▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁( managed ▁by ▁the ▁Univers ities ▁Space ▁Research ▁Association ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁NASA ), ▁and ▁was ▁re est ab lished ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁NASA ▁In nov ative ▁Advanced ▁Con cept s ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁the ▁present . ▁ ▁The ▁N I AC ▁program ▁funds ▁work ▁on ▁revolution ary ▁aer onaut ics ▁and ▁space ▁concepts ▁that ▁can ▁dram atically ▁impact ▁how ▁NASA ▁develop s ▁and ▁conduct s ▁its ▁miss ions . ▁ ▁N I AC ▁History ▁The ▁NASA ▁Institute ▁for ▁Advanced ▁Con cept s ▁( NI AC ) ▁was ▁a ▁NASA - fund ed ▁program ▁that ▁was ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Univers ities ▁Space ▁Research ▁Association ▁( US RA ) ▁for ▁NASA ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁until ▁its ▁closure ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁N I AC ▁was ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁" an ▁independent ▁open ▁forum , ▁a ▁high - level ▁point ▁of ▁entry ▁to ▁NASA ▁for ▁an ▁external ▁community ▁of ▁innov ators , ▁and ▁an ▁external ▁cap ability ▁for ▁analysis ▁and ▁definition ▁of ▁advanced ▁aer onaut ics ▁and ▁space ▁concepts ▁to ▁complement ▁the ▁advanced ▁concept ▁activities ▁conducted ▁within ▁NASA ." ▁▁ ▁N I AC ▁sought ▁propos als ▁for ▁revolution ary ▁aer onaut ics ▁and ▁space ▁concepts ▁that ▁could ▁dram atically ▁impact ▁how ▁NASA ▁developed ▁and ▁conducted ▁its ▁miss ions . ▁It ▁provided ▁a ▁highly ▁visible , ▁recogn izable , ▁and ▁high - level ▁entry ▁point ▁for ▁outside ▁think ers ▁and ▁research ers . ▁N