Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH18ZHA004C
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) International Space Station (ISS) Flight Opportunity is a NASA funding solicitation designed to help research teams in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions take space-related work that is already well developed and move it into an actual flight-ready experiment or piece of hardware for use aboard the International Space Station. The opportunity is managed through NASA's Office of Education in close coordination with the ISS Research Office, and it is explicitly aligned with the priorities of multiple NASA Mission Directorates, including Aeronautics Research (ARMD), Human Exploration and Operations (HEOMD), Science (SMD), and Space Technology (STMD), along with participation from NASA's centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In practical terms, NASA is looking for proposals that are not early-stage concepts, but rather projects that have matured enough that the team can credibly complete the remaining design, safety, and integration steps needed to support safe operations on the ISS.
A core goal of the program is twofold: first, to produce scientific or technical results that directly support NASA's strategic research and technology development needs, and second, to strengthen research infrastructure and capability in underrepresented jurisdictions. NASA frames this as capacity building that reaches beyond the individual project. Funded work is expected to enhance the science and technology base of higher education institutions, improve the competitiveness of the jurisdiction's research community, and contribute to longer-term economic development. This emphasis reflects the broader EPSCoR mission of expanding participation in federally funded research and helping jurisdictions build sustainable expertise, facilities, and partnerships that can attract future opportunities.
Eligibility is limited to organizations in the 26 EPSCoR jurisdictions identified in the solicitation: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the US Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The listing is important because EPSCoR programs are structured around jurisdiction-based eligibility, and proposals typically need to demonstrate that the work and its benefits accrue to the eligible jurisdiction. The solicitation notes "Others" as the eligible applicant type with additional eligibility clarification, which usually signals that the detailed rules (such as which institutions can submit, how state EPSCoR offices are involved, and any required coordination) are spelled out in the full announcement.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, meaning NASA expects substantial involvement with the recipient during performance. Cooperative agreements are commonly used when the agency anticipates collaboration, oversight, or participation in key technical and programmatic decisions, which fits an ISS-related effort where safety, integration, testing, and operations constraints require close coordination. The opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development, with CFDA number 43.008, and it was released under funding opportunity number NNH18ZHA004C. The solicitation was created on April 19, 2018, with an original closing date of July 2, 2018, indicating a time-limited call tied to a specific planning and flight-integration window.
The scope is narrowly targeted to projects that are either currently funded through NASA EPSCoR, previously funded EPSCoR efforts, or other research projects that have reached a level of maturity where an ISS flight experiment is feasible. NASA highlights readiness as the distinguishing feature: proposals should be far enough along to design a credible ISS experiment and/or develop experimental hardware to the point that it can be safely flown. This implies that successful applicants must show they understand the operational environment of the ISS, the constraints of spaceflight research, and the steps needed to meet NASA's safety and mission assurance expectations. The underlying message is that NASA is not funding basic exploration here; it is funding the final push to translate proven work into an ISS-capable payload or experiment.
Awards under this call are relatively small and selective, reflecting the targeted nature of the effort. The listed award ceiling is $100,000, and NASA expected to make about five awards. That scale suggests NASA intended to seed a handful of well-positioned teams to complete specific flight-enabling milestones rather than fund large, multi-year research programs. Even within that modest budget, NASA expects each selected project to connect clearly to one or more mission directorate priorities and to show broader benefits for the jurisdiction's research ecosystem, such as improved facilities, enhanced workforce development opportunities, strengthened university research capacity, or durable partnerships that can support future NASA-relevant work.
In short, this EPSCoR ISS Flight Opportunity is a bridge program: it targets EPSCoR jurisdictions, leverages NASA's ISS research platform, and funds mature projects that are ready to be turned into safe, flight-ready ISS investigations or hardware. The intended outcomes combine NASA mission value (research and technology development aligned with agency priorities) with place-based capacity building (strengthening higher education and innovation infrastructure in the eligible jurisdiction).Apply for NNH18ZHA004C
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) International Space Station (ISS) Flight Opportunity" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.008.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 19, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 02, 2018. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: NASA EPSCoR International Space Station (ISS) Flight Opportunity
What is the NASA EPSCoR ISS Flight Opportunity?
The EPSCoR International Space Station (ISS) Flight Opportunity is a NASA funding solicitation meant to help research teams in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions take space-related work that is already well developed and push it through the remaining steps needed to become a flight-ready experiment or piece of hardware for use aboard the International Space Station.
