NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI-B7: EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS FOR IN SITU RESOURCE UTILIZATION (ESI26-ISRU)
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 $1.5 million to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 3 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$1.5 million
- Expected awards3
- 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 $1.5 million 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 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.
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-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.