Proposals Due Date: April 28, 2025

Description
The Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) 2026 Academic Innovation Challenge is a university-level challenge designed to develop strategic partnerships and collaborations with universities. It has been organized to help bridge strategic knowledge gaps and increase knowledge in capabilities and technology risk reduction related to NASA’s vision and missions. The competition is intended to link with senior- and graduate-level design curricula that emphasize hands-on design, research, development, and manufacturing of functional prototypical subsystems that enable functionality for space habitats and deep space exploration missions. NASA will directly benefit from the challenge by sponsoring the development of innovative concepts and technologies from universities, which will result in novel ideas and solutions that could be applied to exploration.

Innovation is the keystone to this challenge. Universities and investigators not normally associated with the aerospace industry are encouraged to consider their potential contribution to changing the way the space industry views the solution space.

NASA’s Mars Campaign Office (MCO) anticipates offering multiple awards up to $15k - $50k each to design and produce studies or functional products of interest to NASA (see Section 3.2, M2M X-Hab Proposal Topic List) as proposed by university teams according to their interests and expertise. The prototypes produced by the university teams (examples of which are shown in Figure 1) may be integrated into existing NASA-built operational prototypes. Universities interested in participating will submit M2M X-Hab proposals, which will be reviewed by technical experts; subsequent down-selection will determine which projects will be funded. M2M X-Hab university teams will be required to complete their products for evaluation by NASA MCO mentors in May 2026. Universities may form collaborations to perform as a single distributed project team.
Students in the Critical Path
The M2M X-Hab Academic Innovation Challenge has a unique approach to student involvement, in that the student team is placed in the NASA mission critical path for the product or technology that they develop alongside NASA researchers. Teams are required to go through a series of NASA-standard assessments as other NASA engineering products, including a System Definition Review (SDR), a Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and a Critical Design Review (CDR). With this approach, NASA is putting a great deal of responsibility on the students. This in turn gives the students a bigger stake in the development of space technologies that likely will form the basis for future systems and technologies that will be flown in space.

Eligibility
Proposals will be accepted from faculty who are U.S. citizens and currently teach an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)-accredited engineering senior or graduate design, industrial design, or architecture curriculum teaming course at a university affiliated with the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, or other US accredited university. Multidisciplinary, multi-departmental, and/or multi-institutional teaming collaborations are highly encouraged.

Registration to Open: March 2025
The IDEAS (Innovative Differentiated Exploration Activities in Space Science) Team announces the Summer 2025 Educator Professional Development Workshop.

What: Professional Development Workshop for Educators focused on Variety of Learning Modalities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) and NASA Activities & Resources
Who: Pre-K, K-12, and Informal In-service and Pre-service Educators
When: July 7 – 10, 2025
Where: University of Alaska | Fairbanks, AK

Facilitators: Dr. Cass Runyon, SCSGC | Jobi Cook, NCSGC | Dr. Caitlin Milera, NDSGC | Laurie Salander, NDSGC | Dr. Denise Thorsen, AKSGC (Host)
Details:
The IDEAS Team is comprised of the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium (SCSGC), North Carolina Space Grant Consortium (NCSGC), and the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium (NDSGC). This hands-on workshop is funded by NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The overall goal of this workshop is to share new teaching strategies in support of different learning modalities in NASA and STEM lessons and activities for both K-12 and informal education settings. The 2025 workshop will focus on new and innovative technologies to integrate into the classroom. Participants will be eligible to earn two Professional Development credits (30 hours) through the University of North Dakota. Interested educators are highly encouraged to contact their local Space Grant Consortium to inquire about potential funding sponsorship to attend the workshop.

Application Deadline: Mar. 31, 2025

This scholarship is for students enrolled in Kansas colleges, universities, or vocational-technical schools who are dedicated to advancing fields related to space sciences, human spaceflight, rocketry, or spacecraft mission design.

The Ad Astra Kansas Foundation focuses on high-tech and space-tech research in Kansas and on promoting STEM education within the state. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) educational corporation in Kansas.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded: one to a graduate student and one to a full-time undergraduate student.

This $3 million competition focuses on the design and development of recycling solutions that can reduce solid, inorganic waste and improve the sustainability of longer-term lunar missions. We're looking for innovative thinkers, engineers, students, scientists, hobbyists, and enthusiasts to revolutionize how we manage resources in space and inspire better approaches for terrestrial recycling here on Earth. The competition spans two phases over about three years, and teams can participate in either (or both!) competition tracks: prototype build or digital twin.

Informational webinars that outline the details of the challenge and its rules, desired outcomes, and submission processcan be found on social media and at the link above.

EONS is an omnibus announcement that includes a range of NASA STEM Engagement opportunities for basic and applied science and technology research and education. Specific opportunities with individual requirements and milestones will be added periodically throughout the year as appendices to this solicitation as funds are made available for new awards. EONS opportunities are announced via the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) website and Grants.gov and prospective proposers are required to be registered on NSPIRES. Visit the EONS Grant Forecasting page to view upcoming or newly added opportunities throughout the year.