Status Report

NASA Education Express Message — Jan. 19, 2017

By SpaceRef Editor

January 19, 2017

Filed under Education, NASA Education Office, US

NEW THIS WEEK!

Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Jan. 19, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST

3-D Printed Habitat Challenge — Phase 2
Audience: 9-12 and Higher Education Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: Jan. 31, 2017

National Weather Service NCEP 2017 Summer Student Internship Program
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Feb. 6, 2017

2017 Summer Fellowships in Disability Policy Research
Audience: Graduate Students in Social Sciences and Related Disciplines
Application Deadline: Feb. 10, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EST

2017 Dissertation Fellowships in Disability Policy Research
Audience: Doctoral Students in Social Sciences and Related Disciplines
Application Deadline: Feb. 17, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EST

Call for Abstracts: 68th International Astronautical Congress
Audience: Full-time U.S. Graduate Students Attending U.S. Universities
Submission Deadline: Feb. 27, 2017

New Education Website: Expeditionary Skills for Life
Audience: 5-12 Educators and Students

Grant Competition — USAID Development Innovation Ventures
Audience: Higher Education Faculty and Students
Application Deadline: Proposals Accepted Year-round

PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…

Bring the Story of “Hidden Figures” to the Classroom With the “Who Is Katherine Johnson?” Profiles and Modern Figures Toolkit
Audience: K-12 Educators

Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowships for Early Career Researchers
Audience: Researchers Who Have Received a Ph.D. in the Last Eight Years
Notice of Intent Deadline: Jan. 20, 2017
Proposal Deadline: March 17, 2017

Educator Workshop: Utilizing Renewable Energy
Audience: Pre-service Educators and Educators of Grades 9-12
Event Date: Jan. 21, 2017, 10 a.m. – Noon PST

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Presents ‘STEM in 30’ Webcast Series
Audience: Grades 6-8 Educators and Students
Next Webcast Date: Jan. 25, 2017, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST

Future Engineers Mars Medical Challenge
Audience: Educators and Students Ages 5 to 19
Entry Deadline: Jan. 25, 2017

U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Summer Internship Program
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 25, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EST

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Virtual Visit — Meet Dr. Roosevelt Johnson
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: Jan. 26, 2017, at 3 p.m. EST

Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes
Audience: High School Students
Submission Deadline: Jan. 31, 2017

2017 NOAA Undergraduate Scholarships
Audience: Undergraduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 31, 2017

Center for Retirement Research’s Steven H. Sandell Grant Program
Audience: Scholars in the Field of Retirement Research and Policy
Proposal Deadline: Jan. 31, 2017

Center for Retirement Research’s Dissertation Fellowship Program
Audience: Doctoral Candidates
Application 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

NASA History Program Office Internships — Summer 2017
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Feb. 1, 2017

NASA’s DIVER (Diving into Experimental Research) Challenge
Audience: 9-12 Students
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 1, 2017

2017 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Audience: 9-12 and Higher Education Educators and Students
Registration Deadline for U.S. Teams: Feb. 1, 2017

Call for Proposals — Research Projects on Determinants of Life Expectancy by Income and Geography, and Implications for Social Security Policy
Audience: Higher Education Faculty and Students
Application Deadline: Feb. 1, 2017

2017 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge
Audience: Students in Grades 3-12
Entry Deadline: Feb. 10, 2017

2017 Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program
Audience: Undergraduate Students Majoring in Geology or a Related Science
Application Deadline: Feb. 10, 2017

2017 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program
Audience: Higher Education Educators
Application Deadline: Feb. 16, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. EST

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.

Aeronautics — Come Fly With Us: How High Is It?
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: Jan. 19, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Explore the NASA “How High Is It?” lesson guide and additional online resources that create scale models of our atmosphere. Models include the layers of Earth’s atmosphere and altitudes of NASA aircraft, spacecraft, and natural and artificial satellites. Develop number sense by representing scale factors in terms of ratios, decimals, and percentages. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/219461

Aeronautics — Come Fly With Us: Balloons and Kites for Early Elementary
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School, and Informal Educators of Grades K-5
Event Date: Jan. 23, 2017, at 4 p.m. EST
Discovery and Inquiry are fun.This educators’ guide explains how to teach thematic lessons on aeronautical science principles through children’s literature. It is never too early to start STEM education. Incorporating the ideas and principles in popular children’s books engages children in the crosscutting concepts and science and engineering process skills found in the Next Generation Science Standards. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/217988

