NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II | 80HQTR20NOA01 20NIAC A2

Opportunity Information: Apply for 80HQTR20NOA01 20NIAC A2

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II is a NASA Headquarters funding opportunity released as an appendix under the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) NASA Research Announcement called "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion - 2020 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2020)." NIAC is NASA's program for nurturing bold, early-stage aerospace ideas that are still high-risk but potentially high-payoff. Within that larger program structure, Phase II is designed to take the strongest NIAC Phase I concepts and move them into a deeper, more mature level of technical development, with a clear emphasis on figuring out credible paths for those concepts to be adopted ("infused") into NASA missions, directorates, or other relevant users beyond NASA.

Phase II awards are typically structured as a two-year effort. The goal is not simply to continue research for its own sake, but to expand the analysis, modeling, and validation that began in Phase I and to more concretely define feasibility, performance, technical challenges, and potential implementation approaches. Another key expectation is that Phase II work will actively explore realistic infusion options, meaning the proposing team should consider who might use the concept, what NASA needs it could address, and what steps would be required for it to transition from a promising idea into something that could eventually influence a mission concept, an enabling technology roadmap, or later-stage development programs.

Eligibility is broad in terms of the types of organizations that can apply, but it is conditional on prior NIAC participation. The appendix is open to all categories of U.S. organizations as long as they have successfully completed a NIAC Phase I study and that Phase I has not already been selected for Phase II. In other words, Phase II is not open as a stand-alone entry point; it is specifically a follow-on opportunity for prior NIAC Phase I awardees who are advancing that same concept. At the same time, NASA makes clear that NIAC Fellows (or their designees) from the predecessor program, the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts, are no longer eligible to submit Phase II proposals based on those older Phase I studies. Project teams can be drawn from a wide range of institutions: universities, commercial businesses, nonprofit organizations, research labs, government agencies, and NASA Centers, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Collaboration with non-U.S. organizations is allowed in principle, but it must comply with NASA's foreign participation rules as laid out in the broader SpaceTech-REDDI-2020 announcement.

From an administrative standpoint, proposals must be prepared and submitted through NASA's NSPIRES system, and proposers and co-investigators need to be registered there. Submission is electronic only, and the final proposal must be transmitted by an authorized organizational representative (AOR), which is an important compliance detail since individual investigators generally cannot submit on behalf of an institution without that authorization. NASA points applicants to the main SpaceTech-REDDI-2020 NRA and the "Guidebook for Proposers Responding to a NASA Funding Announcement" (April 2018) for the full set of formatting rules, required sections, and submission mechanics. NASA also strongly encourages organizations to get familiar with NSPIRES early and to upload materials well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute system or authorization issues.

Key dates for this specific cycle were a required Notice of Intent due December 16, 2019 at 5 PM Eastern, followed by a full proposal due February 12, 2020 at 5 PM Eastern. The opportunity was posted in December 2019 and is identified under Funding Opportunity Number 80HQTR20NOA01-20NIACA2, with CFDA 43.012. NASA anticipated making around eight awards, with an award ceiling listed at $500,000. The solicitation allows for different federal funding instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, and procurement contracts, reflecting that NASA may choose the instrument type that best matches the intended relationship and oversight structure for a given selection.

For ongoing communication and updates, NASA directs applicants to monitor the specific NSPIRES page for this appendix, where amendments, clarifications, and the FAQ may be posted. Questions can be emailed to hq-niac@mail.nasa.gov, and NASA notes that answers may be shared via email and also incorporated into the publicly posted FAQ while preserving the anonymity of the individuals or institutions that submitted the questions. Overall, the NIAC Phase II opportunity is best understood as a competitive, follow-on investment aimed at turning the most compelling NIAC Phase I ideas into more substantiated, better-defined concepts with a believable path toward future use by NASA or the broader aerospace community.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II" 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 Dec 10, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 12, 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for 80HQTR20NOA01 20NIAC A2

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