Congressionally Directed Programs (43.014)
Congressionally Directed Programs (Assistance Listing 43.014) is run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It awarded $43.3 million in 21 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $2.1 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $975,000. Half of the 21 awards fell between $856,000 and $1.5 million, and they ranged from $225,000 to $10.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$43.3 million
- Grant awards21
- Typical award$975,000
- Awarded in FY 2025-$2,814
- Size rank1,080 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceGrant
Key findings
- It is the 1080th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 14 states and territories.
What the program funds
NASA Community Projects/NASA Special Projects are provided by Congress for specific projects or programs in such a manner that the allocation (a) circumvents a merit-based or competitive allocation process, (b) applies to a very limited number of individuals or entities or (c) otherwise curtails the ability of the Executive Branch to independently manage the agency budget.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Community Projects/Special Projects are specified in the Explanatory Statement, by reference, and the intended recipient of a Community Project/Special Project is designated in the Explanatory Statement pursuant to the statute.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Training, Education Outreach, Technology Development; Research STEM Education Restrictions for the Community Project/Special Project is: (1) For-profit-entities are banned; (2) Construction is prohibited; and (3) NASA is not to have “substantial involvement” and shall award as a grant and not cooperative agreements;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Proposers shall review the Request for Proposal (RFP) for application deadlines or contact the appropriate Point of Contact proposal for additional information
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2022: Hydroponics Research; Aerospace Systems and Technology Developments; Integrated Circuit Platform Project; Ecological Modeling; Research CenterFiscal Year2023: Support for Advanced Materials Research and Research Equipment; Planetariums Projects; Advanced Air Mobility Education; Digital Manufacturing Technology; Next Generation Innovation for a Resilient Supply ChainFiscal Year2024: STEM Education Program Expansion; Boys and Girls Club STEM for Underserved Children and Youth: Ultimate Afterschool Care; STEM-For-All Space Institute; Youth Space Exploration STEM Project;Fiscal Year2025: In-Space Manufacturing Research and Technology Development; Ultimate Afterschool Exploration Program; STEM Education program; STEM Space Exploration Coding Initiative; Addressing Air Quality and Environmental Inequities
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Congressionally Directed Programs (43.014) awarded $43.3 million across 21 grant awards, an average of $2.1 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita State University | Kansas | 1 | $10.0 million |
| Morehead State University | Kentucky | 1 | $10.0 million |
| The Texas A&m University System | Texas | 1 | $4.5 million |
| West Virginia University | West Virginia | 2 | $2.5 million |
| Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama | Alabama | 1 | $2.4 million |
| Challenger Learning Center of Maine | Maine | 1 | $2.2 million |
| The University of Mississippi | Mississippi | 1 | $1.5 million |
| The University of Iowa | Iowa | 1 | $1.5 million |
| Framingham State University | Massachusetts | 1 | $1.0 million |
| The Corporation of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory at Gothic | Colorado | 1 | $975,000 |
| The Ohio State University | Ohio | 1 | $963,000 |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland | 1 | $963,000 |
| Baylor College of Medicine | Texas | 1 | $963,000 |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | Colorado | 1 | $950,000 |
| Worcester Natural History Society | Massachusetts | 1 | $856,000 |
| Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky, Inc | Kentucky | 1 | $650,000 |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | New Jersey | 1 | $566,000 |
| Texas State University | Texas | 1 | $500,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, Inc. | Indiana | 1 | $300,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Inc | Colorado | 1 | $225,000 |
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 50% of the money, nonprofits 42% and colleges and universities 8.0%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 9 | $21.5 million | 50% |
| Nonprofits | 9 | $18.4 million | 42% |
| Colleges and universities | 3 | $3.5 million | 8.0% |
By state
10 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 2 | $10.6 million |
| Kansas | 1 | $10.0 million |
| Texas | 3 | $6.0 million |
| West Virginia | 2 | $2.5 million |
| Alabama | 1 | $2.4 million |
| Maine | 1 | $2.2 million |
| Colorado | 3 | $2.1 million |
| Massachusetts | 2 | $1.9 million |
| Mississippi | 1 | $1.5 million |
| Iowa | 1 | $1.5 million |
| Maryland | 1 | $963,000 |
| Ohio | 1 | $963,000 |
| New Jersey | 1 | $566,000 |
| Indiana | 1 | $300,000 |