Aeronautics — Come Fly With Us: Principles of Flight
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Jan. 24, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Participants will get an overview of the Principles of Flight and the Four Forces while using NASA’s Museum in the Box lessons. Participants also will learn about current research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/223669

Aeronautics — Come Fly With Us: Future Flight Equation
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: Jan. 24, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. EST
Participants will discover how NASA engineers develop experimental aircraft. Learners will use geometry and algebra to design, construct and test an experimental wing to achieve maximum distance using a portable glider catapult. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/223435

Staying Healthy in Space: Engineering in Life Sciences
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: Jan. 25, 2017, at 7 p.m. EST
The Next Generation Science Standards have focused attention on engineering in the classroom, primarily as it pertains to robotics. This webinar will explain how NASA scientists use biology and health sciences to keep astronauts nourished and fit while braving the dangers of space. Using engineering design, participants will develop eating and exercise regiments aligned to NGSS standards. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/215207

Pi in the Sky! How NASA Uses Math
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-10
Event Date: Jan. 26, 2017, at 8 p.m. EST
In this free workshop, a NASA education specialist from JPL will introduce educators to the popular Pi in the Sky math problem set. These illustrated problems give students a chance to apply the mathematical constant pi to some of the real calculations space explorers use every day. The problem set can be used as a handout or poster to show students, especially visual learners, all kinds of stellar applications of the math they’re learning in school. This activity meets Next Generation Science and Common Core Math standards. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/212793

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.

3-D Printed Habitat Challenge — Phase 2

NASA is offering $1.1 million in prize money in Phase 2 of the 3-D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The three-part competition asks citizen inventors to use readily available and recyclable materials for the raw material to print habitats where future space explorers could live and work.

Phase 2 focuses on the material technologies needed to manufacture structural components from a combination of indigenous materials and recyclables, or indigenous materials alone. NASA may use these technologies to construct shelters for future human explorers to Mars. On Earth, these same capabilities could be used to produce affordable housing wherever it is needed or where access to conventional building materials and skills is limited.

NASA has partnered with Bradley University and with sponsors Caterpillar, Bechtel, and Brick & Mortar Ventures for Phase 2 of the competition. Both Bradley University and Caterpillar are in Peoria, Illinois; Bechtel and Brick & Mortar Ventures are in San Francisco.

The deadline to submit a registration packet for Phase 2 is Jan. 31, 2017.

For more information, including rules, and to register for the challenge, visit http://www.nasa.gov/3DPHab.

Questions about the 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge should be directed to program manager Monsi Roman at monsi.roman@nasa.gov.

National Weather Service NCEP 2017 Summer Student Internship Program

The National Weather Service’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction is accepting applications for its 2017 summer student internship program. NCEP is offering up to 10 paid summer internships targeted towards current undergraduate and graduate students to work in areas that will meet the future needs of the ever-broadening weather-climate-water user community. Students may be involved in activities that improve understanding of forecasting issues and address critical aspects of operational model development.

Students from the following majors are welcome to apply: mathematics, physics, meteorology, atmospheric and climate science, computer science, engineering, and social science. Each student will collaborate with one or more scientists at the National Weather Service’s five centers located in College Park, Maryland: Climate Prediction Center, Environmental Modeling Center, NOAA Central Operations, Ocean Prediction Center, and Weather Prediction Center.

Applications are due Feb. 6, 2017.

Additional information about the program may be found at http://www.ncep.noaa.gov/student-internships/.

Please direct inquiries about this opportunity to Dr. Genene Fisher at genene.fisher@noaa.gov.

2017 Summer Fellowships in Disability Policy Research

The Social Security Administration and the Center for Studying Disability Policy at Mathematica Policy Research are seeking applications from graduate students for a summer fellowship in disability policy research. Fellows will learn about pressing policy issues surrounding the employment of individuals with disabilities while conducting a research project on a topic in this area.

The summer fellowship program will run from June 5 through Aug. 4, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Fellows will receive a stipend of $6,500 during the fellowship period.

The application submission deadline is Feb. 10, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

For more information, visit https://www.disabilitypolicyresearch.org/disability-research-consortium/fellowships.

