NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), located in Huntsville, Alabama is one of NASA’s largest and most diversified installations. For nearly six decades, NASA and its government and commercial partners have solved spaceflight’s most complex, technical problems here. Marshall engineers, scientists, and technologists have enabled or enriched nearly every facet of the nation’s ongoing space mission. Just as it did during the Apollo era, Marshall is playing a vital role in Artemis, developing the Space Launch System (SLS), the backbone of NASA’s exploration plans; leading the Human Landing System (HLS) that will ferry human and robotic expeditions from lunar orbit to the surface; delivering the hardware necessary to land crew and cargo on the Moon; and developing life support systems to keep crews healthy throughout their missions.
Marshall’s largest organization, the Engineering Directorate, provides cutting-edge design, test, analysis and operations support to Artemis, SLS, crew and cargo lander systems, and the diverse suite of NASA space and science missions. Marshall engineers and their external partners are developing advanced technologies and sustainable solutions to benefit NASA, industry, academia and government. Marshall’s application and refinement of innovative design tools such as additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, define the agency’s leadership in engineering the systems, hardware, and techniques needed to return to the Moon.
To achieve Artemis’ mission, create a thriving space infrastructure, and enable future Mars missions, Marshall is combining its legacy of leadership -- in engineering and propulsion technologies; large, integrated space systems; and life-enriching scientific research -- with mutually rewarding commercial and international partnerships. These joint endeavors will combine resources, unify space programs and nations around the globe and create new economic opportunities for all participants.
The purpose of this CAN is to identify candidate technology partnerships with U.S. industry and academic/non-profit organizations that complement the technology development interests of MSFC, benefitting a wide range of users, ensuring the nation realizes the full economic value and societal benefit of these innovations. The goal is to support collaborative, resource-sharing projects where the NASA partner is developing a technology primarily for its own public purposes, and NASA can provide financial support or other assistance.
To minimize unnecessary proposal efforts on the part of Applicants, the CAN partnership selection is a two-step process that consists of the submission of an initial Step-1 Package, proposing a new technology development concept related to one or more of MSFC’s Technology Focus Areas as identified within this announcement. The Marshall Associate Director, Technical will then assess whether the proposed technology development concept effectively complements the technology interests and needs of MSFC. Applicants whose Step-1 Package technology concepts are selected by the Marshall Associate Director, Technical will be invited by the MSFC Agreement Officer to submit a Step-2 Project Proposal.
Deadlines:
- Step-1 Package due date: March 13th, 2024
This CAN is effective until September 30, 2024.
Eligible entities for this funding opportunity include the following. Further information defining the individual types of organizations are available on Grants.gov and 2 CFR Part 200.1:
Education Organizations • Independent school districts • Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education • Private institutions of higher education
Nonprofit Organizations • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), other than institutions of higher education • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For-Profit Organizations • Organizations other than small businesses
Small Businesses • Small business grants may be awarded to companies meeting the size standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for most industries in the economy.
There is no restriction on the number of Step-1 Package submissions that an organization may submit in response to this announcement. Each submission, however, must be a separate, standalone, complete document for evaluation purposes.
The total amount of funds expected to be awarded is approximately $1,000,000; however, awards are heavily dependent on available budget.