NASA Education Express Message — April 21, 2016
Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
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New This Week!
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Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: April 21, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Free Webinar — Learn How to Navigate the Federal Application Process and Tips on Writing Your Federal Résumé
Audience: Graduate STEM Students
Event Date: April 27, 2016, 2-4 p.m. EDT
2016 NASA Johnson Space Center Educator Professional Development Institutes
Audience: Grades 6-8 Educators
Application Deadline: May 2, 2016
Institute Dates: Multiple Dates in July 2016
Free Educator Workshop — Space Technology: Green Propellant Infusion Mission
Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Event Dates: May 18, 2016, 4:30-6 p.m. PDT
Smallsat Technology Partnerships Solicitation
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Proposal Deadline: May 25, 2016
Future Engineers ‘Think Outside the Box’ Challenge
Audience: K-12 Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: Aug. 1, 2016
Join STEM on Station for #mISSionimaginaTIon — Design Challenge #4
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Educators and Students
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PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
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2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: April 21, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities — 2016 All-Star Students Program
Audience: Higher Education Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Application Deadline: April 22, 2016
2016 International Space Apps Challenge
Audience: Problem Solvers of All Ages
Event Dates: April 22-24, 2016
Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy
Audience: Designed for Families With Children Ages 10 to 14, but Open to All
Next Event Date: April 23, 2016, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT
Free Education Webinar Series From the GOES-R Education Proving Ground
Audience: 6-12 Educators
Next Event Date: April 23, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. EDT
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — CASIS Academy Live: Microbes in Space
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: April 26, 2016, 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. EDT
2017 eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Faculty and Students
Proposal Deadline: April 29, 2016
2016 Texas Space Grant Consortium Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarships
Audience: Undergraduate Students at Texas Space Grant Consortium Member Institutions
Application Deadline: April 29, 2016
2016 Texas Space Grant Consortium STEM Educator Scholarships
Audience: Educators Enrolled in STEM-field Programs for a Master’s Degree at Texas Space Grant Consortium Member Institutions
Application Deadline: April 29, 2016
2016-2017 Texas Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowships
Audience: Graduate Students at Texas Space Grant Consortium Member Institutions
Application Deadline: April 29, 2016
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 11 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: April 29, 2016
Future Engineers ‘Star Trek’ Replicator Challenge
Audience: Students in the United States Ages 5-19
Entry Deadline: May 1, 2016
Institute of Museum and Library Services Grants: STEM Expert Facilitation of Family Learning in Libraries and Museums
Audience: Libraries, Museums and Higher Education Institutions
Application Deadline: May 1, 2016
Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students (ExMASS) High School Research Program
Audience: 9-12 Educators
Application Deadline: May 2, 2016
Program Dates: September 2016 – April 2017
GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar Series
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Webinar Date: May 3, 2016, at 8 p.m. EDT
NASA/NSTA Webinar — Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: Weather
Audience: K-12 Educators
Event Date: May 5, 2016, 6:30 p.m. EDT
Federal Aviation Administration Graduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues
Audience: Graduate Students
Application Deadline: May 15, 2016
2016 NASA Aeronautics Design Challenge: Distributed Electric Propulsion
Audience: Students at U.S. Colleges and Universities
Entry Deadline: May 16, 2016
2016 National Academy of Engineering – Engineering for You Video Contest 3
Audience: All Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: May 31, 2016
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
Audience: Educational Institutions, Museums and Other Education Organizations
2016 Lunar Workshop for Educators
Audience: In-service and Pre-service Science Educators of Grades 6-9
Workshop Dates: June 27-July 1, 2016
2016 DREAM2Explore Workshop for Educators
Audience: In-service and Pre-service Science Educators of Grades 6-9
Workshop Dates: July 11-15, 2016
Call for Papers: NASA in the ‘Long’ Civil Rights Movement Symposium
Audience: Academics, Graduate Students and Independent Scholars
Abstract Submission Deadline: July 31, 2016
Symposium Dates: March 16-17, 2017
Call for Submissions — NASA Announcement for High Impact / Broad Implementation STEM Education Partnerships (EDUCATION01SP16)
Audience: Education Institutions and Organizations
Applications Accepted on a Rolling Basis Through Dec. 31, 2017
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Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educator and Student Current Opportunity pages on NASA’s website:
— Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html
Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum? Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.