Questions about this fellowship opportunity should be directed to DRCSummerFellows@mathematica-mpr.com.

2017 Dissertation Fellowships in Disability Policy Research

The Social Security Administration and the Center for Studying Disability Policy at Mathematica Policy Research are seeking applications from doctoral students in the social sciences and related disciplines for a dissertation fellowship in disability policy research. This fellowship provides financial support to outstanding doctoral students who are conducting high-quality research in areas of significance to disability policy.

Dissertation fellows will remain at their home institution and receive a stipend totaling $28,000 to support their dissertation research.

The application submission deadline is Feb. 17, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

For more information, visit https://www.disabilitypolicyresearch.org/disability-research-consortium/fellowships.

Questions about this fellowship opportunity should be directed to DRCDissertationFellows@mathematica-mpr.com.

Call for Abstracts: 68th International Astronautical Congress

NASA announces its intent to participate in the 68th International Astronautical Congress, or IAC, and requests that full-time U.S. graduate students attending U.S. universities respond to this “Call for Abstracts.”

The IAC — which is organized by the International Astronautical Federation, or IAF; the International Academy of Astronautics, or IAA; and the International Institute of Space Law, or IISL — is the largest space-related conference worldwide and selects an average of 1,000 scientific papers every year. The upcoming IAC will be held Sept. 25-29, 2017, in Adelaide, Australia. NASA’s participation in this event is part of an ongoing effort to connect NASA with the astronautical and space international community.

This “Call for Abstracts” is a precursor to a subsequent submission of a final paper, which may be presented at the 68th IAC. Student authors are invited to submit an abstract regarding an original, unpublished paper that has not been submitted in any other forum. A NASA technical review panel will select abstracts from those that have been accepted by the International Astronautical Federation. This opportunity is for graduate students majoring in fields related to the IAF research topics. Students may submit technical (oral) presentations and/or posters. Students may submit abstracts that are co-authored with their Principal Investigators. However, the student must be the “lead author,” and only the student will present at the IAC. Students must be available to travel to the conference to represent NASA and their universities. Students must be U.S. citizens, attending a U.S. university, who plan to enter a career in space science or aeronautics. Pending the availability of funding, graduate students selected by NASA to participate in the IAC will be considered for subsidy funding from NASA.

Many students and professors currently are involved in NASA-related research that could be considered for this submission. Students submitting abstracts are strongly encouraged to seek advice from professors who are conducting NASA research and/or from NASA scientists and engineers. Abstracts must be related to NASA’s ongoing vision for space exploration and fit into one of the following IAC categories:

— Science and Exploration — Systems sustaining missions, including life, microgravity, space exploration, space debris and Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, or SETI
— Applications and Operations — Ongoing and future operational applications, including earth observation, communication, navigation, human space endeavors and small satellites
— Technology — Common technologies to space systems including astrodynamics, structures, power and propulsion
— Infrastructure — Systems sustaining space missions including space system transportation, future systems and safety
— Space and Society — Interaction of space with society including education, policy and economics, history, and law

The criteria for the selection will be defined according to the following specifications:
— Abstracts should specify purpose, methodology, results, conclusions and areas for discussion.
— Abstracts should indicate that substantive technical and/or programmatic content is included.
— Abstracts should clearly indicate that the material is new and original; they should explain why and how.
— Prospective author(s) should certify that the paper was not presented at a previous meeting.

Abstracts must be written in English, and the length should not exceed 400 words. Tables or drawings are not allowed in the abstract.

NOTE: If you plan to seek assistance from NASA, you must submit to the International Astronautical Federation and to NASA.
— Submit your abstract to the IAF at their website www.iafastro.org by Feb. 28, 2017 (11:59:00 CET).
— Submit your abstract to NASA at https://iac.nasaprs.com no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

IAC Paper Selection
Submitted abstracts will be evaluated by the Session Chairs on the basis of technical quality and relevance to the session topics. Selected abstracts may be chosen for eventual oral or poster presentation. Any such choice is not an indication of quality of the submitted abstract. Their evaluation will be submitted to the Symposium Coordinators. They will make acceptance recommendations to the International Programme Committee, which will make the final decision. Please note that any relevance to the Congress main theme will be considered as an advantage.

