Early Stage Innovation (ESI) | NNH17ZOA001N 17ESI B2

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH17ZOA001N 17ESI B2

NASA Headquarters released the Early Stage Innovations (ESI) grant opportunity on May 11, 2017 as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement called "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2017 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2017)." The program sits under STMDs Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) effort and is aimed squarely at early, university-led research that could mature into space technologies with genuinely outsized payoff. The core theme is transformational impact: even if the research progress during the award is incremental, proposals are expected to clearly explain how the resulting technology could drive substantial, system-level improvements for spaceflight hardware or missions, such as better performance, lower mass, reduced cost, improved reliability, or simpler operations.

Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. universities, reflecting NASAs intent to leverage universities strengths in fundamental research and workforce development through graduate training and collaboration with industry and government partners. Teaming arrangements are allowed, but they come with rules and restrictions that applicants must follow as described in the solicitation. Participation is also capped: a principal investigator (PI) or co-investigator (Co-I) may be listed on no more than two proposals submitted to this specific call. NASA explicitly encourages submissions from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and it also encourages proposals that support or are submitted on behalf of women, underrepresented minorities, people with disabilities, and early-career faculty.

This ESI appendix is topic-specific rather than open-ended. Proposals must directly respond to one of seven defined technical areas: (1) advanced coating technology for space fission power and propulsion systems, (2) relative navigation algorithms and sensors that enable autonomous maneuvering near small celestial bodies, (3) cross-cutting technologies for extremely high frequency (EHF) band space applications, (4) extracting water from hard extraterrestrial soils, (5) predictive modeling of the thermo-structural behavior of thermal protection materials, (6) non-equilibrium thermodynamic modeling of alloy processing for additive manufacturing, and (7) lightweight, multifunctional lattice materials for space structures. NASA notes that additional topics may be introduced in future ESI appendix releases, but proposals to this solicitation must align with one of these seven.

On funding and awards, NASA planned to support the program through STMDs STRG program, with award start dates anticipated in winter 2018. NASA expected to make roughly 12 awards, but the final number would depend on the quality and merit of proposals received, and the agency reserved the right to make no awards at all if warranted. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $500,000, indicating the maximum anticipated funding per award under this solicitation.

For submissions, applicants had to apply electronically through NSPIRES (NASAs proposal system) or through Grants.gov, and submissions needed to be made by an authorized organizational representative. A Notice of Intent was strongly encouraged and was due June 2, 2017, with full proposals due on or before June 30, 2017. NASA emphasized the practical need for applicants to register early in NSPIRES and to become familiar with the submission platforms well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.

Questions and clarifications were handled through designated contacts and an FAQ process. Technical and programmatic questions were directed to the Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive, Claudia Meyer, via hq-esi-call@mail.nasa.gov, while acquisition-related questions could be sent to the acquisition point of contact, Kimberly Cone, at the same email address. NASA indicated that answers could be provided by email and also posted to the FAQ associated with the solicitation in NSPIRES, while preserving the anonymity of individuals or institutions that submitted questions. The contracting office associated with the opportunity was the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch in Greenbelt, Maryland.

• The NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Early Stage Innovation (ESI)" 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 2017-05-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-06-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NNH17ZOA001N 17ESI B2

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: