NASA Education Express Message — Dec. 15, 2016
NEW THIS WEEK!
Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Dec. 15, 2016, at 4 p.m. EST
Space Poop Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Submission Deadline: Dec. 20, 2016
Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions
Audience: Faculty at Minority-Serving Institutions
Application Deadline: Dec. 26, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. EST
Research Grants: Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research
Audience: Researchers at Academic Institutions in Developing Countries
Application Deadline: Jan. 13, 2017
National Science Foundation’s Mathematical Sciences Graduate Internship Program
Audience: Mathematical Sciences Doctoral Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 16, 2017
2017 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Higher Education Educators
Application Deadline: Feb. 16, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. EST
NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice for EPSCoR International Space Station Flight Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Institutions With Current or Previously-funded EPSCoR Projects
Application Deadline: March 6, 2017
Update From NASA Space Place — Space Place App Discontinued
Audience: K-6 Educators and Students
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES
Sign Up for NASA Education ‘Science WOW!’ Weekly Email Newsletter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Modern Figures Toolkit: Activities and Resources Related to Katherine Johnson and Human Computers
Audience: K-12 Educators
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: Dec. 15, 2016, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)
Call for Proposals — NASA Research Announcement for Use of the NASA Physical Sciences Informatics System: Appendix C
Audience: Graduate Students
Proposal Deadline: Dec. 15, 2016
2017 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 16, 2016
Educator Workshop: Making Moon Craters
Audience: Pre-service Educators and Educators of Grades 1-6
Event Date: Dec. 17, 2016, 10 a.m. – Noon PST
2017 Space Exploration Educators Conference
Audience: K-12 Educators
Early Bird Registration Deadline: Dec. 30, 2016
Event Date: Feb. 9-11, 2017
NASA’s Langley Research Center Centennial Student Art Contest
Audience: K-12 Students
Entry Period: Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2016
2017 Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut “Walk to the Moon” Challenge
Audience: All Educators and Students, Home School Parents and After-school Groups
Registration Deadline: Dec. 31, 2016
Challenge Dates: Jan. 12 – April 28, 2017
Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
Audience: Current and Future College Instructors of Astronomy
Next Event Date: Jan. 4, 2017
Free Program — Cubes in SpaceTM
Audience: Students Ages 11-18 and Their Teachers
Registration Deadline: Jan. 6, 2017
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
Audience: Educational Institutions, Museums and Other Education Organizations
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event – Virtual Field Trip to Kennedy Space Center
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: Jan. 12, 2017
Future Engineers Mars Medical Challenge
Audience: Educators and Students Ages 5 to 19
Entry Deadline: Jan. 25, 2017
Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes
Audience: High School Students
Submission Deadline: Jan. 31, 2017
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships Program Accepting Proposals for 2017-2018 Academic Year
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 1, 2017
2017-2018 Virginia Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship
Audience: Undergraduate Sophomores and Juniors at Virginia Space Grant Consortium Member Institutions (Awardees must be classified as juniors or seniors during the 2017-2018 academic year)
Application Deadline: Feb. 13, 2017
2017-2018 Virginia Space Grant Consortium Graduate STEM Research Fellowship
Audience: Graduate Students at Virginia Space Grant Consortium Member Institutions
Application Deadline: Feb. 13, 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
Searchable Portals for Federally Sponsored Opportunities for STEM Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Audience: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students and Higher Education Institutions
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
NEW THIS WEEK!
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.
Teachers Connect: LaRC Centennial Badge Webinar
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School, and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: Dec. 15, 2016, at 4 p.m. EST
This webinar will focus for the first half-hour on clouds and their role in Earth’s “energy budget” and on implementation ideas using GLOBE for different classroom settings as part of the “Earth Right Now: LaRC 100th” digital badge. We also will talk about student badge implementations, extension ideas and extra resources. The second half-hour will be very similar but centered on the engineering design process using the Drag Race to Mars Engineering Design Challenge as part of the “Journey to Mars: LaRC 100th” digital badge. This portion of the webinar will focus on forces and motion and math calculations using paper airplanes and testing different materials as part of the “Aeronautics: LaRC 100th” digital badge. This webinar meets requirements of teacher discussions within the NASA Langley 100th Educator Professional Development Collaborative digital badges. To learn more about the Langley 100th digital badges, log in to https://nasatxstate-epdc.net/and search for LaRC 100th. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/207902
Don’t Count NASA Out of Your Math Classes: How Do I Measure This? and Other Math Questions
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-10
Event Date: Dec. 19, 2016, at 4 p.m. EST
Why are taking accurate measurements critical to STEM research? What is the importance of standardized measurement? How do we explain the importance of taking accurate measurements? Why is collaboration and communication an integral part of STEM research? How does accurate measurement allow us to draw logical and scientific conclusions? How do we take accurate measurements and make inferences and draw reasonable conclusions? Join the webinar to explore these questions and more. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/208809
Don’t Count NASA Out of Your Math Classes: Exploring Exoplanets Using Math
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School, and Informal Educators of Grades 7-10
Event Date: Dec. 20, 2016, at 7 p.m. EST
In this webinar, we will learn about how scientists use math to learn about distant planets. Using Kepler’s laws, algebra and geometry, we can gather a plethora of information on planet size, speed and movement in our search for planets similar to our own! The activity discussed in this webinar covers math standards pertaining to radicals and linear and exponential models, as well as Next Generation Science Standards in space science. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/210405
For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.
Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.
Space Poop Challenge
NASA seeks proposed solutions for fecal, urine and menstrual management systems to be used in the crew’s launch and entry suits over a continuous duration of up to 144 hours. An in-suit waste management system would be beneficial for contingency scenarios or for any long-duration tasks.
The challenge offers up to $30,000 in prizes for innovative solutions. NASA will award up to three prizes for the best ideas.
Submissions are due Dec. 20, 2016.
For information about the Space Poop Challenge, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/space-poop-challenge.
Please direct questions about this challenge to Steve Rader at steven.n.rader@nasa.gov.
Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is accepting applications for the Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions. This 10-week program offers the opportunity to enhance the scientific leadership at MSIs in research areas that support the mission and goals of the Department of Homeland Security. Faculty, along with undergraduate and graduate students, will conduct collaborative research that provides opportunities to help advance the DHS Areas of Research and strengthen the talent pool of scientists and engineers.
Faculty members currently teaching at an MSI are encouraged to apply. Selected faculty will be invited to submit a research project proposal in collaboration with a DHS Center researcher and put a team together composed of one or two qualified students to complete the summer research experience.
Participants will receive a weekly stipend plus travel expenses. Some participants may be eligible for a housing allowance. Faculty are encouraged to apply for up to $50,000 in follow-on funding at the end of their appointment.
To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens. Applications are due Dec. 26, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Additional information about the program, including eligibility requirements, program benefits, application requirements and access to the online application system may be found at http://www.orau.gov/dhseducation/faculty/index.html.
Please direct inquiries about this opportunity to DHSed@orau.org.
Research Grants: Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research
The Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research, or PEER, program is a competitive awards program that invites scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities on topics of importance to the United States Agency for International Development and conducted in partnership with U.S. government-supported and selected private sector partners.
PEER applicants who submit pre-proposals to PEER must be based at an academic institution, nonprofit organization, or government-managed research laboratory, center or institute in a PEER-eligible country. Applicants also must hold a career-track position or equivalent at their respective institution or organization. Applicants should be working in the country from which they are applying and should be nationals (citizens or permanent residents) of a PEER-eligible country for the focus area to which they are applying.
The deadline for submission of pre-proposals is Jan. 13, 2017. Pre-proposals should be completed through the PEER online application site no later than 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) on that date.
For more information, visit http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer.
The PEER program is supported by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to peer@nas.edu.
National Science Foundation’s Mathematical Sciences Graduate Internship Program
The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for its Mathematical Sciences Graduate Internship Program. MSGI provides an opportunity for mathematical sciences doctoral students to participate in internships at national laboratories, industry and other approved facilities. Participation in an internship will provide first-hand experience of the use of mathematics in a nonacademic setting. The internships are aimed at students who are interested in understanding the application of advanced mathematical and statistical techniques to “real-world” problems, regardless of whether the student plans to pursue an academic or nonacademic career.
MSGI is open to graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree in mathematics, statistics or applied mathematics who are enrolled as full-time graduate students at an accredited U.S. college or university during the 2016-2017 academic year. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher on a 4.0 scale, including fall 2016 grades.
The application submission deadline is Jan. 16, 2017.
For more information, visit http://www.orise.orau.gov/nsf-msgi/default.html.
Questions about this internship opportunity should be directed to nsf-msgi@orise.orau.gov.
2017 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program
Applications are being accepted for the 2017 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program. This program provides a summer residency at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The 10-week fellowship begins on Monday, June 5, 2017, and runs through Friday, Aug. 11, 2017.
To be eligible for the program, applicants must be full-time science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, faculty members who are U.S. citizens. Applicants must be tenured faculty or in tenure-track positions at four-year accredited U.S. colleges and universities, or full-time faculty at two-year U.S. academic institutions. Faculty members from underrepresented groups and at Minority Serving Institutions, as designated by the U.S. Department of Education, are particularly encouraged to apply.
The program covers limited travel expenses for qualified and accepted faculty, as well as stipends for all accepted faculty. Please note that stipend payments or salaries from other federal funding sources, including research grants and contracts, may not be accepted during the 10-week tenure of a Glenn faculty fellowship appointment.
The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 16, 2017. For more information about this opportunity, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-glenn-higher-education-students-faculty-postdoc-fellows.
Inquiries about NASA’s Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program should be directed to Dr. M. David Kankam at Mark.D.Kankam@nasa.gov.
NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice for EPSCoR International Space Station Flight Opportunity
NASA’s Office of Education is seeking proposals for the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, International Space Station Flight Opportunity. Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will contribute significantly to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of NASA’s mission directorates. Funded proposals are expected to contribute to the overall research infrastructure; science and technology capabilities; higher education; and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.
This Cooperative Agreement Notice, or CAN, is for current or previously funded EPSCoR projects that are mature enough to design a research experiment or develop research experimental hardware to the point that it can be flown safely on the International Space Station.
NASA EPSCoR is moving to a two-year procurement cycle. As a result, jurisdictions responding to this CAN may submit up to two proposals. It is anticipated that three to five awards for FY 2017 and three to five awards for FY 2018 of up to $100,000 for each proposal to be expended over a three-year period of performance may be made under this CAN. The exact number of awards depends on the available EPSCoR Research Budget.
Proposals are due March 6, 2017.
For more information and instructions for submitting a proposal, visit http://go.nasa.gov/2ghW90E.
Please direct questions about this request to Jeppie Compton at Jeppie.R.Compton@nasa.gov.
Update From NASA Space Place — Space Place App Discontinued
The NASA Space Place app, known as Space Place Prime, is being removed from the iTunes App Store and Google Play. However, the NASA Space Place website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate! You can check it out on your smartphone at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov.
Please send any comments or feedback to SpacePlaceConnect@jpl.nasa.gov.
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES
Sign Up for NASA Education ‘Science WOW!’ Weekly Email Newsletter
Are you a science educator or interested in science education? Sign up for the NASA Education “Science WOW!” newsletter. Receive an email with NASA’s latest science education offerings delivered “Weekly on Wednesdays.”
Science starts with a question, and so does “Science WOW!” Each week’s message kicks off with a science question and a link to where you can find the answer. “Science WOW!” also highlights an awesome science education tool each week. These featured resources will include NASA apps, interactive games, 3-D printing templates and more!
Plus, “Science WOW!” delivers — right to your inbox — the latest science education opportunities offered by NASA. It’s a simple way to keep up with the latest professional development webinars, student contests, workshops, lectures and other activities.
To register your email address and be added to the list, visit https://www.nasa.gov/education/sciencewow/.
Modern Figures Toolkit: Activities and Resources Related to Katherine Johnson and Human Computers
In the 1960’s, the U.S. was on an ambitious journey to the moon, and Katherine Johnson and her fellow human computers helped get NASA there. Bring the excitement of their story to your classroom with the Modern Figures Toolkit.
The Modern Figures Toolkit is a collection of resources and educational activities for students in grades K-12. Each educational activity and resource includes a brief description, as well as information about how the activities and lessons align to education standards. Resources highlighted include videos, historical references and STEM materials.
Bring Katherine Johnson’s inspiring story to your classroom by downloading the Modern Figures Toolkit at www.nasa.gov/modernfigures-education-toolkit.
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:
Spinning Black Holes, Exploding Stars and Hyperluminous Pulsars: Results From the NuSTAR Satellite
Event Date: Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, 2016, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=12
NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, launched in June 2012 and became the first telescope in orbit to focus high-energy X-ray light. Join NuSTAR project scientist Dr. Daniel K. Stern for a discussion about the highlights from the first four years of NuSTAR observations, including the surprising discovery of a new class of hyperluminous neutron stars, measurements of how fast black holes spin, and unique insight into the physics of supernova explosions.
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.