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NEW THIS WEEK!
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Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.
Air and Space — Airplanes and Rockets: NASA Rockets 101
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8
Event Date: April 21, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Launch your students’ interest and excitement in forces and motion. Explore forces, motion and flight with inquiry-based rocket activities and design challenges that include designing, building and launching simple rockets while recording and analyzing data. This webinar will also investigate rockets by integrating NASA missions, STEM curriculum, online education resources and the Next Generation Science Standards into teaching strategies that will guide educators into a learning journey “blast off.” Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/162228
Air and Space — Airplanes and Rockets: Contrails — Clouds and Human Activity
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: April 25, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
This webinar will focus on cloud types, in particular contrails, and Earth’s energy balance. This session will highlight the S’COOL and GLOBE programs with emphasis on using computer-based statistical analysis of student observations. Clouds are the largest variable controlling Earth’s atmospheric temperature and climate. Contrails, especially persistent contrails, represent a human-caused increase in high, thin clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/172360
Air and Space — Airplanes and Rockets: Smart Skies FlyBy MathTM
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-9
Event Date: April 26, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Discover the excitement of air traffic control through this webinar. It will focus on mathematics skills in grades 5-9 where students solve distance-rate-time problems related to in air traffic control by using an online graphing tool. A hands-on experiment will demonstrate these math skills. Lesson materials align with the Common Core Math Standards. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/167220
Solar System and Beyond: Kepler Mission Exploring Strange New Worlds
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: April 28, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore how the Kepler Space Telescope searches for planets orbiting stars beyond our sun. Participants will investigate how to use actual Kepler Telescope data and Kepler’s Third Law to construct graphs and interpret data that determines if a planet, orbiting a star in another solar system, is Earth-like and a candidate to support “life.” Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/159277
For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.
Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.
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Free Webinar — Learn How to Navigate the Federal Application Process and Tips on Writing Your Federal Résumé
Join Karlos DelToro of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for an informative webinar session on Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at 2 p.m. EDT. During the two-hour session, participants will learn more about the federal employment application process, including how to navigate USAJOBS (the federal employment portal) when applying for civil service positions. DelToro will also share tips on preparing a federal résumé.
Interested participants may attend the session in person in Room 1461 at the General Services Administration building at 1800 F St. NW, Washington, D.C.
The event will be streamed online at https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/onstage/g.php?MTID=e5a74da347803326346e4be0f0e64771c. Use the following event information to access the webinar.
Event number: 745 127 849
Event password: 9sHUf8T@
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2016 NASA Johnson Space Center Educator Professional Development Institutes
NASA’s Johnson Space Center is seeking middle school educators to attend this year’s Educator Professional Development Institutes. The JSC EPDI feature online interactions and weeklong, face-to-face training that is grade-level specific. All activities align NASA’s current missions and education resources to state and national standards for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics in middle school classrooms.
Participants must be U.S. citizens currently employed as classroom teachers of grades 6-8. The institute will include online assignments, hands-on training, tours of NASA facilities, and presentations from NASA scientists and engineers. Participants will receive a $450 stipend and a certificate showing 50 Continuing Professional Education hours.
Institutes will take place in July. Applications are due May 2, 2016.
For more information, visit https://opportunities.nasa.okstate.edu/index.cfm?liftoff=EPDI.Home.
If you have questions about the 2016 JSC EPDI, please email your inquiries to JSC-EPD@mail.nasa.gov.
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Free Educator Workshop — Space Technology: Green Propellant Infusion Mission
Are you ready to go green? Join NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Office of Education for a free educator professional development workshop to investigate “green” alternatives to conventional space technologies. Through hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations, educators will learn how to design, construct and test a simple mock spacecraft and “green” propellant using the Beginning Engineering Science & Technology, or BEST, curriculum and the engineering design process.
