11th Annual ISS National Lab and NSF Announce Funding Opportunity for Physical Science Research on Space Station

Also, six new projects from previous NSF/CASIS joint solicitations were selected to advance tissue engineering and transport phenomena research through the ISS National Lab 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory are proud to announce up to $3.6 million in total funding available for multiple projects to advance transport phenomena research using the orbiting laboratory. 

This announcement  marks a significant milestone; for more than 10 years NSF and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®), manager of the ISS National Lab, have collaborated to support groundbreaking fundamental science in space. Since the partnership began in 2015, NSF has allocated more than $40 million in funding to support projects leveraging the ISS National Lab. Forty-five of these investigations have already launched to the space station, with dozens more slated for future missions. More than 200 peer-reviewed articles related to these studies have been published, furthering scientific knowledge for the research community, with dozens more slated for future missions.

For this solicitation, NSF and CASIS are seeking proposals focused on:

• Fluid dynamics
• Particulate and multiphase processes
• Thermal transport systems
• Combustion and fire systems
• Nanoscale interactions
• Manufacturing methods that employ any of those transport phenomena
• Resulting metallic materials, metal nanostructures, and ceramic materials

Responsive proposals will describe how the proposed project will utilize the unique conditions on the space station to further fundamental and translational research to benefit humanity. In space, the gravity-driven forces that impact fluid behavior are significantly reduced. This makes the sustained microgravity environment on the orbiting laboratory beneficial for several areas of study.

Prior to submitting a full proposal to NSF for this solicitation, all interested investigators must first submit an ISS National Lab Feasibility Review Form to CASIS to evaluate the operational feasibility of the proposed research. The deadline to submit a Feasibility Review Form is January 12, 2026. Only investigators whose proposed concept passes this Feasibility Review will be invited to submit a full proposal. The full proposal submission deadline is on March 4, 2026.

NSF and CASIS recently selected six new research projects from previous solicitations in the areas of transport phenomena and tissue engineering.

Transport Phenomena:

• Karen Daniels (North Carolina State University) and Kenneth Kamrin (University of California, Berkeley) will study the flow of granular materials for applications in agriculture, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and 3D printing.
• Amir Hirsa, Patrick Underhill, and Joe Adam (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) will expand on prior research studying protein solution flow and clumping to improve pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
• Qing Hao (University of Arizona) and Zhenhua Tian (Virginia Polytechnic Institute) will examine how acoustic waves can be used to push gas bubbles out of molten solder joints, which could help reduce electronics failures in a wide range of industries.

Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology:

• Khalid Salaita (Emory University) will study how cells sense and respond to force; insight gained could improve understanding of how cells adapt to extreme environments and could help improve cancer diagnostics.
• Yupeng Chen (University of Connecticut) will build on prior research to produce injectable nanomaterials that can help regenerate lost or damaged cartilage to improve treatments for osteoarthritis.
• Maribella Domenech (University of Puerto Rico) will explore how gravity and the stiffness of materials affect the healing power of stem cells.

For more information on this latest solicitation, including how to submit a Feasibility Review Form, visit the ISS National Lab solicitation webpage. To view the full solicitation, please visit the NSF solicitation page.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: NSF Space Research Funding Opportunity

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.

SOURCE International Space Station National Lab