NIA is a non-profit research and graduate education institute created to conduct leading-edge aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

NIA was formed by a consortium of leading research universities. Members include: Georgia Tech, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University, the College of William & Mary and the AIAA Foundation.

NIA serves as a strategic partner with NASA Langley Research Center and the aerospace community to enable research creativity and expand technology development opportunities. The Institute integrates research and graduate education while creating new government/academia/industry partnerships to solve tomorrow's problems today.


The purpose of NIA is to: 1. Foster research collaboration among national laboratories, academia and industrial partners to stimulate innovation and creativity 2. Provide comprehensive graduate and continuing education in science and engineering via local campus presence and distance learning technologies 3. Incubate and stimulate the commercialization of new intellectual property developed through NIA's research activities 4. Promote aerospace science and engineering and provide outreach to the region and nation.