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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters has released a solicitation, titled “NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) - Fall 2026,” as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) umbrella NASA Research Announcement (NRA) titled "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion (SpaceTech REDDI)” Fiscal Year 2026, on December 18, 2025. The solicitation is available by opening the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/, selecting “Open” under "Solicitations," and, finally, searching "NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities - Fall 2026 (NSTGRO26)" under Keywords. To go to the solicitation directly, visit https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/NNH26ZTR001N-26NSTGRO_B6. 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.
Funding Opportunity Number: NNH26ZTR001N-26NSTGRO-B6. Assistance Listing: 43.012. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: Up to $84K per award.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification). See Section B.1 – Eligible Applicants. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $84K per award. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was January 29, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Yes — NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES – FALL 2026 (NSTGRO26) is offered by NASA Headquarters and this listing comes from Grants.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
NASA made 16,452 awards worth roughly $6.6 billion to 938 recipients from FY2021 through FY2025, with a median award of $105,000. The University of Maryland, College Park ($399.0 million) and the University of Colorado ($221.4 million) topped the recipient list, and 56 percent of recipients won more than one separate award.
| Organization | Total awarded |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland, College Park(MD) | $399.0M |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado(CO) | $221.4M |
| The Johns Hopkins University(MD) | $171.4M |
| The University of Alabama in Huntsville(AL) | $164.7M |
| University of Maryland Baltimore County(MD) | $147.0M |
| University of Arizona(AZ) | $142.5M |
| Southwest Research Institute(TX) | $140.7M |
| Universities Space Research Association(MD) | $118.9M |
Linked organizations have Granted profiles. Top recipients of NASA assistance awards, FY2021–FY2025, ranked by total obligations (CFDA 43.x). Source: USAspending. Last verified July 2026.
The UKRI Policy Fellowships 2025, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, offer 18-month placements for academics to co-design research with UK government and What Works Network host organizations. Awards range from £180,000 to £280,000 and support three fellowship tracks: core policy fellows, Natural Hazards and Resilience policy fellows, and What Works Innovation fellows. Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent research experience, be based at a UKRI-eligible UK organization, and possess relevant subject matter or methodological expertise. Government-hosted positions target early to mid-career academics, while What Works fellowships welcome all career stages. Fellows work directly with policymakers to bridge academic research and policy development on pressing national and global challenges. The application deadline is July 15, 2025.
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