The NASA innovative advanced concepts (niac) program focuses on early-stage feasibility studies of visionary concepts that address national government and commercial aerospace goals. Concepts are…

The University of Maryland, College Park has been awarded a $600,000 grant from NASA under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program with a completion date of July 28, 2027. The NIAC Program supports early-stage feasibility studies of visionary aerospace concepts that address national government and commercial aerospace goals. These Phase I and Phase II awards enable researchers to explore the overall feasibility and viability of innovative concepts with potential mission applications that advance NASA's objectives or offer broader benefits to space and aeronautics applications. The award carries no set-aside designation and will be performed at the University of Maryland's College Park campus through the Office of Research Administration & Advancement.

As a research-intensive land-grant institution, the University of Maryland brings substantial experience in advanced research and development across multiple scientific and technological domains. The university has demonstrated broad technical capabilities through numerous federal contracts and grants spanning defense, aerospace, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and environmental research, positioning it well to execute innovative feasibility studies under the NIAC program. This award reflects NASA's investment in the university's capacity to explore cutting-edge aerospace concepts that may significantly enhance or enable new human and robotic science and exploration missions.

The NASA innovative advanced concepts (niac) program focuses on early-stage feasibility studies of visionary concepts that address national government and commercial aerospace goals. Concepts are solicited from any field of study that offers a radically different approach or disruptive innovation that may significantly enhance or enable new human or robotic science and exploration missions. The niac program seeks exciting, unexplored, credible aerospace concepts with at least one mission application that addresses NASA goals or offers wider benefits with space or aeronautics applications. Phase i awards are to explore the overall feasibility and viability of visionary concepts. Phase II awards are to further develop the most promising phase i concepts, and to explore potential infusion options within and beyond NASA.