NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II
NASA funds up to two-year NIAC Phase II awards to further develop promising Phase I visionary space technology concepts and explore infusion paths for NASA and other partners.
⚑ Eligibility is deferred to the posted solicitation/appendix; this notice does not state applicant class limits. · Future appendix posting; due dates not yet available in the notice.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 75 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
| IPPRA | 33 weak | outside portfolio topics; social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; eligibility unclear — verify in the NOFO |
Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters anticipates release of a solicitation, titled “NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), Phase II,” as an Appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) NASA Research Announcement (NRA), titled “Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion - 2026 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2026),” on or about May 11, 2026 . Once the Appendix is posted, complete details (to include due dates) can be accessed via the following steps:
1. Open the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/
2. Select "Solicitations"
3. Select "Open”
4. Select "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion – 2026 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2026) NNH26ZTR001N”
5. Select “List of Open Program Elements”
6. Select “NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), Phase II- NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC_A2"
7. Select “NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II Solicitation Document" under Announcement Documents.
The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program supports innovative research through Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III awards. Phase I awards are typically a nine-month effort to explore the overall feasibility and viability of visionary concepts. Phase II awards are for up to two years, to further develop the most promising Phase I concepts, and to explore potential infusion options within and beyond NASA. Phase III awards are designed to strategically advance and transition the most promising NIAC Phase II concepts to other NASA programs, other government agencies, or commercial partners.
Eligibility
See the solicitation for full eligibility criteria
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Thomas Ramirez-Pugh Peer Review Administrator <hq-niac@mail.nasa.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.
| 2026-07-07 | 3 docs | EXAMPLE (fictional demo project): Policy evaluation study measuring how a federa |