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Welcome to the ERI Funding Opportunities Site

College of Engineering campus
Research drives excellence in the College of Engineering by serving as a magnet to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students. Funding opportunities relevant to the College of Engineering will be posted here. If you are interested in pursuing any of these opportunities please contact ERI at eri-pre@iastate.edu for assistance or additional information. New opportunities are posted weekly. To have the new opportunities delivered directly to your inbox please subscribe using your ISU email address. One email per week.

 

 

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN AERONAUTICS (ROA- 2025)

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZEA001N

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={CA4C933E-A3EB-3458-01DA-68A0F0F04F30}&path=open

Posted Date: Apr 30, 2025

Due Date: Jun 20, 2026

 

This NASA Research Announcement (NRA), entitled RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN AERONAUTICS (ROA) – 2025, solicits foundational and system-level research in support of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This NRA covers a variety of topics in aeronautics fundamental research that are being pursued by NASA personnel. Specific research thrusts are outlined in the Appendices. A major focus of this NRA is to encourage collaboration between other organizations and NASA to help advance ARMD strategic goals. Details for award scope are provided for each project task area listed in the Appendices. Awards will be made as grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts, depending on the nature of the work proposed.

FUTURE INVESTIGATORS IN NASA EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-FINESST

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={F9C7B701-6405-FD55-6705-EB4B190646B8}&path=open

Posted Date: Jul 10, 2025

Tentative Due Date: Aug 31, 2026

 

Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST)
solicits proposals from accredited U.S. universities and other eligible organizations for graduate student-designed and performed research projects that contribute to SMD’s science, technology, and exploration goals. The Future Investigator (FI), i.e., the student, shall have the primary initiative to define the proposed FINESST research project and must be the primary author, with input or supervision from the proposal’s Principal Investigator (PI), as appropriate. The Future Investigator (FI) named on the proposal is primarily responsible for writing a FINESST proposal.
The proposal must present a well-defined research problem/activity and a justification of its scientific significance to NASA, as well as a detailed approach for its conduct. All FINESST proposals must address their relevance to at least one participating SMD division (see Section 4.1.1).

E.3 Space Biology: Research Studies

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-SBR

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={68D1D33B-89DC-AA9F-6561-52F1DB70E80B}&path=open

Posted date: Jul 10, 2025

Tentative due date: Aug 31, 2026

 

The NASA Space Biology (SB) program is part of the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. This program element will focus on research that increases NASA’s understanding of how living systems respond to the unique environments encountered during space exploration, including the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment and deep space conditions beyond LEO, including transit to and maintenance of a sustainable presence in Lunar and Martian environments.

E.2 Physical Sciences: Research Studies

NASA

NNH25ZDA001N-PS

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={8DC85498-473A-1D98-E06E-9DC388917AC7}&path=open

Posted date: Jul 10, 2025

Tentative due date: Aug 31, 2026

 

The NASA Physical Sciences (PS) program is part of the Biological and Physical Sciences Division. This program element will investigate physical phenomena in the absence of gravity and fundamental laws that describe the universe, and conducts applied research that contributes to the basic understanding of processes underlying space exploration technologies. The program is divided into two key goals: Foundations and Quantum Leaps.

D.4 Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics Networks

NASA

NNH25ZDA001N-TCAN

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={5509DEBF-B8B4-2F3D-0EFB-350EFE67DCD5}&path=open

Posted date: Jul 10, 2025

Tentative due date: Aug 31, 2025

 

The New Worlds, New Horizons report of the Astro2010 Decadal Survey (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12951) observed that key challenges in theoretical astrophysics “are of a scale and complexity that require sustained, multiinstitutional collaborations” but that there was “no mechanism to support these coordinated efforts at the needed level in the U.S.” To address these issues, the
Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics Networks (TCAN) program was established.
Proposals submitted to the TCAN program must:
• Be directly relevant to space astrophysics goals by facilitating the interpretation
of data from space astrophysics missions or by leading to predictions that can be
tested with space astrophysics observations;
• Address fundamental issues in theoretical and computational astrophysics, and
display a depth and breadth of concept qualitatively beyond those typical of the
Astrophysics Theory Program (ATP);
• Consist predominantly of theoretical astrophysics studies and/or the development
of theoretical astrophysics models and a significant computational component
that involves more than just incremental enhancement of existing codes.

