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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters, anticipates the release of a solicitation, titled "NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), Phase III," as an Appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) NASA Research Announcement (NRA), titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion - 2021 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2021)," on or about December 10, 2020. Once the Appendix is posted, complete details (to include due dates) can be accessed via the following steps:
The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program supports innovative research through multiple phases of study. Historically each year, the NIAC Program competitively selects Phase I and Phase II awards. Phase I studies are nine-month efforts to explore the overall viability and advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of visionary aerospace concepts. A follow-on Phase II study to eligible recipients of Phase I awards develops the most promising Phase I concepts for up to two years and explores transition paths within NASA and beyond. Phase II studies are designed to prepare a roadmap for further development, but are not expected to fully advance the technologies to a level required for program or commercial transition. NIAC Phase III studies are designed to strategically transition NIAC concepts with the highest potential impact to other NASA programs, other government agencies, or commercial partners.
NIAC Phase III incorporates a two-step proposal and evaluation process, where Step 1 is a Mandatory Preliminary Proposal (MPP). The aerospace concept and mission context with which the proposal aligns must be clearly identified by the offeror. Once the technical evaluation of the MPP is complete, NIAC will consider programmatic considerations such as portfolio balancing, costs, and other programmatic considerations, in order to determine the most competitive MPPs to be invited to submit a Final Proposal. An offeror must submit an MPP and be invited to submit a Final Proposal; unsolicited proposals will not be considered. MPP submissions, invitations to submit a Final Proposal, and award selections will be announced via NSPIRES.
For this current Phase III solicitation, NIAC will consider proposals based on current second year NIAC Phase II and completed NIAC Phase II studies as eligible for Phase III award. The Appendix will have final eligibility requirements.
NIAC Principal Investigators (PIs) and team members may be affiliated with any educational institution, commercial or not-for-profit organization, research laboratory, agency, or NASA Center (including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Teaming by non-U.S. organizations in proposed efforts is permitted but subject to NASA's policy on foreign participation (see Section 3.3 of the NRA).
Appendix 80HQTR21NOA01-21NIAC_A3 seeks NIAC Phase III awards that will continue the exploration and development of revolutionary advanced concepts that have advanced to a NIAC Phase II level of development, with a plausible path for implementation into NASA missions or other government agency and industry aerospace programs. Phase II studies extend, refine, and build upon the basic feasibility and potential benefit of early stage Phase I concepts, defining key enabling technologies and addressing critical unknowns, assumptions, risks, and paths forward. Phase III studies advance the most promising concepts to a level suitable for transition into other NASA programs, other government agencies, or commercial partners by demonstrating key technology components, subsystems or systems and establishing a viable path toward implementation. Phase III studies define major technical milestones, establish the cost and schedule to accomplish these key milestones, and implement a strategy to transition the technology for further development and utilization.
Mandatory Preliminary Proposals and Final Proposals must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative (AOR). Detailed submission instructions are provided in the SpaceTech-REDDI-2021 NRA, as well as the Guidebook for Proposers Responding to a NASA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/srba/documents/2020_edition_Proposers_Guidebook.pdf, dated May 2020). 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.
Interested proposers should monitor the NSPIRES website or subscribe to the electronic notification system there for release of the SpaceTech-REDDI-2021 Appendices.
Technical, programmatic, and procurement comments and questions may be addressed by e-mail to [email protected]. Responses to inquiries will be answered by e-mail and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the Appendix; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.