JCATI 2027–28 Request for Proposals (FY28 Awards)
Proposals due: Friday, February 26, 2027, 5:00 PM PST
Read the full 2027–28 Request for Proposals (Word)
JCATI project award funds pay for short-term industry access to Washington public university engineering expertise to solve aerospace technology pain points. JCATI funds Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3–7 challenges (the “Valley of Death”). Each project advances its technology one TRL level during the one-year project, with the goal of transitioning it to the industry partner within one year after the project ends, preferably sooner.
Washington aerospace companies of all sizes use JCATI to test technology ideas by leveraging academic expertise. JCATI funds are not long-term grants, industry-sponsored research, or basic research support; JCATI projects should produce real industry deliverables.
Areas of Strong Interest
Projects must relate to the Washington aerospace industry and have their impact in Washington. JCATI is strongly interested in the areas below but is open to proposals across all aerospace technology innovation sectors.
- Physical AI, Robotics & Autonomy
- Aerospace Power & Energy
- Agriculture Applications
- Environmental Domain Awareness
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) & Alternative Fuels
- Space Sustainability & Logistics
- Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
How JCATI Works
Each JCATI project has an academic partner and an industry partner. A Washington aerospace company identifies a technical pain point and finds the expertise it needs in an engineering program at a Washington public university. Engineering faculty submit the proposal describing how their expertise can solve the problem. If the project is selected, award funds primarily support Washington engineering faculty and students working on the solution, and the industry partner supports the project with its own resources, described in its letter of support.
- Eligible applicant organizations: Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College.
- Principal investigator: each project has one PI of record, and each PI may submit one proposal per funding cycle. Award funds primarily support engineering or engineering technology students.
- Industry partner: every project needs at least one. The primary partner must be an aerospace-related company with a Washington presence, and the majority of project work and impact must occur in Washington. Industry contributions make a proposal more competitive, but no cost share is required.
JCATI Overview Presentation
New to JCATI? This short overview covers what prospective PIs and industry partners need to know.
View the JCATI Overview presentation (PDF, 25 slides, 2.8 MB)
Award Information
- Estimated number of awards: 10–12
- Base budget request: $115,000. Applicants may request an optional $5,000 for the Undergraduate Scholars Program (USP).
- Project period: July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028. No no-cost extensions.
- No F&A or overhead is charged on JCATI awards.
- Awardees and their students present at the spring 2028 JCATI symposium at Western Washington University in Bellingham (date TBD).
Key Dates
- Thursday, January 7, 2027, 5:00 PM PST: optional narrative pre-review, last day to submit a draft
- Friday, January 15, 2027: last day to request academic partner matchmaking for this cycle. Companies should request a match as soon as possible; requests received after January 15 may not be matched in enough time to prepare a proposal by the deadline.
- Monday, February 1, 2027, 1:00–2:00 PM PST: Office Hours Session 1, RFP overview & general Q&A (register)
- Thursday, February 11, 2027, 1:00–2:00 PM PST: Office Hours Session 2, budget, industry letters & IP agreement Q&A (register)
- Wednesday, February 17, 2027, 1:00–2:00 PM PST: Office Hours Session 3, final Q&A before submission (register)
- Friday, February 19, 2027, 5:00 PM PST: budget sign-off deadline, UW Aeronautics & Astronautics
- Tuesday, February 23, 2027, 5:00 PM PST: budget sign-off deadline, UW Mechanical Engineering (other departments: confirm with your grants office)
- Friday, February 26, 2027, 5:00 PM PST: proposals due
- May 2027: funding decisions announced
- Thursday, July 1, 2027: project period begins
- Spring 2028 (date TBD): JCATI symposium at Western Washington University, Bellingham
- Friday, June 30, 2028: project period ends; all funds spent
- Monday, July 17, 2028, 5:00 PM PDT: final report due
Help for Applicants
- Looking for an academic partner? Companies can ask JCATI to help find university engineering expertise at any time. To be matched for this cycle, submit a one-page, non-confidential project summary as soon as possible. Matching takes time, and Friday, January 15, 2027 is the last day to request a match for this cycle. Submit your request through the JCATI Research Partner Request form.
- Virtual office hours: three Zoom sessions in February; see Office Hours below to register.
- Optional narrative pre-review: submit one draft of the narrative (Section III of the drafting template) by Thursday, January 7, 2027, 5:00 PM PST for brief feedback on clarity and fit with the RFP. Submit your draft through the narrative pre-review form; please do not email drafts.
- Disability accommodations: to request accommodation in the application process, see our Accessibility & Public Records page.
Office Hours
JCATI is hosting three virtual Office Hours sessions to support applicants to the 2027–28 Request for Proposals. All sessions are held on Zoom from 1:00–2:00 PM PST. Registration is required; you’ll receive the join link by email after registering.
- Session 1: RFP Overview & General Q&A
Monday, February 1, 2027, 1:00–2:00 PM PST
Register for Session 1 - Session 2: Budget, Industry Letters & IP Agreement Q&A
Thursday, February 11, 2027, 1:00–2:00 PM PST
Register for Session 2 - Session 3: Final Q&A Before Submission
Wednesday, February 17, 2027, 1:00–2:00 PM PST
Register for Session 3
How to Apply
Proposals are submitted only through the JCATI online proposal submission form, which is open now through Friday, February 26, 2027, 5:00 PM PST. Late proposals are not reviewed.
Forms and Downloads
- 2027–28 Request for Proposals (Word)
- Proposal Drafting Template (Word): covers every section of the proposal, with each form field and character limit
- Industry Partner Packet (PDF): what each industry partner signs and why, the letter of support template, the Industry Partner Attestation Form, and the FY2028 IP Terms
- Letter of Support Template (Word)
- Industry Partner Attestation Form (Word)
- FY28 Institutional Certification (Word)
- Biosketch Template, NSF format (Word)
- JCATI Overview presentation (PDF): what prospective PIs and industry partners need to know
- NASA Technology Readiness Level definitions
Questions? Contact Brit Myers, JCATI Program Manager, britm@uw.edu, (206) 685-8063.