# EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS FOR IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ESI26-ISRU)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/nnh26ztr001n-26esi-b7-early-stage-innovations-for-in-situ-resource-utilization/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363067

> NASA Headquarters offered grants of up to $1.5 million to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 3 awards. Applications closed on August 13, 2026.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI-B7 |
| Agency | NASA Headquarters |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | August 13, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $1.5 million |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | 3 |
| Total funding | not stated |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 43.012 |

## Who can apply

- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Private institutions of higher education, Public or State controlled institutions of higher education

## What the grant funds

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released the solicitation Early Stage Innovations for In Situ Resource Utilization (ESI26-ISRU), 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_B7. Through ESI, 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 the following topic: Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization Water Purification. 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. NASA plans to make approximately 3 awards as a result of this ESI 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. All proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative. Proposals are being solicited via a two-step process where preliminary proposals are mandatory and only those invited may submit a full proposal. Mandatory preliminary proposals are due on or before August 13, 2026, 5 pm Eastern, and the target deadline for invited full proposals is December 16, 2026, 5 pm Eastern.

## Questions people ask

### Is NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI-B7 still open?

No. It closed on August 13, 2026.

### Who can apply for EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS FOR IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ESI26-ISRU)?

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 FOR IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ESI26-ISRU)?

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 $1.5 million 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.