BEST is a demonstrated pedagogical framework that teaches students the engineering design process. Activities can supplement instruction during the school day or out of school, and they can be implemented individually or as a themed series. During the workshop, teaching connections will be made to real-world applications including NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission and Armstrong’s GREEN technology research.
The workshop will take place Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 4:30-6 p.m. PDT at NASA’s Armstrong Educator Resource Center at the AERO Institute in Palmdale, California.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/erc_workshop_05_18_16.pdf.
Please direct questions about this workshop to Sondra Geddes at sondra.l.geddes@nasa.gov.
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Smallsat Technology Partnerships Solicitation
NASA is extending an opportunity to college and university teams to propose small spacecraft technology projects that they can conduct in collaboration with NASA researchers. The Smallsat Technology Partnerships solicitation is being issued by the Small Spacecraft Technology Program as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s NASA Research Announcement for 2016.
NASA expects to competitively select about eight projects from among those proposed by university teams. The teams can form proposal partnerships with researchers from any of NASA’s 10 field centers. Awards for each project will include up to $100,000 to each university team per year. In addition, NASA will fund the time for one NASA employee to work with each selected team. Project funding is for one year with the potential to continue for a second year.
Proposed projects could involve laboratory work to advance a particular spacecraft technology or the development of a new smallsat. NASA will be accepting proposals in four topic areas: 1) enhanced power generation and storage, 2) cross-linking communications systems, 3) relative navigation for multiple small spacecraft, and 4) instruments and sensors for small spacecraft science missions.
Proposals are due May 25, 2016.
Details and instructions for submitting proposals may be found at http://go.nasa.gov/1qc751z.
Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Rachel Khattab at rachel.khattab@nasa.gov.
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Future Engineers ‘Think Outside the Box’ Challenge
To celebrate the launch of the first-ever expandable habitat to the International Space Station (Bigelow Aerospace’s BEAM) and the launch of the first-ever commercial 3-D printer in space (Made In Space’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility), NASA and the American Society for Mechanical Engineers Foundation are challenging students to think outside the box with 3-D printing — literally. If you are a K-12 student in the United States, your challenge is to design a useful object that assembles, telescopes, hinges, accordions, grows, or expands to become larger than the printing bounds of the Advanced Manufacturing Facility 3-D printer in space (14cm length by 10cm width by 10cm height). The function of your assembled or expanded item can be anything you think would be useful for an astronaut living on the International Space Station.
The ‘Out of the Box’ Challenge is the fourth in a series of challenges where students in grades K-12 will create and submit a digital 3-D model of an object that they think astronauts might need in space. Future Engineers is a multiyear education initiative that consists of 3-D space challenges and curriculum videos on the site that parents and educators can use to get kids designing today.
Think big. Think outside of the box! And good luck!
Entries must be submitted by Aug. 1, 2016.
For more information about the challenge and to watch the launch video, go to www.futureengineers.org/thinkoutsidethebox.
Please email questions about this competition to info@futureengineers.org.
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Join STEM on Station for #mISSionimaginaTIon — Design Challenge #4
Did you know that pollution occurs in space too? Right now, over 100 million pieces of orbital debris are orbiting Earth, and most are 1mm or smaller. NASA and Texas Instruments present the fourth and final #mISSionImaginaTIon design challenge. We need your help to design a spacecraft that can detect and prevent potential collisions with orbital debris during a deep space mission.
To find out more about #mISSionimaginaTIon, visit www.missionimagination.com.
Learn more about this exciting opportunity and other ways you can bring the space station into your classroom by visiting NASA’s STEM on Station website. While you are there, stop by and learn more about the yearlong mission and how it is still helping us on our #JourneytoMars. Opportunities, resources and more await at this site that focuses on the International Space Station!
To check out the website, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/STEMonStation.
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PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
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2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.
Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.
Next Lecture in the Series:
CubeSats: Big Goals, Tiny Package
Event Date: April 21 and April 22, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=4
Over the last 15 years, a miniature revolution in space science has been underway: CubeSats! First flown as educational tools the size of soup cans, significant capabilities have now been developed to allow these nanospacecraft to travel to the moon, asteroids and even Mars. Join Dr. Andrew Klesh, Chief Engineer for Interplanetary Small Spacecraft, for a discussion about these small spacecraft and the types of missions they are being used for.
