FY 2023 NASA ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCoR) NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT | NNH23ZHA001C

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH23ZHA001C

The FY 2023 NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Research Announcement is a competitive federal funding opportunity from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) designed to strengthen research capacity and broaden participation in NASA-relevant research across eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions. The program offers cooperative agreements, meaning NASA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, through collaboration, coordination, or technical engagement) rather than operating strictly as a hands-off grantmaker. Funding is contingent on appropriations and availability, and selections are made through a merit-based, peer-review process.

Under this solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number NNH23ZHA001C; CFDA 43.008), NASA anticipated making about 10 awards. Each award can be up to $750,000 total over a 36-month period, which effectively supports multi-year research efforts that build sustained capability rather than one-off pilot projects. The activity category is listed as Education, reflecting EPSCoR's dual emphasis on research excellence and long-term capacity-building within higher education institutions. The eligible applicant type is public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, but the submission pathway is highly restricted due to the statutory structure of the EPSCoR program.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that proposals may only be submitted by the NASA EPSCoR Director for an eligible jurisdiction, based on Public Law 102-588. In practice, that means individual faculty members or departments do not apply directly to NASA under this NOFO; instead, proposals are submitted through the jurisdiction's EPSCoR director at the designated lead institution. Each eligible jurisdiction is allowed to submit one proposal to this solicitation, so internal competition and coordination at the state or territory level are typically required to determine what project is put forward.

The stated objectives clarify what NASA is trying to accomplish through the program. First, EPSCoR aims to contribute to and promote the development of research capability in EPSCoR jurisdictions in areas that matter to NASA's mission, encouraging jurisdictions that historically receive a smaller share of federal R&D to build competitive, NASA-aligned expertise. Second, NASA explicitly wants these jurisdictions to become more successful at attracting research support from outside the NASA EPSCoR program, which signals an expectation that funded teams will leverage the award to win additional federal, state, and industry funding over time. Third, the program prioritizes partnerships, specifically encouraging collaboration among NASA research assets (such as centers, facilities, and scientists), academic institutions, and industry partners, which helps connect local researchers to national infrastructure and real-world application pathways. Fourth, EPSCoR is intended to strengthen broader research infrastructure and science and technology capabilities within higher education and to support economic development in the jurisdiction, tying research capacity to workforce development, institutional growth, and regional innovation outcomes.

Jurisdictions identified as eligible to submit one proposal through their NASA EPSCoR Directors include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The opportunity was created on August 18, 2022, with an original closing date of November 16, 2022, positioning it as a FY 2023 cycle competition. Overall, the NOFO is best understood as a capacity-building research program that funds competitively selected, NASA-relevant projects while deliberately expanding the ability of participating states and territories to compete for and sustain high-quality aerospace and space-related research over the long term.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 NASA ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH (EPSCoR) NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.008.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 18, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 16, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for NNH23ZHA001C

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: