NSF/CASIS Transport Phenomena Research at the International Space Station to Benefit Life on Earth

The National Science Foundation, through its Directorate for Engineering and Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, in partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS), is offering the funding opportunity titled NSF/CASIS Transport Phenomena Research at the International Space Station to Benefit Life on Earth. CASIS, a nonprofit organization designated by Congress to manage the U.S. National Laboratory aboard the International Space Station, works under a cooperative agreement with NASA to maximize the scientific and technological return on the nation’s investment in the ISS. This solicitation builds on a long-standing collaboration between NSF and CASIS to jointly support research that uses the ISS National Lab for studies in transport phenomena and materials science that have clear applications to terrestrial challenges. The purpose of this solicitation is to fund research in fields such as fluid dynamics, particulate and multiphase processes, combustion and fire systems, thermal transport processes, nanoscale interactions, and advanced manufacturing methods. The unique microgravity environment of the ISS enables investigators to study fundamental processes with minimal interference from gravity-driven forces, leading to new insights that are difficult to achieve in ground-based laboratories. Proposals must demonstrate how research conducted aboard the ISS will provide tangible benefits for life on Earth. Projects that focus exclusively on space exploration or propulsion are considered out of scope for this program. Funding is structured to support both preparation and execution of experiments on the ISS. NSF awards will provide up to $400,000 per project, with a total of $3.6 million allocated for fiscal year 2026 and an anticipated nine awards. These funds may be used for fundamental and translational research, preparation of flight experiments, preliminary analysis, and dissemination of results. CASIS, through its cooperative agreement with NASA, will provide additional support by covering costs of payload integration, astronaut training, transport of equipment to the ISS, and execution of experiments in space. Proposals requiring significant hardware modifications or entirely new flight capabilities will not be considered. Where needed, CASIS may also provide support to commercial implementation partners. Eligibility for this program is limited to U.S.-based entities. Institutions of higher education, both public and private, may apply on behalf of their faculty. Nonprofit research organizations such as museums and observatories are eligible, as are U.S.-based for-profit organizations, including small businesses with strong scientific and engineering capacities. All principal investigators and co-principal investigators must qualify as U.S. Persons under federal law. Each individual may participate in only one proposal, whether as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel. GOALI proposals that foster collaboration between academia and industry are encouraged. The application process begins with a required Feasibility Review Form, which must be submitted to CASIS by January 12, 2026. CASIS will evaluate feasibility for ISS operations and provide written approval to submit a full proposal. Full proposals, prepared according to NSF’s Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, are due by March 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. local time of the submitting organization. Proposals must include a statement titled “Benefit to Life on Earth” describing terrestrial applications, as well as letters of collaboration from any implementation partners. Proposals not following CASIS guidelines will be deemed non-responsive. Evaluation of proposals will be conducted jointly by NSF and CASIS. Reviewers will assess intellectual merit, broader impacts, and solicitation-specific criteria such as the necessity of ISS microgravity conditions and clear benefits to Earth-based science or technology. CASIS may share proposals with NASA to assess technical feasibility. Successful applicants will be required to enter into a User Agreement with CASIS, which contains mandatory terms that cannot be altered. Awards will be issued as NSF standard grants, with recipients expected to be flight ready within 24 months of award and to complete final reports within six months after flight completion. Contact information for this solicitation includes program officers across NSF divisions and CASIS staff. Prospective applicants may reach out to Sachin Velankar (svelanka@nsf.gov, 703-292-2894) for transport phenomena, Fangyu Cao (fcao@nsf.gov, 703-292-4736) for thermal transport, and Phillip Irace (pirace@issnationallab.org, 321-324-4643) at CASIS for implementation inquiries. Additional operational questions may be directed to ops@issnationallab.org. More details, including templates for the feasibility form and user agreement, are available on the ISS National Lab website.