NASA Education Express Message — June 2, 2016

New This Week!
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2016 NASA Astrobiology Debates Online Speech Competition
Audience: U.S. High School Students (Ages 14-18)
Entry Deadline: June 5, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. PDT

Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: June 6, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT

Arizona State University Mars Education Symposium and Field Trip — NASA’s Search for Habitable Environments: Instilling Curiosity Into Student Learning
Audience: Informal and Formal Educators of Grades 5-Higher Education
Application Deadline: June 10, 2016
Symposium Dates: June 20-24, 2016

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PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
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Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy
Audience: Designed for Families With Children Ages 10 to 14, but Open to All
Next Event Date: June 4, 2016, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT

Mars Survival Kit: Lessons and Activities to Guide Your Exploration of Mars!
Audience: K-12 Educators

U.S. Department of Education Accepting Applications for Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-up and Validation Competitions
Notice of Intent Deadline: June 6, 2016
Application Deadline: July 15, 2016

Call for Proposals: NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s University Leadership Initiative
Audience: Accredited, Degree-granting U.S. Colleges and Universities
Proposal Deadline: June 7, 2016

Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: June 11, 2016

GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar Series
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Webinar Date: June 13, 2016, at 8 p.m. EDT

Call for Proposals: Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2)
Audience: Universities and Nonprofit Organizations
Proposal Deadline: June 15, 2016

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 11 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: June 17, 2016

Attention Kid Scientists! — The President Wants Your Ideas on Science and Technology
Audience: K-12 Students
Submission Deadline: June 17, 2016

Call for Proposals — 2016 NASA Education Aeronautics Scholarship and Advanced STEM Training and Research (AS&ASTAR) Fellowship
Audience: First-year Master’s or Doctoral Students
Pre-proposal Teleconference: June 6, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Proposal Deadline: June 17, 2016

Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
Audience: Educational Institutions, Museums and Other Education Organizations

NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships
Audience: Graduate Students and Ph.D. Scientists
Next Application Deadline: July 1, 2016

Call for Proposals — Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program
Audience: Higher Education and Informal Education Institutions
Proposal Deadline: July 21, 2016

National Science Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Undergraduate Program
Audience: Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Research Initiation Awards — Notice of Intent Deadline: July 26, 2016
Various Projects — Notice of Intent Deadline: Sept. 6, 2016
Broadening Participation Research Centers — Preliminary Proposal Deadline: March 21, 2017

Call for Papers: NASA in the ‘Long’ Civil Rights Movement Symposium
Audience: Academics, Graduate Students and Independent Scholars
Abstract Submission Deadline: July 31, 2016
Symposium Dates: March 16-17, 2017

‘CineSpace’ Short Film Competition
Audience: All Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: July 31, 2016

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

Free “NASA’s Journey to Mars” Planetarium/Dome Show
Audience: All Formal and Informal Educators 

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Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educator and Student Current Opportunity pages on NASA’s website:
— Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum? Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

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2016 NASA Astrobiology Debates Online Speech Competition

The NASA Astrobiology Debates Online Speech Competition is an online speech competition in which U.S. high school students (ages 14-18) from across the nation research, deliver and upload original four-minute speeches responding to the 2015-2016 NASA Astrobiology Debates Topic. Submissions will be judged based on the quality of students’ scholarship and arguments, originality and creativity, and presentation.

The Astrobiology Debates Topic for 2015-2016:
Resolved: An overriding ethical obligation to protect and preserve extraterrestrial microbial life and ecosystems should be incorporated into international law.

The top three students will win an expenses-paid study tour to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where they will take part in behind-the-scenes tours and meet with NASA scientists and engineers to discuss the NASA Astrobiology Debates Topic. In addition, the top 20 students from the competition will be recognized and have their submissions posted online.

For complete competition rules and to submit a speech, visit http://www.nasadebates.org/high-school-division.php.

For additional information and to view expert interviews, speeches and debates on this year’s NASA Astrobiology Debates Topic, visit www.NASADebates.org.

Entries are due by June 5, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

Questions about this competition should be directed to NASADebates@gmail.com.

