Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Award Details: Planetary Science Institute, a nonprofit research organization headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, received a $441k Project Grant from NASA's Science Mission Directorate (CFDA 43.001) awarded August 15, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of August 14, 2029. The award supports execution of a balanced science program aligned with discipline-specific guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and administration priorities directed by Congress, positioning the Institute as a key partner and enabler within NASA's science enterprise.

Deliverables and Services: The award funds planetary science research, data analysis, theoretical modeling, and mission support services consistent with the Institute's core competencies in planetary geology, crater morphometry, lunar features analysis, Martian surface processes, magnetospheric dynamics, and spacecraft mission data interpretation. As a research organization operating exclusively under full-and-open competition, the Institute delivers peer-reviewed scientific investigations spanning Mars surface processes, lunar geology and seismology, outer planet magnetospheres, small bodies research, and exoplanet characterization. The organization also maintains data archiving and tool development capacity through stewardship of NASA's Planetary Data System Small Bodies Node and related thermophysical analysis tools, supporting the broader planetary science research community and advancing NASA's Science Mission Directorate objectives.