Programs › 43.003
Assistance listing · 43.003
Exploration
Federal financial assistance obligated under listing 43.003, the organisations that receive it and where it goes.
USAspending caveat. Figures are obligations reported by federal agencies to USAspending.gov, not payments. In USAspending's words: "An outlay occurs when federal money is actually paid out, not just promised to be paid ('obligated')." "Every agency has a Senior Accountable Official who must officially certify that the quarterly financial data submitted by their agency is accurate and complete." "If there are any discrepancies in procurement data, FPDS is the authoritative source." Contract data for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is published with a 90-day delay. Data loaded 30 Sep 2026.
Federal agencies obligated $48M in awards under assistance listing 43.003, Exploration, in FY2026, and $278M over the five fiscal years since FY2023; the program ranks 495 of 988 on this site.
Obligations were down 44% on FY2025 ($87M), with $0 so far in FY2027.
The largest recipient organisations by the value of $1.0M-plus awards since FY2023 were University of Maryland, College Park ($76M), Southwest Research Institute ($4.9M) and University of New Mexico ($3.5M).
By place of performance, the most money went to MD.
Obligations by fiscal year
Compared with the largest program FY2026
| Measure | This program | Grants to States for Medicaid | All assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obligations, FY2026 | $48M | $722B | $4.4T |
| Five-year total | $278M | $2.6T | $17T |
| Share of all assistance obligations, five years | 0% | 15.2% | 100% |
Largest recipients $1.0M+ award value since FY2023
| # | Organisation | Awards | Award value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland, College Park | 1 | $76M |
| 2 | Southwest Research Institute | 1 | $4.9M |
| 3 | University of New Mexico | 1 | $3.5M |
| 4 | Utah State University | 1 | $2.0M |
| 5 | Sierra Space Corp | 1 | $2.0M |
Awarding agencies $1.0M+ awards
Where the money goes
Largest awards since FY2023
| Recipient | Awarding agency | Type | Award value | Begun | Place | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland, College Park | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | GrantCooperative Agreement (B) | $76M | 20 Sep 2024 | MD | USAspending |
| Southwest Research Institute | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | GrantCooperative Agreement (B) | $4.9M | 28 Sep 2023 | TX | USAspending |
| University of New Mexico | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | GrantCooperative Agreement (B) | $3.5M | 29 Sep 2023 | NM | USAspending |
| Utah State University | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | GrantProject Grant (B) | $2.0M | 1 May 2023 | UT | USAspending |
| Sierra Space Corp | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | GrantProject Grant (B) | $2.0M | 9 Jan 2024 | CO | USAspending |
Other programs numbered 43.xxx
- 43.001 Science $3.8B
- 43.008 Office of Stem Engagement (OSTEM) $356M
- 43.002 Aeronautics $267M
- 43.012 Space Technology $235M
- 43.009 Mission Support $92M
- 43.014 Congressionally Directed Programs $88M
- 43.007 Space Operations $67M
Questions and answers
How much is obligated under assistance listing 43.003?
$48M in FY2026 and $278M over the five fiscal years since FY2023, counting every award type recorded under the listing (grants, direct payments, loan subsidy cost, insurance and other assistance). Obligations are commitments, not payments.
Who receives the most under Exploration?
University of Maryland, College Park ($76M), Southwest Research Institute ($4.9M), University of New Mexico ($3.5M), Utah State University ($2.0M), Sierra Space Corp ($2.0M). Individuals are never listed; where a program pays individuals, USAspending records aggregated rows that appear here as "not shown".
What is an assistance listing (CFDA) number?
A five-digit number that identifies a federal financial assistance program on SAM.gov (formerly the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance). Every grant, loan, direct payment or other assistance award on USAspending carries one; contracts do not.
Provenance
Source: USAspending.gov API v2, spending by category (assistance listing) by fiscal year, recipient cross-tabulation for FY2022–FY2025 and award search, loaded 30 Sep 2026. State figures come from each state's top-100 listing table, so small amounts in a state may be missing. See methodology.