Opportunity Overview
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released the solicitation Early Stage Innovations for In Situ Resource Utilization (ESI26-ISRU), as an appendix to the Research and Technology Mission Directorate (RTMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion 2026 (SpaceTech REDDI 2026).”. The solicitation is available by opening the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting “Open” under "Solicitations," and searching "Early Stage Innovations (ESI26)” under Keywords, or directly via https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/NNH26ZTR001N-26ESI_B7.
Through ESI, Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within RTMD solicits proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) for innovative, early-stage space technology research of high priority to NASA. Proposals are sought on specific space technologies that are currently at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are primarily responsive to civil-space needs and use cases and not terrestrial and/or non-civil-space applications.
The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to the following topic: Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization Water Purification.
Only U.S. IHEs are eligible to submit proposals to this Appendix. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be either a tenured faculty member or an untenured faculty member on the tenure track from the proposing IHE. Teaming and collaboration are permitted, subject to the restrictions described in the solicitation.
The financial and programmatic support for ESI comes from the STRG Program within RTMD. Awards are planned to start in June 2027. NASA plans to make approximately 3 awards as a result of this ESI solicitation, subject to the receipt of meritorious proposals and the availability of funds. The actual number of awards will depend on the quality of the proposals received;...
Through ESI, Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program within RTMD solicits proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs) for innovative, early-stage space technology research of high priority to NASA. Proposals are sought on specific space technologies that are currently at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are primarily responsive to civil-space needs and use cases and not terrestrial and/or non-civil-space applications.
The solicitation exclusively seeks proposals that are responsive to the following topic: Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization Water Purification.
Only U.S. IHEs are eligible to submit proposals to this Appendix. The Principal Investigator (PI) must be either a tenured faculty member or an untenured faculty member on the tenure track from the proposing IHE. Teaming and collaboration are permitted, subject to the restrictions described in the solicitation.
The financial and programmatic support for ESI comes from the STRG Program within RTMD. Awards are planned to start in June 2027. NASA plans to make approximately 3 awards as a result of this ESI solicitation, subject to the receipt of meritorious proposals and the availability of funds. The actual number of awards will depend on the quality of the proposals received;...
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| Issuing agency | NASA Headquarters |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Category | Research Development |
| Estimated value | $1.5M |
| Published | July 06, 2026 |
| Procurement stage | Active solicitation |
| Closed | August 13, 2026 |
| Status | Closed — no longer accepting responses |
| Official source | View original notice |
| Last verified | October 11, 2026 |
Source: U.S. Government (Simpler.Grants.gov) — public domain. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government.
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