Lunar Payload Design Challenge

The U.S. Department of State's U.S. Mission to the UAE announces an open competition to implement the Lunar Payload Design Challenge, a program that brings together U.S. and UAE graduate students in a hands-on, team-based initiative to develop technologies relevant to future lunar missions. The program builds advanced technical and collaborative skills while fostering partnerships between universities, industry, and research institutions. The initiative strengthens U.S.-UAE cooperation in space innovation, highlights U.S. leadership in lunar exploration, and creates pathways for continued collaboration, research advancement, and potential mission integration. This program directly advances U.S. foreign policy priorities under the "Make America More Prosperous" pillar by expanding partnerships in high-growth sectors of the space economy and reinforcing the strength, competitiveness, and collaborative nature of the U.S. innovation ecosystem, and advances Goal 2 of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs: Securing opportunities to advance U.S. commercial and strategic interests.

Project Background:

The United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) maintain a strong and growing partnership in science, technology, and innovation, including in the space sector. As the UAE continues to invest in advanced space capabilities, including lunar exploration, there is a strategic opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation by fostering collaboration among emerging leaders in aerospace engineering, robotics, and related fields.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks to strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration by supporting joint, applied research and development efforts focused on lunar exploration technologies. In particular, the program will emphasize the design and development of payload concepts suitable for inclusion in upcoming lunar missions, aligning with increasing global momentum toward lunar science and commercialization.

Through a hands-on, team-based Lunar Payload Design Challenge, this program will bring together American and Emirati graduate students from institutions with existing space-focused programs to collaboratively develop payload concepts, instruments, and/or related technologies that could contribute to future lunar missions. The initiative will highlight U.S. leadership in space technology and innovation while advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities under the "Make America More Prosperous" pillar by expanding partnerships in high-growth sectors of the space economy.

By connecting participants with leading U.S. academic institutions and potential industry and government partners, the program will promote the strength, competitiveness, and collaborative nature of the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

Previous Efforts and Lessons Learned:

PDS and Mission partners have previously supported educational exchanges, STEM-focused workshops, and innovation challenges aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and building technical capacity. Programs that incorporate hands-on, experiential learning and sustained collaboration between U.S. and foreign participants have demonstrated strong outcomes in participant engagement, skills development, and long-term institutional partnerships.

In contrast, shorter-term or purely lecture-based programming has shown more limited long-term impact. Additionally, programs that are not closely aligned with current industry and research priorities have demonstrated reduced relevance for participants already operating within advanced technical ecosystems.

This project builds on best practices by emphasizing:

• Collaboration between institutions with existing technical capabilities;
• Applied, mission-oriented problem-solving aligned with current lunar exploration priorities;
• Sustained engagement beyond the initial program; and
• Real-world application with potential pathways toward research advancement, commercialization, or mission integration.

The inclusion of a follow-on component further strengthens the program by extending engagement beyond the initial activity and introducing elements of mentorship, industry exposure, and potential advancement toward mission-ready concepts.

Project Audience(s):

• Geographic Location: United States and United Arab Emirates
• Age Group: Graduate-level students (typically ages 22–35)
• Profession / Field: STEM fields including aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer science, and related disciplines

Primary Audiences:

• Emirati Graduate Students: Graduate students in STEM fields, particularly aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer science, or related disciplines, enrolled in UAE universities with established aerospace, engineering, or space-related programs.
• U.S. Graduate Students: Graduate students in STEM fields, particularly aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer science, or related disciplines, enrolled in U.S. universities with established aerospace, engineering, or space-related programs.
• Participating Institutions: U.S. and UAE universities and research institutions with demonstrated experience or ongoing work in space systems, lunar research, or related technological domains. Departments with demonstrated experience in building and testing hardware systems (including prototypes, lab-scale instruments, or field-deployable devices) are strongly encouraged to apply. Teams without prior instrument development experience may participate if they include a clear plan for hardware realization and appropriate technical partnerships.
• Emerging Space Sector Professionals and Partners: Academic institutions, research centers, and early-career professionals engaged in lunar exploration, payload development, or adjacent fields.

Project Goal:

Strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration in lunar exploration and space innovation by supporting joint development of payload and technology concepts through applied, team-based learning experiences involving institutions with existing space-related capabilities.

Project Objectives:

• Objective 1: Facilitate a collaborative Lunar Payload Design Challenge engaging at least 30 graduate students (15 Emirati and 15 U.S.) from qualified institutions in team-based development of payload or mission-support concepts aligned with lunar exploration priorities, resulting in at least 90 percent of participants demonstrating improved technical and collaborative skills through post-program assessments.
• Objective 2: Increase participants' understanding of U.S. leadership in space technology, particularly in lunar exploration initiatives, and enhance awareness of opportunities for collaboration with U.S. institutions, agencies, and industry partners.
• Objective 3: Support the development of at least 1-3 viable payload or technology concepts with potential applicability to future lunar missions, including those aligned with NASA or partner mission architectures, and facilitate continued collaboration among participating institutions, with at least 50 percent of teams maintaining engagement or advancing their concepts within six months of program completion.

Mandatory application forms

●      SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals) at grants.gov

●      SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at grants.gov

●      SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at grants.gov (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals, organizations exempt from registration, and for organizations not required to fully register in SAM.gov)

Proposal (5 pages maximum)

Applicants must submit a complete narrative proposal in a format of their choice, or they may use the attached proposal template if they like. The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. The proposal must include all the items below: 

●       Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact.

●       Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the State Department and/or U.S. government agencies as well as experience with and expertise in areas related to those described in the NOFO. Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to use the attached Applicant Organization Information Survey form to provide this information. If the applicant chooses not to use the attached form, all of the requested information from the form will still need to be addressed in the application package.    

●       Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed

●       Program Methods, Design, Activities, and Deliverables: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

●       Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

●       Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? 

●       Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees (if applicable).

●       Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Proposals must include a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP).

Submission Deadline: All applications must be received by July 15, 2026, 5:00PM UAE Time. For the purposes of determining if an award is submitted on time, PDS will utilize the timestamp provided by Grants.gov. This deadline is firm and is not a rolling deadline. If organizations fail to meet the deadline noted above their application will be considered ineligible and will not be considered for funding. 

Submission Method A: Submitting all application materials directly to the following email address: UAEPASGrants@state.gov. Applicants opting to submit applications via email to UAEPASGrants@state.gov must include the Funding Opportunity Title and Funding Opportunity Number in the subject line of the email. 

 Submission Method B: Submitting all application materials through Grants.gov. For those opting to apply through Grants.gov, thorough instructions on the application process are available at http://www.grants.gov. For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or go to https://www.grants.gov/support.html. Please note that UAEPASGrants@state.gov is unable to assist with technical questions or problems applicants experience with Grants.gov.