For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.
Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.
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White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities — 2016 All-Star Students Program
The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities works to promote HBCU excellence, innovation and sustainability. The Initiative will recognize current HBCU students for their dedication to academics, leadership and civic engagement as 2016 HBCU All-Star Students.
The appointment period will last approximately one year. During this time, HBCU All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing outreach opportunities and communications to their fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource. Through social media and personal and professional relationships with community-based organizations, students will share promising and proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to realize their educational and career potential. The program will provide an opportunity to participate in regional and national events as well as webchats with Initiative staff and other professionals from a wide range of disciplines that support a spirit of engagement and personal and professional development.
Nominees must be current undergraduate, graduate or professional students at an HBCU. Students must be enrolled for the 2016-2017 fall semester. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 22, 2016.
For more information and to download an application, visit http://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/resources/hbcu-all-star-students/.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to hbcuallstars@ed.gov.
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2016 International Space Apps Challenge
NASA and space agencies around the world are preparing for the fifth annual International Space Apps Challenge, which will be held April 22-24, 2016. Participants will develop mobile applications, software, hardware, data visualization and platform solutions that could contribute to space exploration missions and help improve life on Earth.
This year’s challenge kicks off with a boot camp event on April 22 that will be live-streamed globally. The two-day “code-athon” event will follow on April 23-24. It will be hosted locally at over 193 locations spanning 72 countries. More than 200 data sources, including data sets, data services and tools, will be available. This event will bring tech-savvy citizens, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators and students together to help solve challenges relevant to both space exploration and broader subjects that impact life on Earth.
Registration for citizen participation is now open.
To learn more about the International Space Apps Challenge, get the latest updates and register to attend an event, visit https://2016.spaceappschallenge.org/.
If you have questions about the challenge, please visit https://2016.spaceappschallenge.org/contact.
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Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy
Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is a free alternate-reality game that will challenge you to become an astronaut-in-training for a future trip to Mars. Choose what role you will play on the mission; engage in fun interactive activities; and explore the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills you will need as a next-generation space traveler. Along the way, you’ll learn about some of the museum’s fascinating artifacts.
Instructions and guidance are given via a special webpage accessed on your mobile device. Players should bring their own phones or devices equipped with an internet browser and a camera. Having a digital picture-taking device (smartphone, tablet, camera) is highly recommended but not required.
The game is aimed at upper elementary and middle school visitors and their families. Do you want to bring a group? Reservations are required for groups larger than 15.
The next offering of the Astronaut Academy is on April 23, 2016. Begin your training with Astronaut Orientation in the Claude Moore Education Center Classroom 1 located on the first level across from the restrooms. Astronaut Orientation is offered at regular intervals between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The last opportunity to start the game is at 2:30 p.m. A self-guided activity, the game should take between 60 and 90 minutes, and staff will help you along the way.
For more information, including a full list of upcoming Astronaut Academy dates, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/techquest/.
Please direct questions about the Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy to the visitor service line at 202-633-2214.
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Free Education Webinar Series From the GOES-R Education Proving Ground
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites — R Series is the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing systems. The GOES-R series satellites will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere. The satellites will collect lightning data and monitor space weather to provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar and space data. The first satellite in the GOES-R series is scheduled to launch in October 2016.
To help educators prepare for the new satellite imagery and data that will be available during the GOES-R era, the GOES-R Education Proving Ground is hosting a series of education webcasts leading up to launch.
The webinars will take place on the following Saturday mornings at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
April 23, 2016: Additional GOES-R Resources and Educational Tools
Sept. 17, 2016: Countdown to Launch!
For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars, visit http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/goesr/.
Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Margaret Mooney at Margaret.Mooney@ssec.wisc.edu.