D.3 Combined General Investigator General Observer Program

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-AGIGO

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={A952E51B-7AD4-B180-2F8C-4E8A79AFFAED}&path=open

Posted date: Jul 10, 2025

No specified due date

This Astrophysics General Investigator General Observer (AGIGO) program combines
what were previously separate program elements for the Swift, Fermi, Nuclear
Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
(TESS), Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), Imaging X-ray Polarimetry
Explorer (IXPE) and the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM)
observatories.

C.6 Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-DALI

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId={9EB1C989-98B9-16B9-BFB8-80FA0C337C30}&path=open

Posted date: Jul 10, 2025

Tentative due date: Aug 31, 2026

 

The Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) Program supports the advanced development of instruments that show promise for use in future lunar missions including NASA’s Artemis Program, lunar orbiters, lunar landers, and commercial ventures. The goal of the DALI program is to develop and demonstrate science instruments for lunar missions to the point where they may be proposed in response to future announcements of flight opportunities without additional extensive technology development. The DALI Program is intended to enable technology infusion into NASA lunar science missions to take place in a timely and efficient manner. As such, the technology readiness levels (TRLs) that DALI supports are TRL 4-6.

 

B.2 Heliophysics Foundational Research

NASA

NNH25ZDA001N-HFR

NSPIRES – Solicitations Summary

Posted date: Jul 10, 2025

Proposed Due Date: Aug 31, 2026

 

The Heliophysics Foundational Research (HFR) program element supports investigations aimed at enhancing our fundamental understanding of the physical processes that drive space weather activity and govern the interconnectedness of the Sun-Earth system, as well as the broader heliosphere. The HFR program distinguishes itself by its emphasis on the foundational physics and drivers of space weather, rather than solely focusing on forecasting capabilities. While the insights gained may have implications for future prediction improvements, the primary objective is to build a more comprehensive and fundamental understanding of the Heliophysics system. The HFR program element is intended to support forward-looking research that is on the forefront of Heliophysics science, and which will help motivate and enable the next generation of Heliophysics missions.

A.3 NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Mission Research and Applications Science Team

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-NISAR

NSPIRES – Solicitations Summary

Posted Date: Jul 10, 2025

Proposed Due Date: Aug 31, 2026

The NISAR mission will provide large scale data sets of Earth surface dynamics that are critical to three Earth Science disciplines: 1) Earth Surface and Interior (Deformation), 2) Terrestrial Ecology (Vegetation, Carbon Cycle) and, 3) Cryosphere (Climate Change), and will contribute to others including Terrestrial Hydrology (Water Cycle). NISAR will also provide valuable data for numerous science applications including hazard/disaster management cycle (i.e. earthquakes, volcanic unrests, oil spills, flooding, wildland fires), agriculture and food security, forest and wetland management, infrastructure
monitoring, and costal resilience. In addition to the science and applications identified in the 2007 Decadal Survey, the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG) found that by increasing NISAR’s downlink bandwidth, NISAR could collect higher resolution data over North America and could provide a near global soil moisture product, both capabilities directly benefiting the land monitoring U.S. Federal agencies. NASA’s budget was augmented to support both activities with new members added to the prelaunch Science Team in 2018 to develop the soil moisture algorithm theoretical basis documents (ATBDs). Additionally, NISAR will be collecting data in the coastal regions to about 650km offshore of the continental United States (East and West Coasts) and Hawaii along with the Gulf Coast to the Lessor Antilles including the Caribbean Sea to enable sea wind measurements (i.e. hurricanes and atmospheric rivers) and study ocean processes.

Astrophysics Pioneers

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-PIONEERS

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId={2D567042-5011-7D69-C481-D5002E89FB62}&path=&method=init

Posted Date: January 14, 2026

Notice of Intent Due Date: February 11, 2026

Proposal Due Date: April 02, 2026

This program element solicits proposals for “Pioneers”, Astrophysics space and suborbital science investigations that are greater in cost, scope, and capability than what was possible within the Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) suborbital and CubeSat program but are smaller in cost than what is possible within the Astrophysics Explorers Mission of Opportunity (MO) program (e.g., PEA Q of SALMON-3 for the 2021 opportunity). Investigations are solicited using platforms that include CubeSats (including constellations), other Small Sats, and major balloon missions. Technology
development and maturation within the proposed project is allowed, but the primary review criterion for selection is the merit of the proposed science investigation.
All proposed investigations must be responsive to NASA’s science goals in Astrophysics, as described in the FY 21-22 Update to “Science 2020-2024: A Vision for Scientific Excellence” and the 2022 NASA Strategic Plan, both of which may be found at http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/science-strategy/.

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