About The Challenge
Your career pathway can start HERE, no matter your field of study! The NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC) is seeking Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) teams of students from all fields of study to rise to the challenge of creating new and innovative technologies to benefit your community and the world. MITTIC provides a resume worthy experience, an opportunity to gain or show off your entrepreneurial skills, money, and bragging rights for your school. This #SpaceToPitch is a chance to develop your own “spinoff” idea into a lucrative business opportunity in the future.
Read The Guidelines
Phase 1
Teams of students choose one NASA intellectual property (IP) and use it to create a product or service with commercial applications. Teams submit a proposal explaining the idea or concept.
Teams are encouraged to be multi-disciplinary. Ex: Engineering, Business, Natural Science, Communications, Mathematics, Aviation, etc.

Phase 2
Selected teams will compete in Space Tank at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. Travel and lodging for core team members and the primary principal investigator (PI) will be provided by NASA MITTIC.
Selected teams will engage in online orientation as well as a virtual preliminary pitch review to assist the team in development of their final pitch prior to the on-site experience.
Space Tank will include NASA facility tours, a poster session, networking activities with NASA employees and business partners, subject matter expert (SME) presentations, and will conclude with the pitch competition.
Prize money will be awarded to teams who place first and second in each Space Tank competition. First-place earns $20,000. Second place earns $10,000. To qualify, winning teams must participate in all events and submit all deliverables. Twenty-five hundred ($2,500) of each first and second place prize is awarded directly to the PI as a stipend.

Phase 3
The first-place team of the Space Tank Competition for both fall and spring competitions will visit and present to NASA’s Ames Research Center (ARC) executives and various tech companies in Silicon Valley, California, in June 2024. This experience provides the team with an exclusive look at facilities, laboratories, and start-up companies; and it provides the opportunity to discuss further concept development. Travel and lodging for core team members and the primary Principal Investigator (PI) will be provided by NASA MITTIC.
View The Timeline
This is your #SpaceToPitch
MITTIC Application
Applications for Fall 2023 are now closed. Applications for Spring 2024 will be accepted from Jan 3 – March 13, 2024. For general inquiries, contact: HQ-MITTIC@mail.nasa.gov
Application Closed
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NASA Contacts
Mail Code AD4
2101 NASA Parkway
Houston, TX 77058
Phone: 281-483-6716
Email: HQ-MITTIC@mail.nasa.gov
Dustin Kinnison, Project Manager
Olivia Stiver, Project Coordinator II
Jonas Dino, MSI Support Specialist
Misti Moore, MITTIC Activity Manager