NNH25ZTR001N-25ECF-B1: EARLY CAREER FACULTY (ECF25)
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 2025.
NASA Headquarters offered grants of up to $750,000 to colleges and universities. It expected to make about 6 awards. Applications closed on July 12, 2025.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed July 11, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$750,000
- Expected awards6
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | July 11, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | July 12, 2025 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | July 14, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to colleges and universities.
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
See "Description" below and Full Announcement for eligibility requirements.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past Space Technology awards averaged $347,956; this notice allows up to $750,000 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
Description*: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released the solicitation Early Career Faculty (ECF), as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2025 (SpaceTech REDDI 2025).”. The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting “Open” under "Solicitations," and searching "Early Career Faculty (ECF25)” under Keywords, or directly via https://tinyurl.com/NASA-ECF25. The Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within STMD seeks proposals from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of their outstanding new faculty members who intend to develop academic careers related to space technology. The solicitation will exclusively seek proposals that are responsive to one of the following two topics: Topic 1 – Advanced Diagnostics for High-Enthalpy Test Facilities Simulating Spacecraft Atmospheric Entry Topic 2 – Planning for Autonomous Spacecraft Using Machine Learning Methods to Enable Onboard Guidance, Navigation, and Control Only accredited U.S. universities are eligible to submit proposals on behalf of their outstanding new faculty members who intend to develop academic careers related to space technology. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be an untenured Assistant Professor on the tenure track at the sponsoring U.S. university at the time of award (January 2026). The PI must be a U.S. citizen or have lawful status of permanent residency at the time of award. The PI must be the primary researcher on the effort; Co-Investigators are not permitted. Collaborators (other than NASA civil servants/JPL) are permitted. See the solicitation for complete requirements regarding eligibility and for definitions and restrictions regarding collaborators. A PI may submit only one proposal in response to this appendix. The financial and programmatic support for ECF comes from the Space Technology Research Grants Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. Awards are planned to start in January 2026. NASA plans to make approximately 6 awards as a result of this ECF solicitation, subject to the receipt of meritorious proposals and the availability of funds. 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.
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 NNH25ZTR001N-25ECF-B1 still open?
No. It closed on July 12, 2025. A newer notice is open: NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC-A2, rolling or no fixed deadline.
Who can apply for EARLY CAREER FACULTY (ECF25)?
NASA Headquarters accepted applications from colleges and universities. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for EARLY CAREER FACULTY (ECF25)?
Closed July 12, 2025. 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 $750,000 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.