Call for Proposals — NASA Research Announcement for Use of the NASA Physical Sciences Informatics System: Appendix C
NASA is seeking ground-based research proposals from graduate students and established researchers to use NASA’s Physical Sciences Informatics system to develop new analyses and scientific insights. The PSI system is a resource for researchers to data mine information generated from completed physical sciences experiments performed on the International Space Station or from related ground-based studies.
This solicitation appendix focuses on the following five research areas: combustion science, complex fluids, fluid physics, fundamental physics and materials science.
For graduate students (students working toward an advanced degree), this NASA Research Announcement is soliciting proposals that advance fundamental research in one of the physical sciences disciplines identified above and also assist in the awarding of an advanced degree to the graduate student. This call is open to students who meet the following eligibility requirements:
— The student is pursuing an advanced degree directly related to a physical sciences discipline. Only technical degrees are permitted (not degrees in policy or management).
— The student is a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident alien of the U.S., or on a student visa at an accredited U.S. university at the time of application submission.
— The student is enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree program at an accredited U.S. university at the time of application submission. Or, if the student is an undergraduate starting graduate studies, he or she has been accepted to a master’s or doctoral degree program at an accredited U.S. university at the time of application submission and will start during the next academic year.
— The student has an academic graduate advisor who will submit the application for the graduate student. The student must perform the proposed research under the guidance of the assigned graduate advisor.
The agency expects to make approximately 10 awards in spring 2016. Research and development efforts will take place over two years. The typical award will be $75,000-$100,000 per year, for up to two years.
The deadline for submitting proposals is Dec. 15, 2016.
For information, visit http://psi.nasa.gov/.
Please direct questions about this NASA Research Announcement to Dr. Francis Chiaramonte at francis.p.chiaramonte@nasa.gov.
2017 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
The Louisiana Space Consortium, or LaSPACE, is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space on a high-flying scientific balloon.
The annual project, supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office and LaSPACE, provides near-space access for 12 undergraduate and graduate student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.
The experiments are flown aboard the High-Altitude Student Platform, or HASP, a balloon-born instrument stack launched from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility’s remote site in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The goals of the project are to provide a space test platform to encourage student research and stimulate the development of student satellite payloads and other space-engineering products.
HASP seeks to enhance the technical skills and research abilities of students in critical science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 16, 2016.
For application information and technical details about the program, visit http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp.
Questions about the High-Altitude Student Platform opportunity should be directed to T. Gregory Guzik at guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.
Educator Workshop: Making Moon Craters
Learn how to use baking ingredients to whip up a moonlike crater as a demonstration for students in classrooms, camps or at home. Join NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Dec. 17, 2016, from 10 a.m. to noon PST for this workshop at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California.
The workshop is free for all pre-service and fully credentialed teachers! Participants must bring their teacher or student ID the day of the workshop. Lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is required.
For more information and to register to attend, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/events/2016/12/17/making-moon-craters/.
Can’t make it to the workshop? Explore the lesson online at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/make-a-crater/.
Please direct questions about this workshop to Sandra Valencia at (562) 231-1205.
2017 Space Exploration Educators Conference
Make plans to attend the 23rd Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference to be held Feb. 9-11, 2017, at Space Center Houston. This conference is for all K-12 educators. Activities presented use space-related themes to teach across the curricula. The activities may be used for science, language arts, mathematics, history and more.
Attend sessions hosted by scientists and engineers working on exciting projects like the International Space Station and the exploration of Mars and other parts of our solar system. Hear from astronauts who will be “leading the charge” in exploration. Attend sessions presented by educators and receive ready-to-implement classroom ideas. Attendees can earn up to 24 hours of continuing professional education credit.
For discounted registration, sign up to attend before the Early Bird Registration deadline on Dec. 30, 2016!
For more information, visit http://spacecenter.org/teacher-programs/teachers-seec/.
Please email any questions about the conference to seec@spacecenter.org.
NASA’s Langley Research Center Centennial Student Art Contest
Calling all artists, grades K-12!
On July 17, 2017, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, will turn 100 years old! To celebrate, Langley invites you to take part in its Centennial Art Contest. The theme for this year’s contest is “A Storied Legacy, A Soaring Future.”
The contest is open to all children in grades K-12 who are attending public, private, parochial and homeschools in the United States. Artwork entries may consist of drawings, paintings, mixed media and digital creations.
A grand prize winner will be chosen from all contest entries. A first place winner will be chosen from each grade level, as well as second place, third place and honorable mention. Each entry will receive a certificate of participation.
