Vast x Explorers Club Grant — Research Program

The Vast x Explorers Club Grant funds research into how people can live and work safely beyond Earth. It is administered by The Explorers Club and paid for by Vast, a company building commercial space stations for continuous human presence in orbit.

Recipients carry out their own project at their own field site or laboratory; the grant backs a defined piece of work rather than a place at a host institution. Eligible topics run from life support and closed-loop biology to habitat materials, space medicine, radiation protection, and the psychology of long-duration isolation.

Each award is US$20,000–25,000 and must cover no more than one year of fieldwork from the stated project start date. The grant does not pay to fly people or hardware to space. The 2026 round closed on February 15, 2026, and The Explorers Club has not yet published dates for a next round.

Benefits & funding

US$20,000–25,000 per grant.
Funding covers up to one year of fieldwork from the stated project start date; additional lab work and publication time may fall outside that window.
Both field-based and laboratory projects qualify.
The grant does not pay salaries for students or faculty, nor institutional administrative overhead.
It does not cover flights to space for people or for hardware.
Applicants may indicate willingness to accept a smaller award than requested.

Eligibility

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
Open to early-career and established researchers, technologists, and explorers from any discipline relevant to space science or human adaptation beyond Earth.
The applicant must be leading or supporting an active project with clear objectives, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
Early-career applicants need an endorsement from a mentor or experienced project lead.
No nationality or residency restriction is stated.
Explorers Club membership is not required to apply.
Grantees are expected to secure any required permits before fieldwork begins.

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Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs

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Application process

1
Open the online application and read the instructions and guidelines that form step one of eight.
2
Enter applicant information, employer or job title, and institutional affiliation.
3
Complete the project sections: a project abstract of up to 300 words and a detailed project description of up to 800 words, with estimated departure and return dates.
4
List project team members and local collaborators.
5
Give permit status and set out any ethical concerns the project could raise.
6
Submit an itemized budget showing the amount requested and funds expected from other sources.
7
Upload supplemental materials: a video statement of up to three minutes as a YouTube or Vimeo link, an open-access CV link, a headshot or field photo with rights cleared, and a media pitch description of 75–100 words.
8
Arrange two letters of recommendation and submit before the deadline; the 2026 round closed on February 15, 2026.

Program timeline

February 15, 2026
Application deadline for the 2026 round.
Recipients announced.
Mid-April 2026
Within six months of project completion
Written report due to The Explorers Club and Vast, with photos and video where available.