The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program nurtures visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions with the creation of breakthroughs — radically better or entirely new aerospace concepts — while engaging America's innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey.

NIAC projects study innovative, technically credible, advanced concepts that could one day “Change the Possible” in aerospace. If you’re interested in submitting a proposal to NIAC, please see our “Solicitations” link for information about the status of our current NASA Research Announcement (NRA). For descriptions of current NIAC funded projects, please refer to our “Fellows” link.

Archives of the Original NIAC

The original NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts was managed for NASA by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), for the full life of the program. Their dedication and support was instrumental to the original NIAC’s success.

USRA has, of its own accord, preserved the original NIAC website for the research community. NASA appreciates this and invites anyone interested in NIAC to check it out. This site contains a wealth of information about the original program and past exciting studies.

You can contact the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program at: hq-niac@mail.nasa.gov