The art contest submission period began on Nov. 1, 2016, and concludes on Dec. 31, 2016, at midnight EST.
For more information, visit https://artcontest.larc.nasa.gov/.
Please direct questions about this contest to Kristina Cors at larc-art-contest@mail.nasa.gov.
2017 Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut “Walk to the Moon” Challenge
Mission X encourages children of all ages, as well as people with particular needs, to pursue healthy lifestyles based on the model of training like an astronaut. During six- to nine-week “challenges” each fall and spring, schools and student groups from around the world complete Mission X classroom-based science lessons and physical education activities.
In 2017, Mission X is challenging Fit Explorers around the world to work together to perform activities that will move Astro Charlie the 478 million steps it would take to walk from Earth to the moon! That’s 238,857 miles, or 384,403 kilometers! At an average walking speed, that would take one person about nine years to complete.
The challenge kicks off in January. For full challenge details and to do your part to help reach this out-of-this-world goal, visit http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/wttm. The deadline to register for this challenge is Dec. 31, 2016. You may apply for Team USA at http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/usa_application.
In 2016, Mission X was represented by 30 countries and more than 53,000 participants. The challenge was available in 17 languages.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to Nubia Carvajal at nubia.a.carvajal@nasa.gov.
Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.
Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.
Workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies.
Jan. 4, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching About Exoplanets
Jan. 5, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching in the Flipped Classroom
For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.
Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.
CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.
Free Program — Cubes in SpaceTM
Cubes in Space™ provides students ages 11-18 an opportunity to design and compete to launch an experiment into space at no cost! Cubes in Space™ is offered by idoodledu, inc., in partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and NASA’s Langley Research Center.
This global education program based on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) enables students to learn about space exploration using innovative problem-solving and inquiry-based learning methods. Participants have access to resources that help prepare them to design and develop an experiment to be integrated into a small cube.
This year, experiments will be launched into space via sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, in late June 2017 or from a high-altitude balloon launched from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in August 2017.
The deadline for program registration is Jan. 6, 2017. For more information, visit http://www.cubesinspace.com. Questions about this program may be directed to info@cubesinspace.com.
About idoodedu inc.
idoodledu inc., a charitable nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is a wholly owned subsidiary of idoodlelearning inc., and was created in 2015 as a legal vehicle to bring public/private partnerships and publicly funded programs to all learners and educators. idoodlelearning inc. is an education company based in Ottawa, Canada; London, England; and Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
NASA invites U.S. educational institutions 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.
Nonprofit museums, libraries and planetariums (sponsored through their respective State Agency Surplus Property, or SASP, organization) are also eligible to make requests. Visit the link below for special instructions to request items. To find the contact information for the SASP representative for your area, visit http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/100851.
A nominal shipping fee 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.
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event – Virtual Field Trip to Kennedy Space Center
Join the education specialists of NASA’s Digital Learning Network as they travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 12, 2017. The multipart series of Virtual Field Trips will feature different landmarks and projects taking place at Kennedy.
Up to four schools will be able to join DLN live and interactively during each of the individual webcasts. Registration and more specific event details will be provided after Jan. 1. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send them to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.
For more information about this and other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.
Future Engineers Mars Medical Challenge
Calling all students! NASA wants your help to design an object that could be used by an astronaut to maintain physical health on a three-year mission to Mars. The Mars Medical Challengeis the fifth in a series of Future Engineers Challengeswhere students in grades K-12 create and submit a digital 3-D model intended to be printed in 3-D and used for a wide range of medical needs including diagnostic, preventive, first-aid, emergency, surgical and/or dental purposes.
As NASA continues to investigate how the human body adjusts to weightlessness, radiation and stress that occur long-duration spaceflight, Future Engineers proposes to engage students with a related challenge. The Mars Medical Challenge asks students to design a 3-D printed object that will keep astronauts healthy during the long trip to the Red Planet. Specifically, medical and dental hardware will be emphasized during this challenge.
Students ages 5-19 are invited to become the creators and innovators of tomorrow by using 3-D modeling software to submit their designs for hardware that could be used by astronauts on a future mission to Mars. Students have the opportunity to win prizes ranging from a Mars prize pack or a 3-D printer for their school to a trip to Houston for a tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The challenge closes on Jan. 25, 2017, and winners will be announced on March 28, 2017.
What health-related items do you think an astronaut will need on that journey, and why would these items require a 3-D printer? It’s time to start flexing your problem-solving and design skills to find a solution – good luck!