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NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — CASIS Academy Live: Microbes in Space
Why does life depend on microbes and what do extremophiles tell us about the potential for life beyond Earth? Join DLN and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space for this CASIS Academy Live event with Dr. Michael Roberts to learn more about microbes in space. During the live video chat, Roberts will answer your questions.
The 45-minute event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on April 26, 2016, at 11 a.m. EDT.
Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.
Sign up to connect your class directly and participate in a CASIS Academy Live event. Please direct questions about this event to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.
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2017 eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge
NASA is seeking university teams to develop innovative design solutions for deep space human exploration systems in the 2017 eXploration Systems and Habitation Academic Innovation Challenge. This year, the X-Hab Challenge scope is being formally extended not only to include habitation topics but other areas of exploration systems as well. Topic areas include in-space recycling/reclamation, quantification of condensed water on the lunar surface, a wastewater to plant nutrient solution, a microgravity plant-watering system and a microgravity food production system.
The winners of the challenge will receive between $10,000 and $30,000 to design and produce functional products of interest to NASA human spaceflight. Proposals are due April 29, 2016, and awardees will follow a tailored systems-engineering process with the completion of the projects in the May 2017 timeframe.
Proposals will be accepted from university faculty who are U.S. citizens and who teach at an accredited university in the U.S. Eligible educators must be teaching a senior or graduate engineering design, industrial design or architecture curriculum that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and other minority-serving educational institutions are particularly encouraged to apply. Proposals from women, members of underrepresented minority groups and persons with disabilities also are highly encouraged.
For more information about the challenge and how to submit a proposal, visit http://spacegrant.org/xhab/.
Please email questions about the X-Hab Challenge to xhab@spacegrant.org.
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2016 Texas Space Grant Consortium Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarships
The Texas Space Grant Consortium and the Aviation and Space Foundation of Texas, in partnership with NASA, are offering undergraduate scholarships of $1,500 in memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts. These seven men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice to expand the exploration of space and our knowledge of the world that we live in.
These scholarships are intended to recognize high-quality students and encourage their consideration of graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, ultimately leading to careers in STEM-related fields. The scholarships stress excellence in academics, participation in STEM education and research projects, and the exhibition of leadership qualities.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and registered for at least a half-time course load at a Texas Space Grant Consortium institution. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 29, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/grants/2016/scholars_announcement.html.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to scholarships@tsgc.utexas.edu.
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2016 Texas Space Grant Consortium STEM Educator Scholarships
The Texas Space Grant Consortium has established a new Educator STEM Scholarship Program. These $1,500 scholarships are intended to recognize teachers enrolled in master’s programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields at a TSGC member institution.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in a master’s program at a Texas Space Grant Consortium institution. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 29, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/edu_stem/.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to scholarships@tsgc.utexas.edu.
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2016-2017 Texas Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowships
Texas Space Grant Consortium Fellowships encourage graduate study in the fields of space science and engineering. Interdisciplinary and integrated work experience are emphasized.
Each $5,000 award supplements half-time graduate support (or fellowship) provided by a Consortium institution. The fellowship award is good for one year. Each fellowship may be renewed for a maximum of three years, providing the recipient has spent no more than two of those years as a master’s candidate.
Applicants must be registered for full-time study in a graduate program at one or more of the Texas Space Grant Consortium institutions and must be promised financial support at that institution. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 29, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/grants/2016/fellows_announcement.html.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to fellowships@tsgc.utexas.edu.
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Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 11 to the International Space Station
The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 11 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.
Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring 2017 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved minilab.
Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.
This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than April 29, 2016. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.
To learn more about this opportunity, visit the SSEP Mission 11 to International Space Station National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2016/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-11-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2016/.
SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner on SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.
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Future Engineers ‘Star Trek’ Replicator Challenge
Calling all Starfleet cadets! “Star Trek,” the American Society for Mechanical Engineers Foundation and NASA want you to pioneer the future of food in space. Your challenge is to create a digital model of a food-related item for astronauts to 3-D print in the year 2050. We want designs that boldly go where no human has 3-D printed before and that help astronauts eat nutritious meals so they can live long and prosper.
