NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)

The summary for the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the NASA Headquarters, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC): The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters, Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) will be releasing an umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled “Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2014 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2014)” on or about November 1, 2013. This will be STMD’s inaugural solicitation covering multiple STMD programs. The NRA will be accessible from the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) website (http://nspires.nasaprs.com ) by linking through the menu listing "Solicitations", and then selecting "Open Solicitations" and finally selecting “Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2014 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2014).” Under SpaceTech-REDDI-2014, proposals will be solicited through Appendices which will be issued as technology topics are defined and funding is made available for new opportunities. Once new Appendices are released, interested parties will be able to access them by clicking through the Open Solicitations link, then selecting “NRA NNH14ZOA001N”, and then selecting “List of Open Program Elements”. It is anticipated that this initial umbrella solicitation (SpaceTech-REDDI-2014) will be open for one year (through October 2014) and follow-up umbrella SpaceTech-REDDI solicitations will be issued annually at about the same time.The STMD portfolio supports a combination of early-stage studies, for assessing the feasibility of entirely new technologies (which corresponds to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) range from 1 to 3); maturing feasible technologies through rapid competitive development and ground-based testing (TRL 3-5); and flight demonstrations in relevant environments to complete the final steps prior to mission infusion (TRL 5-7). This technological diversity results in a sustainable pipeline of revolutionary concepts. STMD seeks aggressive technology development efforts that may require undertaking significant technical challenges and risk to achieve a higher potential payoff.The following STMD programs will be included in the SpaceTech-REDDI-2014 umbrella NRA: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program focuses on visionary aeronautics and space system concepts. TRL Range: 1-3 Appendix A1: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I Appendix A2: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase IISpace Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program engages academia in innovative research in advanced space technology. TRL Range: 1-3 Appendix B1: Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Early Career Faculty (ECF) Appendix B2: Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Early Stage Innovations (ESI)Game Changing Development (GCD) Program focuses on maturing advanced space technologies that may lead to entirely new approaches for the Agency's future space missions. TRL Range: 3-5 Appendix C1: Game Changing Development (GCD) Technology Topic TBD Appendix C2: Game Changing Development (GCD) Technology Topic TBD Appendix C3: Game Changing Development (GCD) Technology Topic TBDTechnology Demonstration Missions (TDM) Program seeks to mature laboratory-proven technologies to flight-ready status. TRL Range: 5-7 Appendix D1: Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) Topics TBDSmall Spacecraft Technology (SST) Program develops and demonstrates subsystem technologies and new mission capabilities for small spacecraft. TRL Range: 3-7 Appendix E1: Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) Development and Demonstration Appendix E2: Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) PartnershipsFlight Opportunities Program (FOP) facilitates low-cost access to suborbital environments for a broad range of innovators as a means of advancing space technology development and supporting the evolving entrepreneurial commercial space industry. TRL Range: 5-7 Appendix F1: Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) Technology Topic TBDAdditional information about the STMD Programs is available at http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech . The SpaceTech-REDDI-2014 solicitation will contain target release dates for the Appendices.To the greatest extent practicable, participation will be open to all categories of organizations, domestic and foreign, including industry, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies. Foreign entities may also partner with U.S. proposers, but only without an exchange of funding. The Appendices will provide details of the solicited opportunities including: specific scope of the work solicited, anticipated budget for new awards, number of awards anticipated, notice of intent and proposal due dates, and specific instructions about proposal content and evaluation criteria. The number and value of awards will depend on the availability of funds and the quality of proposals received. This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 35.016 and NFS 1835.016. Notwithstanding the posting of this opportunity at FedBizOpps.gov and Grants.gov, NASA reserves the right to determine the appropriate award instrument for each proposal selected pursuant to the NRA. The individual Program Officers and assigned Contracting Officers will be listed in the each Appendix.Information concerning general NRA policies and procedures may be found in the Guidebook for Proposers Responding to a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) or Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN), January 2013 Edition located at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/nraguidebook/proposer2013.pdf .Proposals must be submitted electronically using either NASA’s proposal data system, NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com ) or Grants.gov. Each electronic proposal system places requirements on the registration of principal investigators and other participants (e.g., co-investigators). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the electronic proposal system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this NRA must be registered with NSPIRES; organizations that intend on submitting proposals via Grants.gov must be registered with Grants.gov, in addition to being registered with NSPIRES. Registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal.Interested proposers should monitor the NSPIRES website or subscribe to the electronic notification system there for release of the SpaceTech-REDDI-2014 umbrella solicitation and Appendices. Further questions concerning the SpaceTech-REDDI-2014 solicitation may be directed to Bonnie James, STMD Senior Investment Strategist at E-mail: [email protected]. Responses to inquiries will be answered by e-mail and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.Point of Contact Name: Bonnie F JamesTitle: STMD Senior Investment StrategistPhone: 202-358-0370Fax: 202-544-6696Email: [email protected]