80HQTR21NOA01-21ESI-B2: EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI)
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II (NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2). Status: Rolling or no fixed deadline. It is in our archive of National Aeronautics and Space Administration notices from 2021.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration offered grants of up to $650,000 to colleges and universities. It expected to make about 10 awards. Applications closed on June 28, 2021.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed April 28, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$650,000
- Expected awards10
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | April 28, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | June 28, 2021 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | July 28, 2021 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to colleges and universities.
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
See "Description" below or Full Announcement for clarification.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Space Technology awards averaged $347,956; this notice allows up to $650,000 per award.
- Most of the program's money (39% over five years) went to nonprofits.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
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.
Who has won Space Technology grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Space Technology (43.012) awarded $327 million across 939 grant awards, an average of $347,956 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech Research Corp | Georgia | 40 | $25.2 million |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | Colorado | 47 | $22.3 million |
| University of Texas at Austin | Texas | 24 | $18.1 million |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts | 52 | $17.9 million |
| Purdue University | Indiana | 36 | $16.8 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is 80HQTR21NOA01-21ESI-B2 still open?
No. It closed on June 28, 2021. A newer notice is open: NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2, rolling or no fixed deadline.
Who can apply for EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI)?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration accepted applications from colleges and universities. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI)?
Closed June 28, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $650,000 each.
Who has won Space Technology grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Georgia Tech Research Corp, The Regents of the University of Colorado, University of Texas at Austin. The program made 939 awards worth $327 million in that time.