You must specify one of the following locations for your 3-D print: our moon, another planet, another planet’s moon, or a spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit (explain where it is going and why). You also must specify the intended printing material (feedstock) for your 3-D print. This could be plastic, metal, recycled materials, locally sourced material, or any nonedible, 3-D printing feedstock you think would advance human space exploration.
Eating a meal in space goes beyond the actual food itself — from growing food to devouring it. There are many things to consider, so check out our rules, design guidelines and education resources before to starting your design.
Student winners will receive a range of prizes, including a trip to New York for a tour of the space shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Museum with an astronaut, a 3-D printer for the winners’ schools or a “Star Trek” prize pack.
Entries are due May 1, 2016. For more information about the challenge and how to enter, visit www.futureengineers.org/startrek.
Please email questions about this competition to info@futureengineers.org.
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Institute of Museum and Library Services Grants: STEM Expert Facilitation of Family Learning in Libraries and Museums
The Institute of Museum and Library Services seeks proposals for design-based research projects focused on inquiry-based STEM programs delivered by scientists, engineers, and related technical practitioners to children ages 6-10 and their families. Proposals should address the role of experts’ oral narratives (e.g., storytelling or personal histories) as part of object-based science inquiry and include information about how findings will be applicable in both museum and library settings.
Entities that are eligible to apply include libraries, agencies, institutions of higher education, museums, and other entities that advance the museum and library fields. Grant amounts up to $1,000,000 are available for a period of performance up to two years.
Applications are due May 1, 2016.
For more information, visit https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/stem-expert-facilitation-family-learning-libraries-and-museums-stemex.
Library representatives with questions about this opportunity should email Sandra Toro at storo@imls.gov. Museum representatives with questions should email Helen Wechsler at hwechsler@imls.gov or Sandra Narva at snarva@imls.gov.
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Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students (ExMASS) High School Research Program
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and the Center for Lunar Science and Exploration at the Lunar and Planetary Institute are looking for 10 teams of motivated high school students and their teachers to participate in a national standards-based lunar/asteroid research program for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Supervised by their teacher and aided by a scientist advisor, students undertake open-inquiry research projects that engage them in the process of science and support the goals of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. At the end of the year, four teams compete for a chance to present their research at the Exploration Science Forum held at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, in July 2017.
Participation in the ExMASS program is free. Interested teachers must submit an application. Applications are due May 2, 2016.
For more information and to apply for the ExMASS program, visit http://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration/education/hsResearch/.
Please direct questions about the ExMASS program to Andy Shaner at shaner@lpi.usra.edu.
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GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar Series
El Niño and La Niña are important phenomena that can impact the climate by causing global flooding and droughts as well as changes in seasonal weather. These interactions around the world are called teleconnections. Because of the importance of this issue, a GLOBE ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Campaign has been formulated to engage students in determining where and how much El Niño affects local places and to put students in contact with their local environment.
To learn more about the campaign and how to participate, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign.
To help educators prepare for the El Niño Campaign, GLOBE is hosting a series of free education webinars to discuss the mechanics of the campaign, give updates on data collection, and give participants the opportunity to learn science content from experts.
The hourlong webinars will take place on the following dates at 8 p.m. EDT.
May 3, 2016: Biometry and Ground Cover
May 17, 2016: The 2015-2016 El Niño Event
June 13, 2016: Using El Niño GLOBE Data for Scientific Research
Sept. 19, 2016: El Niño Student Campaign Refresher and Update
For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars and recordings of previous webinars in the series, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/webinars.
Please direct questions about this opportunity and series of webinars to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.
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NASA/NSTA Webinar — Global Precipitation Measurement Mission: Weather
Join the National Science Teachers Association for a free interactive webinar to learn about weather and NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission. The 90-minute session will take place on May 5, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EDT.
Topics presented at this webinar will include types of weather, weather basics, extreme weather, monitoring extreme weather with satellites, and hands-on investigations for students to collect data about weather — including GLOBE protocols. A NASA scientist will discuss the difference between weather and climate and will describe ground validation campaigns.
