National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program – Artemis Student Challenge Opportunities FY2020 – FY2021 | NNH20ZHA001O

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH20ZHA001O

The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program - Artemis Student Challenge Opportunities FY2020 - FY2021 (Funding Opportunity Number NNH20ZHA001O) is a NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) grant competition aimed at strengthening and expanding undergraduate student participation in Artemis-related challenges. The central purpose is workforce development: NASA is using the Space Grant network to build a skilled, high-performing, and diverse STEM talent pipeline that can meet both NASA and national needs. In practical terms, the opportunity invites Space Grant consortia across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to propose ways to improve the quality, relevance, and reach of student challenges connected to the Artemis mission, which is focused on returning humans to the Moon and advancing technologies needed for sustained lunar exploration.

The solicitation is built around the idea that Artemis is not just a mission, but also a learning and participation framework for a very large number of students. NASA is looking for proposals that either (1) create foundational learning opportunities so many more undergraduates can get prepared to join Artemis-focused challenges tied to real mission technology needs, or (2) create new, authentic, high-quality challenge experiences that can engage the "Artemis generation" at scale. A recurring emphasis is broad access and inclusion: NASA explicitly frames the work as expanding participation nationwide, spanning demographic categories and skill levels, rather than limiting opportunities to a small set of highly specialized teams.

Proposals must align to one or more of three themes, and each Space Grant consortium is limited to submitting a single proposal total. That one proposal may cover all three themes or only a subset, depending on what the consortium believes it can deliver well. Themes 1 and 2 are described as foundational enablers meant to make it easier for more students to participate in challenges in the future. Theme 1 focuses on teaching and resource availability, which generally points to developing or scaling instructional materials, training approaches, mentor support, and other resources that help educators and students successfully engage with Artemis-relevant challenges. Theme 2 focuses on core technologies, meaning proposals should build capacity around the key technical areas that Artemis challenges depend on, so student teams can develop competence with the kinds of tools, systems, and engineering concepts NASA needs. Theme 3 differs from the first two by emphasizing action and demonstration: it supports designing and executing a pilot student challenge that is engaging, tied to Artemis needs, and structured to be widely scalable into a future nationwide challenge involving diverse teams across skill levels.

On funding mechanics, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 43.008. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000, and NASA anticipated making about six awards under this announcement. The notice also explains that award values vary based on the theme being proposed, which signals that budgets should be tailored to the scope and category of work rather than forcing a single fixed amount. Cost sharing is not required, but if an applicant voluntarily proposes cost match, it must be clearly described in the proposal so NASA can assess it appropriately.

Administrative and submission requirements are centered on NASA's NSPIRES system. Any institution intending to submit, including the prime recipient and any partner organizations serving as sub-awardees or contractors, must be registered in NSPIRES. Proposals must be submitted electronically by the deadline through NSPIRES by an authorized organizational representative, and the registration has to correctly identify those authorized officials. NASA also requires that principal investigators and other participants such as co-investigators be registered in NSPIRES regardless of the submission pathway, and the announcement advises applicants to start early to avoid last-minute registration and system issues. Because NASA may issue clarifications before the due date, applicants are responsible for monitoring NSPIRES for Frequently Asked Questions or formal amendments posted to the opportunity page.

Key dates and identifying details included in the listing are a creation date of December 12, 2019, and an original closing date of February 10, 2020. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NASA leveraging the existing Space Grant consortium structure to expand and modernize student challenge programming tied to Artemis, with a strong push toward scalable models, authentic technical relevance to mission needs, and broader nationwide participation.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program – Artemis Student Challenge Opportunities FY2020 – FY2021" 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 Dec 12, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 2020. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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