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Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Planetary Missions — NASA, We’re Out There: Peering Beneath Jupiter’s Clouds With NASA’s Juno Mission
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-9
Event Date: June 6, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
Discover how NASA’s Juno mission will peer through Jupiter’s clouds and investigate what’s in its core. Jupiter, its moons and its interactions with other bodies in the solar system will be discussed. Discover how to use NASA activities to talk about forces and motion, composition, and energy. Bilingual resources will also be presented. Activities in this webinar will address Next Generation Science Standards ESS1, ESS2 and PS2. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/182525

Planetary Missions — NASA, We’re Out There: Is There Any Life Out There? Extremophiles
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: June 9, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Students come to class filled with questions about life on other worlds. They have seen fantastic scenarios presented on television and in films; they have read and heard about exploring and the expansion of human presence in the solar system; they have followed the drama of space missions involving astronauts and robots. The answers to the questions that arise out of these experiences are often complex and multidimensional. How can teachers meaningfully address such questions? Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/137580

Space Launch System QM-2 Test Question-and-Answer Session
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: June 16, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. EDT
Participants in this webinar will get an overview of the solid rocket boosters for the Space Launch System and the QM-2 (Qualification Motor-2) test firing scheduled for June 28, 2016. A question-and-answer session with an expert about the SLS and its boosters will be an integral part of this experience. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/181163

Planetary Missions — NASA, We’re Out There: Modeling Our Solar System
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: June 16, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore our solar system with NASA STEM activities and missions. This webinar will investigate classifying, graphing and scale models to help participants better understand and visualize our sun, planets, asteroids and other objects as a true system. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/181689

For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.

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How do scientists search for habitable environments beyond Earth? What makes an environment habitable? Are the criteria for life the same or different beyond Earth? The science of astrobiology is at the forefront addressing these types of challenging questions, including “Where can life exist?”

Currently, NASA’s Curiosity Rover is exploring Gale Crater on Mars to investigate a site that has a very interesting history that could include habitability! Join the Mars rover scientists as they lead a five-day interdisciplinary, immersive educator field experience to explore areas on Earth similar to environments on Mars. Learn how to expand your students’ understanding of how biology, geology and chemistry are essential to this fascinating search for life elsewhere.

The symposium will take place June 20-24, 2016. Participants will start and finish at the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona. Participants will be responsible for transportation to and from Arizona State University, lodging, and meals. Transportation between campus and the field trip sites will be provided. Some hiking will be required to participate in this field experience.

Participants will be trained using Next-Generation Science Standards-designed/aligned lessons and will receive a certificate after completing 45 professional development hours.

Space is limited to 30 participants. Applications are due June 10, 2016.

For more information, visit http://marsed.asu.edu/Curiosity2016.

Questions about the symposium should be directed to Sheri Klug Boonstra at sklug@asu.edu or call 480-215-0410.

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PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
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Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy

Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is a free alternate-reality game that will challenge you to become an astronaut-in-training for a future trip to Mars. Choose what role you will play on the mission; engage in fun interactive activities; and explore the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills you will need as a next-generation space traveler. Along the way, you’ll learn about some of the museum’s fascinating artifacts.

Instructions and guidance are given via a special webpage accessed on your mobile device. Players should bring their own phones or devices equipped with an internet browser and a camera. Having a digital picture-taking device (smartphone, tablet, camera) is highly recommended but not required.

The game is aimed at upper elementary and middle school visitors and their families. Do you want to bring a group? Reservations are required for groups larger than 15.

The next offering of the Astronaut Academy is on June 4, 2016. Begin your training with Astronaut Orientation in the Claude Moore Education Center Classroom 1 located on the first level across from the restrooms. Astronaut Orientation is offered at regular intervals between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The last opportunity to start the game is at 2:30 p.m. A self-guided activity, the game should take between 60 and 90 minutes, and staff will help you along the way.

For more information, including a full list of upcoming Astronaut Academy dates, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/techquest/.

Please direct questions about the Smithsonian TechQuest: Astronaut Academy to the visitor service line at 202-633-2214.

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Mars Survival Kit: Lessons and Activities to Guide Your Exploration of Mars!

NASA is embarking on a journey to Mars! Are your students ready to join in the adventure? Spark excitement in your classroom with the Mars Survival Kit.

