Through this fellowship opportunity, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) seeks to sponsor U.S. citizen, U.S. national, and permanent resident graduate student research that has significant potential to contribute to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies for our Nation’s science, exploration, and economic future. This call for research proposals solicits proposals on behalf individuals pursuing or planning to pursue master’s or doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in relevant space technology disciplines at accredited U.S. universities. Proposals must address at least one of the high-priority technical research areas identified in the appendix; see section C.2. – Research Areas for details.

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Fellows will perform research primarily at their respective university campuses but also conduct Visiting Technologist Experiences at NASA Centers. In addition, each recipient will be matched with a technically relevant and community-engaged NASA researcher who will serve as the research collaborator on the award. Through this collaboration, graduate students will be able to take advantage of broader and/or deeper space technology research opportunities directly related to their academic and career objectives, acquire a more detailed understanding of the potential end applications of their space technology efforts, and directly disseminate their research results within the NASA community.

Awards resulting from this competitive selection will be made in the form of grants to accredited U.S. universities with the faculty advisor as the Principal Investigator (PI).

The financial and programmatic support for NSTGRO comes from STMD. These awards are a component of the Space Technology Research Grants Program, which engages the entire spectrum of academic researchers, including graduate students. Awards resulting from this solicitation are planned to start in the fall of the 2026 academic year and are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

This solicitation covers only proposals for new awards; continuation of existing awards is handled separately.

All proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by a university Authorized Organizational Representative and are due by 6 PM E.T. on January 29, 2026. The PI for the NSTGRO26 proposal must be the faculty member who will serve as the PI on the grant award if selected, Detailed submission instructions are provided under "Other Documents" on the NSPIRES webpage associated with the NSTGRO26 solicitation. Potential proposers are urged to access the NSPIRES electronic proposal system well in advance of the proposal due date to register with NSPIRES, familiarize themselves with its structure, and to enter the requested information.

Comments and questions may be addressed by email to the Space Technology Research Grants Program, at HQ-NSTGRO-Call@mail.nasa.gov. Responses to inquiries will be answered by email and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of individuals/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.