The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released the solicitation Early Stage Innovations (ESI), 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_B2. 

Through ESI26, 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 one of the following eight topics: 

1. Acceleration of Computational Fluid Dynamics of High-Enthalpy Hypersonic Flows Using Advanced Numerics and Machine Learning  
2. Advancements in Autonomous Maintenance and Manufacturing Technologies for the Moon and Mars 
3. Computational Techniques for the Design and Characterization of Oxidation-Resistant Refractory Alloys for Aerospace Applications  
4. Entry-Induced Fracture Modeling of Thermal Protection Materials  
5. Experimental Characterization of Supersonic Retropropulsion Flows at Subscale  
6. Innovative and Adaptive Filtering Approaches for Onboard Autonomous Spacecraft Navigation  
7. Large Surface Area Electrospray Thruster  
8. Robotic Construction and Outfitting for Surface Power Grids on the Moon and Mars 

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 24 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; NASA reserves the right to make no awards under this solicitation.  

All proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative. Proposals are being solicited via a two-step process where preliminary proposals are mandatory and only those invited may submit a full proposal. Mandatory preliminary proposals are due on or before August 13, 2026, 5 pm Eastern, and the target deadline for invited full proposals is December 16, 2026, 5 pm Eastern. Detailed submission instructions and due dates are provided in the solicitation. Potential proposers and their proposing organizations are urged to familiarize themselves with the submission system, ensure they are registered in NSPIRES, and submit the required proposal materials well in advance of the deadline. 

Technical and programmatic comments and questions may be addressed by email to the Space Technology Research Grants Program Executive at hq-esi-call@mail.nasa.gov. Responses to inquiries will be answered by email and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.