Early Stage Innovations | NNH24ZTR001N 24ESI B2

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH24ZTR001N 24ESI B2

NASA Headquarters is soliciting proposals under the Early Stage Innovations (ESI) appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement called "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2024 (SpaceTech REDDI 2024)." Released on April 4, 2024, this call is run through STMD's Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program and is aimed at early stage, high-impact university research that could meaningfully change the way space systems are built or operated. The central expectation is that the proposed technology is not just an incremental improvement, but something unique, disruptive, or transformational with a clearly explained, substantial system-level payoff, such as major gains in performance, reductions in mass, lower cost, improved reliability, or simpler operations for spaceflight hardware or missions.

Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. universities as submitting organizations. Teaming is allowed, but proposers need to follow the solicitation's specific rules on eligibility and teaming restrictions. There are also participation limits: any given Principal Investigator (subject to the solicitation's PI restrictions) or Co-Investigator may be listed on no more than two proposals for this ESI solicitation. NASA notes that it wants broad participation from tenure-track and tenured faculty across U.S. universities, and it especially encourages proposals submitted on behalf of, or including as team members, women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities.

This ESI release is narrowly focused on two technical topics, and proposals must align with one of them to be considered responsive. Topic 1 is Computational Materials Engineering for Lunar Metals Welding, which points to research that uses computational approaches to understand, predict, and improve welding or joining of metals in lunar-relevant conditions. Topic 2 is Passive Lunar Dust Control through Advanced Materials and Surface Engineering, targeting materials and surface solutions that reduce adhesion, accumulation, or harmful effects of lunar dust without relying on active mechanisms. NASA also signals that future ESI appendix releases may cover additional topics, but this round is restricted to those two.

NASA expects to make about six awards, though the final number depends on proposal merit and available resources, and NASA explicitly reserves the right to make no awards if the submission pool does not meet expectations. Funding is provided through the STRG Program within STMD, and awards are planned to begin in January 2025. The opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant in the science and technology / research and development category (CFDA 43.012), with the funding opportunity title "Early Stage Innovations" and number NNH24ZTR001N 24ESI B2.

To help improve fairness and reduce the effects of unconscious bias in evaluation, NASA will use a Dual-Anonymous Peer Review (DAPR) process. Under DAPR, reviewers do not know who the proposers are during the technical review phase, and proposers likewise do not know reviewer identities; proposer names and organizational identifiers are withheld from reviewers until after the anonymized technical review is completed. Practically, this means teams must pay close attention to the solicitation's anonymization requirements and formatting rules so the technical content can be judged on its merits without revealing identities.

Administrative details matter for this call because all submissions must be made electronically via NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative. A Notice of Intent is strongly encouraged and is due May 9, 2024. Full proposals are due on or before June 6, 2024, by 5:00 pm Eastern. NASA advises organizations to confirm NSPIRES registrations early and to upload required materials well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute system or compliance issues. Questions are directed to the Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive at hq-esi-call@mail.nasa.gov, and NASA may post answers in FAQ materials associated with the solicitation in NSPIRES while preserving the anonymity of those who submit questions.

The solicitation can be found in NSPIRES by going to https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting "Open" under "Solicitations," and searching for "Early Stage Innovations (ESI24)" under Keywords. For anything that affects eligibility, teaming, anonymization, or required proposal components, the controlling guidance is the full ESI appendix text in NSPIRES.

• The NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early Stage Innovations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.012.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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