The following information must be included in the submission: paper title, name of contact author, name of co-author(s), organization(s), full postal address, phone, email of the author and co-author(s). The abstract should specify purpose, methodology, results and conclusions. The abstract should indicate that substantive technical and/or programmatic content is included, as well as clearly indicate that the material is new and original and explain why and how.

Please check the IAF website (www.iafastro.org) regularly to get the latest updates on the Technical Programme.

New Education Website: Expeditionary Skills for Life

Most people know that astronauts use technical skills during their missions, but did you know they also rely on skills such as cultural competency, self-care/team care, teamwork, leadership/followership and communication? These “expeditionary skills” are not only necessary to become an astronaut, but to succeed in any aspect of life.

Expeditionary Skills for Life, developed through a partnership between NASA and 4-H, features lessons and content built around these skills and the training astronauts receive in preparation for long-duration expeditions in space. Join astronaut and 4-H alum Peggy Whitson and learn and practice skills you can apply to your STEM studies and future careers.

New content will be released monthly, so check out http://www.nasa.gov/education/4H to get started!

The 4-H Youth Development Program is the youth outreach program from the land-grant universities Cooperative Extension Services, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Grant Competition — USAID Development Innovation Ventures

The U.S. Agency for International Development seeks proposals for Development Innovation Ventures grants. Development Innovation Ventures supports breakthrough solutions to the world’s most intractable development challenges by finding and testing bold ideas that could change millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost.

DIV welcomes applications from U.S. and non-U.S. organizations, individuals, and nonprofit and for-profit entities, provided their work is in a country where USAID operates.

Examples of innovations that USAID/DIV is likely to support include:
— Behavior-change approaches drawing on insights from psychology and behavioral economics.
— Solutions that advance equality between females and males and that empower women and girls to participate fully in and benefit from the development of their societies.
— New methods to reduce absenteeism among frontline health and education workers.
— Testing proof of concept for a solar lighting system distributed by local entrepreneurs at a price/service point that induces wide adoption.

Proposals are accepted year-round.

For more information about this opportunity, visit https://www.usaid.gov/div.

Please email questions about this opportunity to div@usaid.gov.

PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…

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/.

Bring the Story of “Hidden Figures” to the Classroom With the “Who Is Katherine Johnson?” Profiles and Modern Figures Toolkit

In the 1960s, 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 new resources from NASA Education.

Learn more about Katherine Johnson with the “Who Is Katherine Johnson?” profiles written just for students. Versions written for K-4 and 5-8 students are available.

“Who Is Katherine Johnson?” — K-4 Students Version
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/who-is-katherine-johnson-k4

“Who Is Katherine Johnson?” — 5-8 Students Version
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/who-is-katherine-johnson-5-8

Also available online, 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.

Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowships for Early Career Researchers

The Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship in astrophysics seeks to provide early-career researchers the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to lead astrophysics flight instrument development projects, including suborbital investigations, in preparation to become principal investigators of future astrophysics missions; to develop innovative technologies for space astrophysics that have the potential to enable major scientific breakthroughs; and to foster new talent by putting early-career instrument builders on a trajectory toward long-term positions. NASA is committed to supporting deserving early-career researchers by selecting one or more Roman Technology Fellows every year.

This fellowship consists of two components with two different submission procedures. (1) The first component is the application to be named a Roman Technology Fellow through a one-page application submitted along with a proposal submitted to D.3, the Astrophysics Research and Analysis, or APRA, program element. (2) The second component is the subsequent submission of a proposal for up to $300K in fellowship funds by a previously selected Roman Technology Fellow once that individual obtains a permanent or permanent track position.

A notice of intent to submit a proposal is required and is due Jan. 20, 2017. Proposals are due March 17, 2017.

For complete fellowship details and application procedures, visit http://go.nasa.gov/2hmrro0.

Questions concerning this opportunity may be directed to William Lightsey at Billy.Lightsey@nasa.gov.

Educator Workshop: Utilizing Renewable Energy

Learn how to help students break down complex issues into more manageable pieces in a lesson that explores the math, science and engineering considerations involved in using solar energy. Join NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Jan. 21, 2017, 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/2017/1/21/utilizing-renewable-energy/.

Can’t make it to the workshop? Explore the lesson online at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/think-green-utilizing-renewable-solar-energy/.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Sandra Valencia at (562) 231-1205.