GPM is an international satellite mission managed by NASA and JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) that will provide next-generation observations of rain and snow. The GPM mission will help us learn more about Earth’s water and energy cycles, improve the forecasting of extreme events that cause natural disasters, and extend current capabilities of using satellite precipitation information to directly benefit society.
All participants will receive a certificate of participation and 100 Learning Center activity points for attending and completing the post-program evaluation. An archive and presentation slides will be available at the end of the program.
For more information and to register to attend the webinar event, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/resource/?id=10.2505/9/WSNASA15_May5.
For more information about GPM, visit http://www.nasa.gov/gpm or http://gpm.nasa.gov.
Please email questions about this opportunity to webseminars@nsta.org.
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Federal Aviation Administration Graduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues
The Airport Cooperative Research Program is seeking applicants for its Graduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues. Through this program, the ACRP strives to encourage applied research on airport and related aviation system issues and to foster the next generation of aviation community leaders. The program is intended to stimulate thought, discussion and research by those who may become the future airport managers, operators, designers and policy makers in aviation. The focus of this research program is on applied research to help the public sector continue to improve the quality, reliability, safety and security of the U.S. civil aviation system well into the foreseeable future.
The Graduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues will award up to 10 highly qualified applicants, selected by an ACRP panel of experts, a stipend of $10,000 each for successful completion of a research paper on a subject chosen by the candidate within the framework of the program’s purpose.
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States, or have a current student visa. Each applicant also must be officially enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited North American institution of higher learning for the academic year in a graduate course leading to a master’s or doctoral degree. Proof of both may be required.
Applications are due May 15, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.trb.org/ACRP/ACRPGraduateAwardProgram.aspx.
The ACRP Graduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. Creating a selection panel, monitoring research progress, organizing a forum for presentation, and publishing the research papers are the responsibility of the ACRP of the Transportation Research Board. The Virginia Space Grant Consortium will manage the Graduate Research Award program under the ACRP’s direction.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to acrp@odu.edu.
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2016 NASA Aeronautics Design Challenge: Distributed Electric Propulsion
Distributed Electric Propulsion, or DEP, is an emerging aircraft design concept that has the potential to improve aircraft performance in a number of areas, including efficiency, takeoff and landing performance, emissions, noise abatement, safety, and ride quality. DEP also has the potential to enable new novel control systems. In this year’s NASA Aeronautics Design Challenge, student teams are challenged to design a commuter aircraft that applies DEP technology. The main source of thrust for the students’ concept may come from DEP or a combination of DEP and conventional propulsion devices (turboprops, turbofans, etc.). The challenge for the design team is to determine the most advantageous application of DEP for their aircraft and to justify their selection.
The contest is open to teams of full-time students enrolled in higher education institutions of the United States or its territories. This category includes universities, colleges, trade schools, community colleges, professional schools, etc. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.
Final entries are due May 16, 2016.
For more information and a complete list of rules, visit http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/university-contest/.
Questions about the challenge should be directed to Elizabeth Ward at Elizabeth.B.Ward@nasa.gov.
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2016 National Academy of Engineering – Engineering for You Video Contest 3
The National Academy of Engineering, or NAE, is launching the Engineering for You Video Contest 3, or E4U3.
This year, participants are tasked with creating a 1- to 2-minute video focused on mega-engineering. Mega-engineering projects typically address important needs of large populations and/or societies, require teams working across countries and cultures on a solution, and involve at least three disciplines including engineering.
The competition is open to all individuals or teams in the following competition categories:
— Middle school students and younger (grades K-8)
— High school students (grades 9-12)
— Tertiary education students (two-year college through graduate school, full or part time)
— The general public
The main prize is $25,000, and videos will be accepted through May 31, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.nae.edu/e4u3/.
Questions about the E4U3 Video Contest should be directed to E4Uvideocontest@nae.edu.
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Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
NASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles, space shuttle thermal protective blankets and other special items offered on a first-come, first-serve basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.
There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to GSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.
