Assistance Listing 43.003
Exploration
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Assistance Listing 43.003, “Exploration,” is a federal program administered by NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION. It provides grant and cooperative agreement assistance. GrantsJunction currently tracks 0 open, 0 forecasted and 0 closed opportunities under this listing. The agency reported $15.6M in obligations for fiscal year 2025.
Program objective
The Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) defines and manages systems development for programs critical to the NASA’s Artemis campaign and planning for NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach in an integrated manner. ESDMD manages the human exploration system development for lunar orbital, lunar surface, and Mars exploration. ESDMD leads the human aspects of the Artemis activities as well as the integration of science into the human system elements. ESDMD is responsible for development of the lunar and Mars architectures. Programs in the mission directorate include Orion, Space Launch System, Exploration Ground Systems, Gateway, Human Landing System, and Extravehicular Activity (xEVA)and Human Surface Mobility.
As published in the SAM.gov Assistance Listing.
Current opportunities under 43.003
No open or forecasted opportunities are currently posted under this listing. Programs often post notices on an annual cycle — see recently closed opportunities below for timing.
Eligible applicants (program level)
- Unrestricted by Entity Type
Categories of organizations that may be eligible for NASA grants and cooperative agreements include: • Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) – A two- or four-year university or college (including U.S. community colleges), public or private, accredited to confer degrees beyond that of the K-12 grade levels. 29 • Educational Institutions – Non-higher-education entities, such as K-12 education groups or institutions of informal education, are classified as Educational Institutions.2 • Non-profit Organization – An organization that: o Is operated primarily for scientific, engineering, educational, research, or similar purposes in the public interest; o Is not organized primarily for profit; o Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the organization’s operations; and o Is not an IHE. Non-profit organizations generally exclude (i) colleges and universities; (ii) hospitals; and (iii) state, local, and Federally recognized Indian tribal governments. • For-profit Entity – An organization of any size that is organized primarily for profit. • Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) – FFRDCs are under a broad charter by a Government agency for performing, analyzing, or conducting research for the United States Government. NASA sponsors JPL as the Agency’s sole FFRDC, and JPL is not an eligible applicant to receive a NASA-funded grant or cooperative agreement as a recipient or subrecipient3 . However, FFRDCs sponsored by agencies other than NASA may be eligible to receive a NASA-funded award as a recipient or subrecipient. • Non-U.S. Organizations – Organizations outside the U.S. that meet the definitions of foreign organization or foreign public entity in 2 CFR § 200.1. Non-U.S. organizations generally propose for opportunities on a no-exchange-of-funds basis in accordance with NASA policy. NOFOs may be issued jointly with a non-U.S. organization (e.g., those concerning guest observing programs for jointly sponsored space science programs) that will contain additional special guidelines for non-U.S. participants. • State, Local, or Federally-Recognized Tribal Government Agency – o State Government means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, and any agency or instrumentality of a State exclusive of its local governments
Program-level eligibility from SAM.gov. Each funding notice sets its own requirements.
Reported obligations by fiscal year
Historical data · not a predictionRange and average of financial assistance (from the listing): The range in award value depends on the research opportunity’s objectives and the number of meritorious proposals accepted. Awards will generally range from under $100K per year for focused, limited efforts (e.g., data analysis) to $1.5 M per year for extensive activities (e.g., development of scientific hardware) and will be made as a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract.
Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 43.003. Hatched bars are agency estimates. These totals do not indicate approval rates.Frequently asked questions
What is ALN 43.003?
43.003 is the Assistance Listing Number for “Exploration.” Assistance Listing Numbers (formerly CFDA numbers) identify federal assistance programs; individual grant opportunities reference the listing they are funded under.
Who can apply under ALN 43.003?
The SAM.gov listing names these applicant types: Unrestricted by Entity Type. Each funding notice under the program sets its own eligibility, so check the specific opportunity.
How much funding does 43.003 provide?
The agency reported $15,608,754 in obligations for FY2025 in the SAM.gov Assistance Listing. These are program-wide totals reported by the agency, not a prediction of future awards.