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Presents ‘STEM in 30’ Webcast Series

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is presenting a series of free education webcast events called “STEM in 30.” This program consists of live, fast-paced 30-minute webcasts designed to increase interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for students. To enhance the learning experience, students can get involved with the content through the interactive “Cover It Live” feature, which includes poll questions and classroom activities. The webcasts are available live on the National Air and Space Museum website and NASA TV, and they will be archived for on-demand viewing.

The Biology of Long-Term Spaceflight
Jan. 25, 2017, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST
Since the first humans launched into space in 1961, there have been questions about how the human body would react outside Earth’s atmosphere. While most of the basic questions have been answered, many remain and are the basis for continued research on the International Space Station. Finding answers to these questions is an important step toward sending humans to Mars. Join the webcast to explore this research and the impact of long-term space travel on the human body.

“STEM in 30” webcasts are online learning experiences but are filmed in front of a live audience. If you are interested in bringing your school group to a live filming of “STEM in 30,” please email STEMin30@si.edu for details.

For more information about the Smithsonian’s “STEM in 30” Webcast Series, including a full list of upcoming webcasts, visit https://airandspace.si.edu/connect/stem-30.

Questions about this series should be directed to STEMin30@si.edu.

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 Challenge is the fifth in a series of Future Engineers Challenges where 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.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Summer Internship Program

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Summer Internship Program provides opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in projects at federal research facilities located across the country. The projects interns take part in will help DNDO meet its mission of “implementing domestic nuclear detection efforts for a managed and coordinated response to radiological and nuclear threats, as well as integration of federal nuclear forensics programs.”

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age by May 1, 2017. Students must have a GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale and must be majoring in a STEM field with interest in nuclear detection and in radiological and nuclear threats. Undergraduate applicants must be enrolled full-time as a sophomore, junior or senior at a U.S. accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university. Graduate applicants must be enrolled full-time at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Applications are due Jan. 25, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Additional information about the program, including access to the online application system may be found at http://orau.gov/dndo/.

Please direct inquiries about this opportunity to DHSed@orau.org.

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Virtual Visit — Meet Dr. Roosevelt Johnson

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network at Langley Research Center on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, at 3 p.m. EST, for a virtual visit with Dr. Roosevelt Johnson.

Dr. Johnson is NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Education. During his career, Johnson has been a champion and leader of groundbreaking efforts to broaden participation in STEM disciplines. For more than 20 years, he served as a program director for the National Science Foundation working to increase the participation and advancement of underrepresented minorities, women and girls, persons with disabilities, and minority-serving institutions in science and engineering disciplines. He also promoted innovative and transformative STEM education program development at a national level.

Four schools will be chosen to speak with Dr. Johnson about his career path during this live and interactive event. To register your class for the opportunity to speak with Johnson, please complete the registration form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXYiccSqutOUkjexmUImov2KtkNfF5VBIWqEQJBU-OmsWtUA/viewform?c=0&w=1.

Schools that are not selected to be a part of the interactive audience will be able to view the webcast event live. A link to the webcast will be posted on the DLN website closer to the event date.

To learn more about Johnson’s career experiences, visit https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/leadership/johnson_bio.html.

For more information about this and other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send them to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

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.

2017 NOAA Undergraduate Scholarships

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is accepting applications for its 2017 Educational Partnership Program Undergraduate Scholarship and 2017 Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Programs.

The Educational Partnership Program Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study to students majoring in STEM fields that directly support NOAA’s mission. Participants conduct research at a NOAA facility during two paid summer internships. A stipend and housing allowance is provided. Students attending an accredited Minority Serving Institution as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaskan-Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) are eligible to apply for the program. The institutions must be within the United States or U.S. Territories. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must earn and maintain a minimum 3.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

The Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study with a paid internship at a NOAA facility during the interim summer session. A stipend and housing allowance is provided. Applicants must be U.S. citizens enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university. Applicants must have and maintain a declared major in a discipline including, but not limited to, oceanic, environmental, biological and atmospheric sciences; mathematics; engineering; remote-sensing technology; physical and social sciences including geography, physics, hydrology and geomatics; or teacher education that supports NOAA’s programs and mission. Participants must earn and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Applications for both scholarship programs are due Jan. 31, 2017.

