NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI-B2: EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI26)
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of NASA Headquarters notices from 2026.
NASA Headquarters offered grants of up to $750,000 to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 24 awards. Applications closed on August 13, 2026.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed July 6, 2026. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$750,000
- Expected awards24
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | July 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | August 13, 2026 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | September 12, 2026 |
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)
Private institutions of higher education, Public or State controlled institutions of higher education
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
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released the solicitation Early Stage Innovations (ESI), as an appendix to the Research and Technology Mission Directorate (RTMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2026 (SpaceTech REDDI 2026).”. The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting “Open” under "Solicitations," and searching "Early Stage Innovations (ESI26)” under Keywords, or directly via https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI_B2. Through ESI26, Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within RTMD solicits proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) for innovative, early-stage space technology research of high priority to NASA. Proposals are sought on specific space technologies that are currently at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are primarily responsive to civil-space needs and use cases and not terrestrial and/or non-civil-space applications. The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to one of the following eight topics: Acceleration of Computational Fluid Dynamics of High-Enthalpy Hypersonic Flows Using Advanced Numerics and Machine Learning Advancements in Autonomous Maintenance and Manufacturing Technologies for the Moon and Mars Computational Techniques for the Design and Characterization of Oxidation-Resistant Refractory Alloys for Aerospace Applications Entry-Induced Fracture Modeling of Thermal Protection Materials Experimental Characterization of Supersonic Retropropulsion Flows at Subscale Innovative and Adaptive Filtering Approaches for Onboard Autonomous Spacecraft Navigation Large Surface Area Electrospray Thruster Robotic Construction and Outfitting for Surface Power Grids on the Moon and Mars Only U.S. IHEs are eligible to submit proposals to this Appendix. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be either a tenured faculty member or an untenured faculty member on the tenure track from the proposing IHE. Teaming and collaboration are permitted, subject to the restrictions described in the solicitation. The financial and programmatic support for ESI comes from the STRG Program within RTMD. Awards are planned to start in June 2027.
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. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI-B2 still open?
No. It closed on August 13, 2026.
Who can apply for EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI26)?
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 (ESI26)?
Closed August 13, 2026. 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.