Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NASA Invites Universities to Submit Innovative Early-Stage Technology Proposals

  • 05/21/15

NASAWASHINGTON, DC – NASA is seeking proposals from universities for early stage technology development that will support the agency's long-term plans for human exploration of Mars and scientific study of our solar system and beyond.

The Early Stage Innovations NASA Research Announcement calls for innovative space technology proposals that could benefit NASA's space program, other government agencies and the greater aerospace community.

“We are looking for innovative ideas where top researchers from U.S. universities can help solve the toughest space technology challenges as we look to begin our journey to pioneer our solar system,” says Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The areas of focus we selected align with our Space Technology Roadmaps, which reflect the National Research Council's review of these roadmaps.”

Only accredited U.S. universities may submit proposals under this solicitation. Notices of intent to submit proposals to the Early Stage Innovations Appendix of NASA's Research Announcement, “Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration and Infusion 2015,” are due June 12. The deadline for submitting final proposals is July 10.

The proposals may cover transformative space technologies in different fields, including planetary exploration capabilities, such as payload technologies for assistive free-flyers and robotic mobility technologies for the surfaces of icy moons. They may also cover material science, such as discrete cellular materials assembly, repair and reconfiguration, and computationally guided structural nanomaterials design.

Other topics could include optical communication for space using integrated photonics, atmospheric entry modeling development using data from the first flight test of NASA's Orion spacecraft in December 2014, and high voltage power management and distribution electronics for space applications.

The agency expects to make approximately 12 awards this fall, with total award amounts of as much as to $500,000. Research and development efforts will take place over two to three years.

To view the announcement and information for submitting proposals, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/1FtZeTk

For more information about NASA’s investments in space technology, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech.

Featured

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.

  • University of Pittsburgh to Build New Residence Hall

    The Board of Trustees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall for first-year students, according to university news.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.