,000 per award; approximately 24 awards planned; project duration typically up to 3 years.
Summary: Supports innovative, early-stage space technology research at U.S. higher education institutions, targeting specific high-priority NASA topics at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).
Key Information: Two-step application: mandatory preliminary proposal, then invited full proposal.
Description
This opportunity from NASA Headquarters, under the Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program, seeks proposals for innovative, early-stage research in space technology from U.S. institutions of higher education. The focus is on advancing technologies at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) that address high-priority civil-space needs. Proposals must directly respond to one of eight specified topics, including advanced computational fluid dynamics, autonomous maintenance and manufacturing for the Moon and Mars, oxidation-resistant alloys, thermal protection materials, supersonic retropropulsion, onboard spacecraft navigation, electrospray thrusters, and robotic construction for lunar and Martian surface power grids. Only research with clear relevance to civil-space applications will be considered.
