EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI) | 80HQTR20NOA01 20ESI B2

Opportunity Information: Apply for 80HQTR20NOA01 20ESI B2

The Early Stage Innovations (ESI) opportunity is a NASA Headquarters grant solicitation released under the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement called "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2020 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2020)." It is run through STMDs Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program and is aimed at pushing early, university-led research that could become genuinely disruptive or transformational for future spaceflight systems. The core idea is not just to make incremental technical progress, but to show a credible path to major system-level gains such as better performance, lower mass, reduced cost, higher reliability, or simpler operations for space hardware or missions. NASA frames this as a strategic investment in university research because universities combine fundamental research with education and are well positioned to spread new knowledge through graduate students and partnerships with industry and government, strengthening the long-term technical workforce and U.S. competitiveness.

Eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. universities. Teaming is allowed, but proposers are expected to follow the specific eligibility details and teaming restrictions spelled out in the solicitation. NASA also limits how many times an individual can appear on proposals: a principal investigator or co-investigator may participate in no more than two proposals submitted under this ESI appendix. The program also explicitly encourages proposals submitted on behalf of women, individuals from underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities, signaling that broadening participation in advanced space technology research is an important program goal alongside technical innovation.

This ESI appendix only accepts proposals that squarely fit within one of six defined topic areas. Those topics are: Advanced High-Capacity Cryogenic Refrigeration Components; Modeling of Lunar Dust Behavior and Mitigation Techniques; Micromachining of Optical Structures for Remote Sensing Applications; Modeling and Model Validation of Parachute Dynamics During Inflation and Descent; Methodologies for Assessing Space Technology Portfolio Investments; and Advancement of Additive Manufacturing Techniques for High Temperature Materials. NASA notes that different topics may appear in future ESI releases, but for this round proposals must be clearly responsive to one of these six areas.

On funding and awards, the opportunity uses a grant instrument and lists an award ceiling of $650,000. NASA expected to make roughly 10 to 12 awards, depending on the strength and merit of proposals received, and it reserves the right to make no awards if warranted. The planned project start timeframe for selected awards was mid-January 2021, reflecting the program schedule tied to review, selection, and award processing.

Applications had to be submitted electronically through NSPIRES (the NASA proposal system) or via Grants.gov by an authorized organizational representative. A Notice of Intent was strongly encouraged and was due May 20, 2020, and full proposals were due by June 17, 2020 at 5:00 pm Eastern. NASA emphasized practical submission readiness, urging institutions to confirm NSPIRES registration and get required materials in well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.

For questions, NASA provided a single email address, hq-esi-call@mail.nasa.gov, with the STRG Program Executive, Claudia Meyer, as the technical and programmatic point of contact and Kimberly Cone as the acquisition point of contact. NASA indicated that responses would be provided by email and might also be added to an FAQ on the NSPIRES solicitation page, with anonymity preserved for those submitting questions. Key identifiers for the opportunity include the title "EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (ESI)" and funding opportunity number 80HQTR20NOA01 20ESI B2, under CFDA 43.012.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Headquarters in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EARLY STAGE INNOVATIONS (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 Apr 29, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 2020. (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 $650,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 80HQTR20NOA01 20ESI B2

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