For more information, visit http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/scholarships/.

Please direct questions about these scholarship opportunities to StudentScholarshipPrograms@noaa.gov.

Center for Retirement Research’s Steven H. Sandell Grant Program

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College is soliciting proposals for the annual Steven H. Sandell Grant Program for scholars in the field of retirement research and policy. The program is funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration to provide opportunities scholars to pursue cutting-edge projects on retirement income issues.

Junior scholars within the first 10 years of their academic career or senior scholars working in a new area are encouraged to submit a proposal. The center welcomes applications from all academic disciplines.

Up to five grants of $45,000 will be awarded based upon the quality of the applicant’s proposal and his or her proposed budget. Applicants must complete the research outlined in the proposal within one year of the award. Grant recipients may be required to present their work to the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C., or Baltimore.

The proposal submission deadline is Jan. 31, 2017.

For more information, visit http://crr.bc.edu/about-us/grant-programs/steven-h-sandell-grant-program-2/.

Questions about this grant opportunity should be directed to Marina Tsiknis at tsiknis@bc.edu.

Center for Retirement Research’s Dissertation Fellowship Program

The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College is soliciting proposals for the annual Dissertation Fellowship Program in the field of retirement income research. The program is funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration and provides funding opportunities for doctoral candidates to pursue cutting-edge research on retirement issues.

Applicants must be enrolled in a qualified doctoral program at a U.S. university and have completed all course work for a Ph.D. by the time funding would start. Applicants must demonstrate that their dissertation focuses on one of the following research priorities: (1) Social Security and retirement income and policy; (2) macroeconomic analyses of Social Security; (3) wealth and retirement income; (4) program interactions; (5) international research; or (6) demographic research. Applicants must have a dissertation advisor and/or committee and have the chair of the dissertation committee confirm that he or she has read and approved the research methodology for the proposal. Doctoral candidates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to submit a proposal.

Up to five fellowships of $28,000 will be awarded. Recipients may be required to present their work to the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C., or Baltimore.

The application submission deadline is Jan. 31, 2017.

For more information, visit http://crr.bc.edu/about-us/grant-programs/dissertation-fellowship-program-2/.

Questions about this grant opportunity should be directed to Marina Tsiknis at tsiknis@bc.edu.

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.

NASA History Program Office Internships — Summer 2017

The NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for summer 2017 internships. The History Program Office maintains archival materials to answer research questions from NASA personnel, journalists, scholars, students at all levels and others from around the world. The division also edits and publishes several books and monographs each year. It maintains a large number of websites on NASA history.

Students of all majors are welcome to apply. While detailed prior knowledge of the aeronautics and space fields is not necessary, a keen interest and some basic familiarity with these topics are needed. Strong research, writing and editing skills are essential. Experience with social media is a plus.

Intern projects are flexible. Typical projects include handling a variety of information requests, writing posts for the NASA history Twitter and Facebook pages, editing historical manuscripts, doing research and writing biographical sketches, and identifying and captioning photos.

Applications for summer 2017 internships are due Feb. 1, 2017. Applications for fall 2017 internship applications are due June 1, 2017 and applications for spring 2018 internships are due Oct. 1, 2017.

For more information, visit http://history.nasa.gov/interncall.htm.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Bill Barry at bill.barry@nasa.gov.

NASA’s DIVER (Diving into Experimental Research) Challenge

NASA and the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, are challenging high school students to design and build an object that will float in water in normal gravity but will submerge in water as far as possible when exposed to microgravity.

After student proposals are evaluated, selected teams will have their objects tested in NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. Teams are only responsible for their diving objects. NASA will provide the rest of the experimental hardware and interact with teams remotely during testing.

The winning DIVER teams will have the opportunity to present their results in a student poster session at ASGSR’s 2017 conference in Seattle, Washington, in October 2017.

Proposals are due Feb. 1, 2017.

For more information about this opportunity, visit https://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/education-outreach/diver/.

Please email questions about this opportunity to celere@lists.nasa.gov.

2017 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge

NASA has opened team registration for the 2017 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Organized by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the event will be held March 30 – April 1, 2017, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.

The challenge engages high school, college and university students in hands-on, experiential learning activities, while also testing potential technologies needed for future deep space exploration.

