MUREP Insitutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) | NNH24ZHA003C MIRO

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH24ZHA003C MIRO

NASA's MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) is a competitive funding program run through NASA's Office of STEM Engagement under the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). The program is designed specifically for four-year Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that are officially designated by the U.S. Department of Education as MSIs on the proposal due date. MIRO uses cooperative agreements, which typically means NASA expects to have an active partnership role during the project period rather than acting only as a funder.

At its core, MIRO is meant to help MSIs build or significantly strengthen research capacity and infrastructure by developing meaningful scientific, engineering, and/or technology research centers. These centers are expected to be aligned with areas that matter directly to NASA's mission and near-term priorities. In practice, MIRO is not just about supporting an individual research project; it is about building the institutional ability to consistently conduct NASA-relevant research over time, including the people, facilities, collaborations, and programs needed to sustain that work beyond the award.

The solicitation emphasizes that MIRO-funded work must connect to NASA's five Mission Directorates: Aeronautics Research, Exploration Systems Development, Space Operations, Science, and Space Technology. Proposals should therefore be framed around research themes and technology development concepts that are clearly relevant to at least one of these directorates, and ideally show a pathway to engagement with NASA centers, facilities, and mission needs. Alongside research outcomes, the program places strong weight on STEM education impacts, STEM literacy, and the development of student researchers who can feed into the broader aerospace and STEM workforce.

MIRO's goals and objectives focus on four main outcomes. First, it aims to expand the nation's aerospace research and development base by fostering new research and technology concepts that match NASA priorities. This includes building research centers at the MSI that actively align with and engage NASA mission directorate programs, while also increasing the institution's ability to contribute to NASA priorities and collaborate effectively with NASA centers and facilities. Second, MIRO seeks to drive institutional advancement through partnerships, encouraging MSIs to form strategic, sustainable collaborations with other universities, NASA, and industry. These partnerships are expected to help the institution maintain research momentum long-term, compete for and secure additional external funding, and strengthen the ability of institutional research leadership to leverage resources at multiple levels (project, department, college, and university).

Third, MIRO is explicitly intended to deepen participation of MSI faculty, researchers, and students in NASA-relevant research programs. It supports mechanisms that build faculty and researcher expertise through professional development and direct NASA research opportunities, while also expanding student preparation through curriculum enhancement, redesign, or development at the course, degree, or department level. The program also highlights increasing student access to NASA internships and related experiential opportunities as a key pathway for building real-world skills and strengthening the pipeline into NASA and the aerospace sector. Fourth, MIRO is tied to workforce diversity goals, with an emphasis on ensuring that degrees earned in NASA-related fields reflect the diversity of the nation and contribute to diversifying the NASA workforce. A specific objective under this goal is to increase the number of undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded to students at MSIs in NASA-relevant fields.

From the opportunity details provided, MIRO (Funding Opportunity Number NNH24ZHA003C MIRO) is a discretionary funding opportunity administered by NASA under CFDA 43.008, categorized under education, and offered as cooperative agreements. The maximum award amount listed is $1,250,000, with NASA expecting to make about 7 awards. The original closing date for submissions was 2024-02-14, and the opportunity was created on 2023-11-21. Overall, MIRO is best understood as a capacity-building research and education investment aimed at strengthening MSI-led NASA-related research centers, expanding partnerships and long-term competitiveness, and increasing diverse student participation and degree completion in fields that align with NASA's mission needs.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MUREP Insitutional Research Opportunity (MIRO)" 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 2023-11-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-14. (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 $1,250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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