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2016 Lunar Workshop for Educators
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a workshop for educators of students in grades 6-9. The workshop will focus on lunar science, exploration, and how our understanding of the moon is growing and changing with the new data from current and recent lunar missions.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowed scientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system, map the surface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence of recent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment around the moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers, and much, much more!
Workshop participants will reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts; gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the moon; and interact with lunar scientists and engineers. Participants will work with LRO data and learn how to bring the data and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for grades 6-9.
The workshop will take place June 27-July 1, 2016, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and the Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.
For more information and to register to attend, visit http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html.
Questions about this workshop should be directed to Andrea Jones at Andrea.J.Jones@nasa.gov.
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2016 DREAM2Explore Workshop for Educators
The “Dynamic Response of the Environments at Asteroids, the Moon, and moons of Mars,” or DREAM2, team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is hosting a free workshop for educators of students in grades 6-9. Participants will learn how our understanding of Earth’s moon, asteroids and the moons of Mars is growing and changing with new data and models from current and recent planetary missions and the work of the DREAM2 team.
Workshop participants will reinforce their understanding of lunar and planetary science concepts; gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the moon; and interact with NASA scientists who study the dynamic environments surrounding these rocky objects. Participants will work with real scientific data and learn how to bring the data and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for grades 6-9.
The workshop will take place July 11-15, 2016, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Workshop participants will become certified to borrow meteorite samples from NASA and will receive Certificates of Participation and Letters of Completion that indicate 30 hours of instruction.
For more information and to register to attend, visit http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/dream/DREAM/DREAM2Explore.html.
Questions about this workshop should be directed to Andrea Jones at Andrea.J.Jones@nasa.gov.
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Call for Papers: NASA in the ‘Long’ Civil Rights Movement Symposium
The History Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Department of History at the University of Alabama Huntsville invite academics, graduate students and independent scholars to submit proposals for papers to be presented at a two-day symposium, March 16-17, 2017. The symposium will take place at the University of Alabama Huntsville and will address the role/relationship of NASA to the “Long” Civil Rights Movement, particularly in, but not limited to, the Deep South (Huntsville, Florida, Houston, Mississippi and New Orleans).
The conceptual framework for the symposium is provided by Jacquelyn Dowd Hall’s 2005 essay in the Journal of American History, “The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past,” which called upon historians to produce new “modes of writing and speaking that emphasize individual agency … while also dramatizing the hidden history of politics and institutions.” Along these lines, the conference welcomes papers addressing the Civil Rights experience across NASA that not only explore the experience of African Americans, but also of women, immigrants and other politically/legally marginalized groups. The intention is to publish a subset of the papers as an anthology.
Those interested in presenting a paper at the symposium should send an abstract of no more than 400 words and a short biography or curriculum vita, including affiliation, to Brian Odom at brian.c.odom@nasa.gov or Dr. Stephen Waring at warings@uah.edu by July 31, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/call-for-papers-nasa-in-the-long-civil-rights-movement-symposium-university-of-alabama.html.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to Brian Odom at brian.c.odom@nasa.gov.
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Call for Submissions — NASA Announcement for High Impact / Broad Implementation STEM Education Partnerships (EDUCATION01SP16)
The NASA Headquarters Office of Education, in cooperation with the agency’s four mission directorates, nine center education offices, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) education office, announces this competition to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Responses must be submitted electronically via the NASA data system NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com).
NASA Education seeks to partner with eligible domestic or international organizations on a no-exchange-of-funds basis to reach wider and more diverse audiences and to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. The Announcement places a priority on collaboration involving the following: digital learning; engaging underrepresented groups in STEM; NASA-themed STEM challenges; and youth-serving organizations. NASA also is receptive to other creative ideas including, for example, investigations or application of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and design (STEAMD); or activities culturally relevant to or focused on unrepresented in STEM careers populations, such as women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. The announcement explains the criteria used to review responses and NASA’s partnership mechanism known as a no-exchange-of-funds or non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement.
NASA will accept responses on a rolling basis through Dec. 31. 2017.
For more information about this opportunity, visit NSPIRES at http://go.nasa.gov/1RZwWCi.
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please direct your questions to the Points of Contact listed within the NASA Announcement.
