Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Tennessee received a $249,527 Project Grant from NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate under the Space Technology program (CFDA 43.012) awarded on May 26, 2026, with a performance period extending through May 25, 2029. This award supports the Early Career Faculty (ECF) Grant Program, which is designed to engage early-career faculty members across U.S. academic institutions in developing next-generation civil space technologies. The grant funds research and development activities conducted at the University of Tennessee's Knoxville, Tennessee campus that advance transformational space technologies aligned with NASA's Moon to Mars exploration objectives and broader civil space sector capabilities.

The ECF program represents NASA's strategic investment in fostering innovation within the academic research community by supporting untenured assistant professors pursuing academic careers in space technology development. Through this three-year grant, the University of Tennessee will conduct research activities that contribute to NASA's technology maturation efforts, advance U.S. space exploration capabilities, and develop critical human capital in the aerospace technology sector. The award exemplifies NASA's commitment to leveraging university-based research infrastructure and faculty expertise to address civil space technology shortfalls identified in the agency's strategic framework.