For more information about the challenge and how to enter, visit www.futureengineers.org/marsmedical.
Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes
The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative invite high school students to take part in the Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes competition. This contest challenges high school students to focus on a particular mission for society and then design nanotechnology-enabled gear for an original superhero.
Students can envision gear that is grounded in current research but not yet possible, a process in which they learn about the potentials and limitations of real-world nanotechnology. Students will first identify one societal mission from a list of four to address and then submit an entry with three parts: a written section, a short comic strip and a 90-second video.
Each submission must be made by an individual student or a team of two or three students. All entrants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Participants must be enrolled in a high school or home schooled in the U.S., its territories, or possessions at the time of entry.
Submissions are due at 11:59 p.m. EST on Jan. 31, 2017.
For more information, visit www.nsf.gov/GenNano. Questions about this competition may be directed to gennano@nsf.gov.
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships Program Accepting Proposals for 2017-2018 Academic Year
The NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program is soliciting applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines, for the 2017-2018 academic year. The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals. Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be training grants to the respective universities, with the advisor serving as the principal investigator. Financial support for the NESSF program comes from the Science Mission Directorate’s four science divisions: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science and Astrophysics.
Initially, NESSF awards are made for one year. They may be renewed for up to two additional years, contingent upon satisfactory progress (as reflected in academic performance, research progress and recommendation by the faculty advisor) and the availability of funds.
The maximum amount of a NESSF award is $45,000 per year.
Proposals for this opportunity are due Feb. 1, 2017.
For more information about this solicitation, visit http://go.nasa.gov/2f2baB3.
Questions about Earth Science Research NESSF opportunities should be directed to Claire Macaulay at Claire.I.Macaulay@nasa.gov.
Questions about Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research and Astrophysics Research opportunities should be directed to Dolores Holland at hq-nessf-Space@nasa.gov
2017-2018 Virginia Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium is offering undergraduate research scholarships of up to $8,500 to encourage talented individuals to conduct research in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering or mathematics).
These one-year awards are nonrenewable and based on student academic merit, quality of the research proposal, and alignment of research with the goals of NASA and the aerospace sector. Underrepresented minority students, female students and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Participants must participate in an active faculty-mentored research experience that aligns with the aerospace sector and NASA’s mission. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled at one of the five Virginia Space Grant member universities: The College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Applicants must have completed at least two years of a STEM undergraduate program and be classified as a junior or senior during the 2017-2018 academic year.
The deadline for submitting applications is Feb. 13, 2017.
For more information, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/sf/undergrad/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to VSGC@odu.edu.
2017-2018 Virginia Space Grant Consortium Graduate STEM Research Fellowship
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium’s Graduate STEM Research Fellowship Program provides fellowships of $6,000 in add-on support to graduate students to supplement and enhance basic research support. The objective of this research fellowship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is to encourage talented individuals to pursue careers in STEM industries that support NASA’s mission.
Participants in the Graduate STEM Research Fellowship Program must take part in an active faculty?mentored research experience that aligns with the aerospace sector and NASA’s mission. Awards are made annually and are renewable for one year for students making satisfactory progress in academics and research.
This is a competitive fellowship program, and awards are based on merit to recognize high academic achievement and promise. Underrepresented minority students, female students and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and enrolled at one of the five Virginia Space Grant member universities: The College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
The deadline for submitting applications is Feb. 13, 2017.
For more information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/sf/gradfellow/. Please email any questions to VSGC@odu.edu.
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 education office, announces this competition to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics 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, or STEAMD; or activities culturally relevant to or focused on populations underrepresented in STEM careers, 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 nonreimbursable 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.
Searchable Portals for Federally Sponsored Opportunities for STEM Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Are you an undergraduate or graduate student seeking opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)? The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science — in collaboration with the participating agencies in the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) and the Science.gov Alliance — has launched a search portal for both students and universities to discover federally sponsored STEM education training and funding opportunities.
Student users can search the site for opportunities they can apply to directly, such as research internships and fellowships. Likewise, universities can search the site for federal funding opportunities to establish innovative training programs for undergraduates or graduate students.
Users can search the site through faceted searching capabilities for characteristics such as program type, STEM discipline, institution location, federal sponsor, and eligibility. Or they can search through the open text option.
For programs and opportunities for undergraduates, visit http://stemundergrads.science.gov/.
For graduate programs and opportunities, visit http://stemgradstudents.science.gov/.