What is NASA trying to fund through this opportunity?
NASA is looking for proposals that can credibly complete the remaining design, safety, and integration work needed for safe ISS operations. This is not aimed at early-stage concepts. The focus is on mature projects that are realistically positioned to become ISS-capable payloads or investigations.
What makes a project a good fit for this solicitation?
A good fit is a project that is already far enough along that the team can present a realistic plan to finalize an ISS experiment or develop experimental hardware to the point that it can be safely flown. Readiness and feasibility for ISS integration are the key differentiators described in the opportunity.
Is this opportunity intended for basic research or early exploration ideas?
No. The solicitation emphasizes that NASA is not funding basic exploration under this call. Instead, it supports the final push to translate proven, mature work into an ISS-capable experiment or hardware package.
Who manages this funding opportunity within NASA?
The opportunity is managed through NASA's Office of Education in close coordination with the ISS Research Office.
Which NASA organizations and priorities does this opportunity align with?
The solicitation is explicitly aligned with the priorities of multiple NASA Mission Directorates: Aeronautics Research (ARMD), Human Exploration and Operations (HEOMD), Science (SMD), and Space Technology (STMD). It also notes participation from NASA centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
What are the main goals of the program?
The program is described as having two core goals: (1) produce scientific or technical results that directly support NASA's strategic research and technology development needs, and (2) strengthen research infrastructure and capability in underrepresented EPSCoR jurisdictions in a way that extends beyond the individual project.
How does this opportunity support EPSCoR jurisdictions beyond a single project?
Funded work is expected to enhance the science and technology base of higher education institutions, improve the competitiveness of the jurisdiction's research community, and contribute to longer-term economic development. The solicitation frames this as capacity building that helps jurisdictions develop sustainable expertise, facilities, and partnerships for future opportunities.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to organizations in the 26 EPSCoR jurisdictions listed in the solicitation.
Which jurisdictions are eligible under this EPSCoR solicitation?
The eligible jurisdictions listed are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the US Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Does the solicitation specify a particular eligible applicant type?
The opportunity lists "Others" as the eligible applicant type and notes that additional eligibility clarification is typically provided in the full announcement. This usually indicates that details such as which institutions can submit and any required coordination are spelled out in the complete solicitation.
What kind of award instrument does NASA plan to use?
This is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement means NASA expects substantial involvement with the recipient during performance. For an ISS-related effort, that typically reflects the need for close coordination on safety, integration, testing, and operational constraints.
What is the funding amount available per award?
The listed award ceiling is $100,000.
How many awards does NASA expect to make?
NASA expected to make about five awards.
What is the overall scale and intent of the funding?
The funding scale is described as relatively small and selective, intended to seed a handful of well-positioned teams so they can complete specific flight-enabling milestones rather than support large, multi-year research programs.
What types of projects are within scope?
The scope is targeted to projects that are currently funded through NASA EPSCoR, previously funded EPSCoR efforts, or other research projects that have reached a maturity level where an ISS flight experiment is feasible.
What does NASA mean by "readiness" in this call?
Readiness refers to the project being far enough along to design a credible ISS experiment and/or develop experimental hardware to the point that it can be safely flown, including an understanding of the ISS operational environment, constraints of spaceflight research, and the steps needed to meet safety and mission assurance expectations.
What is NASA ultimately expecting selected teams to deliver?
The solicitation describes the intent as moving mature work into a flight-ready ISS experiment or piece of hardware, with the remaining design, safety, and integration steps completed to support safe ISS operations.
How should proposals connect to NASA priorities?
The opportunity indicates that each selected project should connect clearly to one or more NASA Mission Directorate priorities (ARMD, HEOMD, SMD, and/or STMD), while also demonstrating broader benefits to the EPSCoR jurisdiction's research ecosystem.
What broader benefits does NASA want to see for the jurisdiction?
Examples mentioned include improved facilities, enhanced workforce development opportunities, strengthened university research capacity, and durable partnerships that can support future NASA-relevant work.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 43.008.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is NNH18ZHA004C.
When was the solicitation created and when did it close?
The solicitation was created on April 19, 2018, and had an original closing date of July 2, 2018.
What category of funding does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.
Why is this opportunity described as a "bridge" program?
It functions as a bridge because it targets EPSCoR jurisdictions and funds the final steps needed to move mature, NASA-relevant work into a safe, flight-ready ISS investigation or hardware, combining NASA mission value with place-based capacity building.
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