Aligning Your NASA SBIR Proposal to Mission

Introduction

Securing a NASA SBIR award isn’t just about having a great idea—it’s about having the right idea, tailored to NASA’s mission. Whether you’re developing advanced materials, autonomous systems, or environmental monitoring tools, the success of your application will depend on how well your technology aligns with NASA’s strategic goals. This article breaks down what that alignment really means and offers actionable advice for crafting a proposal that resonates with NASA reviewers.

Why NASA Mission Alignment Is Critical

NASA’s SBIR reviewers are not just evaluating technical brilliance—they’re prioritizing proposals that directly support the agency’s missions. Every year, many applications are rejected not because the ideas lack merit, but because they fail to show why NASA should care. Your innovation might be impressive, but unless it addresses a specific problem NASA is trying to solve, your proposal won’t be competitive.

Reviewers are guided by a simple question: Does this technology help NASA fulfill its mission? If your proposal doesn’t make that connection explicit, you’re leaving points on the table.

Mission alignment matters
NASA gives primary consideration to proposals that directly benefit its stated goals and needs.

Know What NASA Actually Needs

NASA’s mission spans planetary exploration, human spaceflight, climate research, and aerospace innovation—but not every innovation fits their current priorities. To align your proposal, you need to understand both NASA’s high-level goals and the specific needs outlined in each SBIR solicitation.

Start by reviewing NASA’s Strategic Plan. It outlines broad themes like expanding human presence to the Moon and Mars (via Artemis), enabling commercial space markets, and advancing technologies for Earth science and climate monitoring. But alignment doesn’t stop there. Each SBIR subtopic is tied to a specific mission directorate (like Science, Space Tech, or Human Exploration) and often references related programs or roadmaps.

You’ll often find direct links in the subtopic descriptions to relevant missions or technology gaps. Use them. Study them. Then explain, in your proposal, exactly how your technology addresses those gaps or enables those missions. Doing so demonstrates that you’ve done your homework—and that your innovation is truly relevant to NASA’s work.

Choose the Right Subtopic

No matter how groundbreaking your technology is, if it’s submitted under the wrong subtopic, your proposal is likely to be dismissed. NASA SBIR solicitations are organized into highly specific topics and subtopics, each tied to a mission directorate and often a current or planned mission. Your job is to find the subtopic that your innovation naturally supports—and then show exactly how.

Start by carefully reading the full description of the subtopic. Look for:

• Specific capabilities or performance needs
• Mentioned applications or target missions
• References to technical challenges or roadmaps

Then, tailor your proposal’s “Significance” and “Innovation” sections to speak directly to those details. Reviewers want to see a clear, direct line from NASA’s stated need to your proposed solution.

Don’t be afraid to use NASA’s own terminology. Terms like “infusion potential,” “technology readiness level (TRL),” or specific mission acronyms (like CLPS or Mars Sample Return) signal that you understand the ecosystem your technology will operate in.

Tip:
Always cite the specific subtopic ID and clearly describe how your technology addresses it—don’t assume reviewers will make the connection for you.

Tailor Your Proposal to NASA’s Language

Writing for NASA means more than technical clarity—it means speaking their language. NASA’s reviewers are often engineers and program managers who are deeply immersed in the agency’s priorities. If your proposal uses the terminology and framing that NASA uses internally, it shows that you understand the environment your technology is meant for.

Key terms to incorporate include:

• Infusion potential – how and where NASA can adopt your technology
• Technology Readiness Level (TRL) – the maturity level of your solution
• Gaps and mission needs – specific problems your tech addresses
• Dual-use potential – if your innovation also applies to commercial or non-NASA government markets

Use examples from real NASA missions or programs to frame your proposal. For instance, rather than saying “we support lunar operations,” say “this solution addresses thermal protection needs identified in the Artemis surface mobility system planning.” That level of specificity builds trust with reviewers.

Show the Value to NASA: What Reviewers Look For

Reviewers are trained to look beyond the technology itself. What they want to know is whether your innovation solves a problem NASA has, and whether it can be implemented. That’s why it’s essential to connect your proposal to both the technical and strategic priorities laid out in the solicitation.

Here’s what NASA reviewers typically evaluate:

• Relevance to subtopic – Did you clearly address the specific NASA challenge identified?
• Infusion potential – Can your technology realistically be integrated into a NASA mission or system?
• Technical innovation and feasibility – Is your approach new, and is there evidence it can work?
• Team capability and execution plan – Does your team have the experience and plan to deliver?
• Commercial potential – Can your technology survive past Phase II? Could it serve NASA and other markets?

It’s not enough to say your product is useful. You have to prove it—and in NASA’s terms.