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NASA clarifies NIAC Step A requirements ahead of October 28 deadline

U.S. organizations can seek up to $225,000 for nine-month aerospace concept studies. Awards depend on appropriations.

By PV Weekly Editorial 2 min read
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A tan office building with a curved facade and rows of windows stands at a street intersection, with a U.S. flag overhead.
NASA Headquarters at 300 E Street SW in Washington, D.C., in a file photograph. Credit: NASA.NASA · Public domain
Photo detailsContextual file photo of the agency’s headquarters; it does not depict the NIAC amendment, a proposed project or an award recipient. The source summary dates it between 1992 and May 7, 1997, while an older upload entry lists March 15, 2008; the exact date remains unresolved. The complete item-specific rights text credits NASA and establishes public-domain status in the United States. Restrictions on NASA logos, insignia and emblems remain applicable. Source: the linked source record Resized for publication; no scene content was added or removed.

NASA’s October 15 amendment to its 2027 Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I call asks Step A applicants to include a high-level list of Phase I study objectives. Submissions for solicitation NNH26ZTR001N-27NIAC_A1 are due October 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

The call seeks early studies of unexplored, technically credible aerospace concepts tied to a specific mission that would use them. All categories of U.S. organizations may apply, subject to the notice’s full eligibility terms. Only invited applicants may submit the expanded Step B proposal.

NASA sets a ceiling of $225,000 per award for a nine-month study. In the amended notice checked October 18, 2026, NASA lists no available appropriated funding for this call; awards depend on appropriations and are not guaranteed.

Step A requires a cover page generated by NASA’s NSPIRES proposal system, a one-page landscape overview chart using the current template, and a technical and management section limited to three pages. References are optional. A detailed work plan and discussion of the budget and team are neither required nor requested at Step A; that material belongs in Step B.

Review the governing documents on the solicitation’s NSPIRES page, including the amended appendix and Amendment 1, and obtain the current overview chart template there. Coordinate with your organization’s authorized organizational representative (AOR), who completes submission. NIAC accepts proposals only through NSPIRES. Verify successful submission through the confirmation email to the AOR and principal investigator or by checking that the proposal appears under Submitted Proposals in the system.

Sources

Reported from public primary documents with AI assistance, independent source retrieval, and separate editorial reviews. No interviews, site visits or equipment tests were performed. Issuer statements retain attribution; announced plans are not completed results.