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NIAC Encourages the Weird and the Wonderful
By Paul Hoversten
Washington Bureau Chief
posted: 12:07 pm ET
07 June 2000
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GREENBELT, Maryland -- The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) is designed to foster unusual -- some might say weird -- thinking into how best to explore the cosmos deep in the future GREENBELT, Maryland -- The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) is designed to foster unusual -- some might even say weird -- thinking into how best to explore the cosmos deep in the future. With an annual budget of $5 million a year, NIAC is seeking long-term ideas, it says, that "stretch the imagination" but should be "based on sound scientific principles." Leapfrogging current ideas The program began in 1998 to generate new insight and "leapfrog" current ideas within NASA's four main themes: aerospace technology, space science, Earth science and human exploration and development of space. None of the NIAC proposals -- if accepted by the space agency -- would be started until 10 to 40 years from now. 
"These guys are supposed to be thinking about a big leap forward."
Run by the Universities Space Research Association, the NIAC program awards six-month grants of $50,000 to $75,000 and 18- to 24-month grants of $350,000 to $500,000. The awards are selected by NIAC, based on independent peer review. "These guys are supposed to be thinking about a big leap forward," said Jerry Grey, head of aerospace and science policy at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an advisor with NIAC. A new way of thinking "The goal here is different from other NASA programs. They don't want to do near-term stuff. They want to create an entirely new way of thinking," Grey said. Ultimately, the goal is to impress NASA enough that the space agency will adopt -- and fully fund -- those ideas. "If 8 percent of what they do -- about one in 12 proposals -- is picked up by NASA, then that's considered a success," Grey said.
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