TRISH Funding Opportunities and Awards

This Request for Information (RFI), Optimizing the Scientific Impact of the EXPAND Commercial Spaceflight Biosample Collection, invites researchers to identify the molecular analyses and datasets that would provide the greatest scientific benefit if generated from biological samples collected through TRISH's EXPAND (Enhancing eXploration Platforms and ANalog Definition) program. This rare opportunity ensures the limited and irreplaceable biospecimens are used strategically to answer critical questions about human adaptation to spaceflight.

Unlike many research resources that can be replenished, biospecimens are inherently finite. Generating new molecular data from a sample permanently consumes part of that resource, making it especially important that future analyses align with the needs and priorities of the broader scientific community. TRISH is asking researchers to help identify which approaches, ranging from genomic and transcriptomic analyses to other molecular investigations, could provide the greatest value for understanding spaceflight-related health risks and informing future exploration missions.

The biospecimens available through the collection were gathered before and after commercial space missions and include samples from participants who flew on Axiom-2, Axiom-3, Axiom-4, Fram2 and Polaris Dawn. Because these samples come from private astronauts rather than government astronaut corps members, they provide a unique opportunity to study the biological effects of spaceflight in an emerging participant population.

In addition to biological samples, the EXPAND repository includes physiological, behavioral and environmental data collected through the program’s Essential Measures. These datasets include cognitive assessments, wearable sensor measurements, sleep and team dynamics surveys, sensorimotor testing, ophthalmic imaging, radiation measurements and existing omics data, creating opportunities for integrated analyses that could reveal new insights into how humans respond to spaceflight.

The EXPAND program, created in 2021, enables research through partnerships with commercial spaceflight providers and their volunteering participants. The program collects health and performance data across all phases of flight and maintains a centralized repository of data and biospecimens to support future scientific investigations.

Note: The Request For Information (RFI) does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) will take any action in this matter. Responses may be submitted by U.S. and non-U.S. individuals and entities.

Deadline to submit to the RFI: September 8, 2026 11:59 PM CT

TRISH has released a new solicitation seeking proposals to address venous thromboembolism (VTE), a critical risk to human health during spaceflight.

Through this call for proposals, TRISH is seeking innovative approaches to advance the understanding of VTE pathophysiology in the context of spaceflight-associated hemodynamic changes and to develop and validate ground-based analogs that replicate VTE conditions. This knowledge advancement will help better understand how the condition develops in microgravity. Selected projects will help close key knowledge gaps and support the development of practical solutions for future exploration missions.

Selected projects may be awarded up to $500,000. The solicitation is open to United States-based institutions, commercial entities and other research organizations. Selections for this solicitation are anticipated to be made by December 2026 with a project start in February 2027. 

The submission deadline for this solicitation is Aug. 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET via GRID. A pre-proposal briefing will be held on June 30, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET. Prospective proposers can register for the briefing here. A recording of the briefing will be made available via the solicitation.

TRISH's Catalyst Grant Program offers a streamlined method for carrying out proof-of-concept projects, directed technology developments that address critical needs in space health, maturation of promising concepts with strong preliminary findings, and innovative projects that present opportunities outside of regularly scheduled solicitation cycles. Any project that addresses the NASA Human Research Roadmap (HRR) and the TRISH initiatives may be proposed. 

TRISH has announced new Catalyst Grants Program topics. TRISH has identified topic areas of higher interest. At this time, TRISH discourages projects that fall outside the Catalyst Priority Topics listed in the solicitation (see section D). Learn more about the topics by reading the full solicitation.

**Applicants should be aware of the risk that all funding is subject to the availability of funds provided to TRISH by NASA. Accordingly, the disbursement of any awards under this solicitation is not guaranteed and may be delayed, reduced, or canceled in the event of changes to NASA’s budgetary allocations.