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 California, Los Angeles (UCLA), through its Office of Research Administration, has been awarded a $600,000 grant under the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program, with a completion date of July 28, 2027. This grant supports early-stage feasibility studies of visionary aerospace concepts that address national government and commercial aerospace goals. The NIAC Program solicits concepts from any field of study that offer radically different approaches or disruptive innovations capable of significantly enhancing or enabling new human or robotic science and exploration missions. As a Phase I or Phase II award, this grant enables UCLA to explore the overall feasibility and viability of a cutting-edge aerospace concept, with potential for further development and infusion options within and beyond NASA. No set-aside designation was applied to this contract award.

This award reflects UCLA's established role as a premier federal research partner with extensive capabilities across advanced technology development and scientific innovation. The research will be conducted at UCLA's Los Angeles, California campus. The contract represents the continuation of UCLA's significant partnership with federal civilian agencies in pursuing transformative aerospace research initiatives that align with national exploration and science objectives. As a research institution with robust infrastructure and diverse faculty expertise, UCLA is well-positioned to advance visionary concepts through the rigorous feasibility analysis required by the NIAC Program's competitive solicitation process.

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.