80HQTR23NOA01-23ESI-B2: EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS
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 NASA Headquarters notices from 2023.
NASA Headquarters offered grants to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 6 awards. Applications closed on July 6, 2023.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed May 4, 2023. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Expected awards6
- Award amountsNot given on Grants.gov
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Other notices with this title
| Notice | Posted | Deadline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNH24ZTR001N-24ESI-B2 | April 4, 2024 | Closed June 6, 2024 | Closed |
Key dates
| Posted | May 4, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | July 6, 2023 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | August 5, 2023 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
See the full solicitation for eligibility requirements
Is this a realistic fit?
- 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 2023 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2023), on May 3, 2023. The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting “Open” under "Solicitations," and, finally, searching "Early Stage Innovations (ESI23)" under Keywords. 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 identified. 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 or tenured 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 following three topics: Topic 1 – Advancing Radiation-Hardened Photon Counting Sensor Technologies Topic 2 – Advancements in Predicting Plume-Surface Interaction Environments During Propulsive Landings Topic 3 – Advancing the Performance of Refrigeration Systems Based on the Elastocaloric Effect NASA 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 2024. NASA plans to make approximately 6 awards as a result of this ESI solicitation, subject to the receipt of meritorious proposals.
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 80HQTR23NOA01-23ESI-B2 still open?
No. It closed on July 6, 2023. A newer notice is open: NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2, rolling or no fixed deadline.
Who can apply for EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS?
NASA Headquarters accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS?
Closed July 6, 2023. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
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.