Student teams participating in the rover challenge must design, engineer and test a human-powered rover on a mock course designed to simulate the harsh and demanding terrains future NASA explorers may find on distant planets, moons and asteroids.

Registration for U.S. teams closes Feb. 1, 2017. Each school may enter up to two teams.

For more information on the 2017 Human Exploration Rover Challenge and registration, visit https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/home/index.html.

Teams with questions about this event or registration may email Diedra Williams at MSFC-RoverChallenge2017@mail.nasa.gov.

Call for Proposals — Research Projects on Determinants of Life Expectancy by Income and Geography, and Implications for Social Security Policy

The National Bureau for Economic Research seeks applications for pilot research projects that deepen our understanding of the mechanisms explaining geographic variation in the relationship between income and life expectancy in the United States. Research projects will use recently released statistics from the Health Inequality Project. With funding support from the Social Security Administration through the NBER Retirement Research Center, the NBER encourages proposals for projects that use the new data to better understand the reasons for the strong relationship between income and life expectancy, its geographic variability, and its implications for interventions and policy.

Applications will be accepted from junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students. Individuals and research teams are eligible to apply. NBER expects to fund five to seven proposals.

Applications are due Feb. 1, 2017.

For more information about this opportunity, visit http://www.nber.org/programs/ag/funding.html.

Please email questions about this opportunity to agfellow@nber.org.

2017 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center invites students in grades 3-12 to take part in the OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge, or OPSPARC. Participants are challenged to help raise awareness and understanding of NASA technologies and their many benefits to our everyday lives.

The challenge provides contestants with a tool, developed by Glogster, for creating and submitting their entries. Glogster is a cloud-based platform for presentation and interactive learning. The tool allows contestants to combine different kinds of media on a virtual canvas to create multimedia posters and to access an existing library of educational content created by students and educators worldwide. Contestants will develop a Glog of their own as part of OPSPARC that will include information on spinoffs and NASA missions. The students also will create video describing their own ideas for a new NASA spinoff technology.

After completing their Glogs, 20 teams of students in grades 9 through 12 will be invited to work with college student mentors to further develop their spinoff concept within a 3-D, multiuser, virtual-world setting through creation of computer-aided design, or CAD, models and application of engineering and business analyses on their spinoff concepts. The InWorld portion of the contest is being sponsored by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope project.

Students who submit the winning entries in each age category will have the opportunity to visit NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for an awards ceremony and workshop to be held in their honor. The workshop will include a behind-the-scenes look at Goddard, the chance to meet some of the top minds at NASA, and the opportunity for the students to design and create their own public service announcement video with guidance from NASA video producers and actor Peter Cullen, the voice of the TRANSFORMERS character OPTIMUS PRIME.

The deadline to register and submit Glogs is 11:59 PM EST on Feb. 10, 2017.

To learn more about the challenge and to register to participate, visit http://itpo.gsfc.nasa.gov/opsparc/.

Please direct questions about this contest to Darryl Mitchell at Darryl.R.Mitchell@nasa.gov.

2017 Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program

The Planetary Geology and Geophysics Undergraduate Research Program, or PGGURP, pairs qualified undergraduate students with NASA-funded investigators at research locations across the U.S. for eight weeks during the summer. Students spend the summer at the NASA scientists’ home institutions. Selected students receive a cost-of-living stipend and compensation for housing and travel.

Undergraduate students majoring in geology or related sciences are eligible to apply. Students graduating in 2017 who have not started graduate school yet are also eligible. Preference is given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Applications are due Feb. 10, 2017.

For more information, visit http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~tgregg/pggurp_homepage.html.

If you have questions about this opportunity, please email Robyn Wagner, PGGURP administrator, at pggurp@buffalo.edu.

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. Qualified male and female faculty from Majority and Minority Serving Universities and Colleges, including underserved groups and persons with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.

The program covers limited relocation travel expense 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.

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/.

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/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom. NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Check out the new ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Do you just want to receive weekly updates on NASA Education opportunities relating to science? Sign up for the NASA Education “Science WOW!” newsletter for science opportunities delivered to your inbox “Weekly on Wednesdays!” https://www.nasa.gov/education/sciencewow/

Visit NASA Education on the Web:
NASA Office of Eduation: http://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

SpaceRef Editor

SpaceRef staff editor.

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