The Mars Survival Kit is a collection of educational activities for students in grades K-12. Each educational activity includes a brief description, as well as information about how the activities and lessons align to the Next Generation Science Standards.

Start your classroom’s journey to Mars at http://go.nasa.gov/1NnZ0Rg.

To learn more about NASA’s Journey to Mars, visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html.

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U.S. Department of Education Accepting Applications for Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-up and Validation Competitions

The U.S. Department of Education is seeking applications for the Investing in Innovation, or i3, Scale-up and Validation competitions. These grant competitions seek to provide competitive grants to applicants with a record of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of and investment in innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates.

These grants will (1) allow eligible entities to expand and develop innovative practices that can serve as models of best practices; (2) allow eligible entities to work in partnership with the private sector and the philanthropic community; and (3) identify and document best practices that can be shared and taken to scale based on demonstrated success.

Interested applicants are highly encouraged to submit a notice of intent before June 6, 2016. The deadline for submittal of applications for both the Scale-up and Validation competitions is July 15, 2016.

For more information about these grant opportunities, please visit http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/innovation/investing-in-innovation-i3/fy-2016-competition/.

Please direct questions about these opportunities to Kelly Terpak at i3@ed.gov.

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Call for Proposals: NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s University Leadership Initiative

NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is seeking proposals for a new opportunity for universities and their research partners to contribute toward NASA research goals. The University Leadership Initiative allows universities and university-led partnerships to provide strategic leadership that advances ARMD’s research objectives and promotes education of the next generation of engineers.

Proposers will identify technical challenges and research activities that will contribute to the six strategic thrusts provided in the ARMD Strategic Implementation Plan (http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/pdf/armd-strategic-implementation-plan.pdf).

For this solicitation, the proposing (lead) organization must be an accredited, degree-granting U.S. college or university. Proposing organizations are invited to include partners as part of their team. Partners may include other U.S. colleges and universities, U.S. companies, nonprofit organizations, and any other public or private U.S. entity. Proposers may not include NASA centers or researchers as team members.

Multiple awards are anticipated with nominal budgets in the $2M range per award per year. Awards will have a maximum duration of five years.

Step A proposals are due June 7, 2016.

For more information about this solicitation, visit http://go.nasa.gov/1VxTDmc.

Please submit questions about this opportunity to HQ-UnivPartnerships@mail.nasa.gov.

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Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours and open house events will be held each month through October 2016. Tours are free for groups and individuals, but to guarantee admission, reservations are required. Visitor parking is also free.

On the days of the tours, a bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour, beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.

Glenn’s 2016 Tour Schedule

June 11-12, 2016 — Open House at NASA’s Plum Brook Station: NASA Glenn is opening the doors of Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, to the public for a weekend open house. Visitors will be able to tour the station’s world-class facilities and step inside the world’s largest vacuum chamber, which has tested parts of rockets, Mars landers and Orion hardware. Visitors also will be able to meet an astronaut and talk with engineers, scientists and technicians. Registration for this event is not required.

July 9, 2016: Radioisotope Power System, Systems Integration Laboratory: See how NASA emulates the electrical characteristics of a spacecraft system in the Radioisotope Power System, Systems Integration Laboratory. RPS is a source of electricity for NASA space missions from the surface of Mars to the realm of the outer planets.

Aug. 6, 2016 — See Things a Different Way: Check out Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization, or GVIS, and the Reconfigurable User-interface and Virtual Reality Exploration, or GRUVE, Laboratories. The GVIS lab uses advanced computer input and output devices paired with a variety of natural user interface devices and 3-D displays. The GRUVE lab is used to analyze data obtained either by computer simulation or from research test facilities.

Sept. 10, 2016 — Vibration Testing: Join us on a tour of Glenn’s Structural Dynamics Laboratory, where things get shaken to verify their survivability. Several experiments that currently are operating on the International Space Station were tested in this lab.

Oct. 1, 2016 — Prepare for Impact: Come explore Glenn’s Ballistic Impact Facility. See the laboratory that helped to identify the cause of the space shuttle Columbia accident and return NASA’s shuttle fleet to flight.

Tours are open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. To guarantee admission, reservations are required. For more information on tours and how to make reservations, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/events/tours.html.

Please direct questions about the tours to Sheila Reese at sheila.d.reese@nasa.gov.

GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar Series

El Niño and La Niña are important phenomena that can impact the climate by causing global flooding and droughts as well as changes in seasonal weather. These interactions around the world are called teleconnections. Because of the importance of this issue, a GLOBE ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Campaign has been formulated to engage students in determining where and how much El Niño affects local places and to put students in contact with their local environment.

To learn more about the campaign and how to participate, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign.

To help educators prepare for the El Niño Campaign, GLOBE is hosting a series of free education webinars to discuss the mechanics of the campaign, give updates on data collection, and give participants the opportunity to learn science content from experts.

The hourlong webinars will take place on the following dates at 8 p.m. EDT.

June 13, 2016: Using El Niño GLOBE Data for Scientific Research
Sept. 19, 2016: El Niño Student Campaign Refresher and Update

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars and recordings of previous webinars in the series, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/webinars.

Please direct questions about this opportunity and series of webinars to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.

Call for Proposals: Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2)

NASA is soliciting proposals for the development of prototypes for deep space habitats that will give astronauts a place to call home during long-duration missions supporting the agency’s Journey to Mars.

The solicitation, Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2), is a public-private partnership model that seeks commercial development of deep space exploration capabilities to support more extensive human spaceflight missions in the proving ground of space around the moon, known as cislunar space, and to enable transit to Mars. This partnership model enables NASA to obtain innovative concepts and support private industry commercialization plans for low-Earth orbit.

Eligible applicants from U.S. companies, universities and nonprofit organizations must submit proposals electronically by 5 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2016.

For more information about this solicitation, visit http://www.nasa.gov/nextstep.

Please submit questions about this opportunity to Jason Crusan at HQ-NextSTEP-BAA@mail.nasa.gov.

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Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 11 to the International Space Station

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 11 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring 2017 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved minilab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than June 17, 2016. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the SSEP Mission 11 to International Space Station National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2016/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-11-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2016/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner on SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

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Attention Kid Scientists! — The President Wants Your Ideas on Science and Technology

At the White House Science Fair in April, President Obama met nine-year-old inventor Jacob Leggette, who made a recommendation that the President should have a kid science advisor. The President loved the idea and wants to hear from kid scientists and innovators across the country about what can be done to help shape the future of science, discovery and exploration. Whether you care about tackling climate change, finding a cure to cancer, using technology to help make people’s lives better, or sending a human to Mars, President Obama can’t wait to get your input!

To share your ideas on important science, innovation and technology issues, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/05/19/attention-kid-scientists-president-wants-your-ideas-science-and-technology.

Submissions are due June 17, 2016!

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Call for Proposals — 2016 NASA Education Aeronautics Scholarship and Advanced STEM Training and Research (AS&ASTAR) Fellowship

NASA Education is seeking proposals for a NASA Education Aeronautics Scholarship and Advanced STEM Training and Research, or AS&ASTAR, Fellowship opportunity. The NASA Education AS&ASTAR Fellowship provides funding for fellowship candidates to perform graduate research at their respective campuses during the academic year under the guidance of their faculty adviser and a NASA researcher.

To be eligible to submit a proposal, candidates must be U.S. citizens or naturalized citizens who hold a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field earned prior to Aug. 31, 2016. Candidates must be enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree program no later than September 2016 and intend to pursue a research-based master’s or Ph.D. program in a NASA-relevant field.

A pre-proposal teleconference is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 6, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT. To attend, go to https://ac.arc.nasa.gov/nifs/ and join the teleconference as a guest. The call-in number for the teleconference is 1-844-467-6272 and the passcode is 993012.

Proposals are due June 17, 2016.

For full program details, visit https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7b87B17E76-1FDD-A38A-6A69-050E4EB3C8A4%7d&path=open.

Questions concerning this program element may be directed to Elizabeth Cartier at elizabeth.a.cartier@nasa.gov.

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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.

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NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships

The NASA Postdoctoral Program provides early-career and more senior scientists the opportunity to share in NASA’s mission. NPP Fellows work on one- to three-year assignments with NASA scientists and engineers at NASA centers and institutes to advance NASA’s missions in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics, engineering, human exploration and space operations, astrobiology, and science management.

U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a research scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a doctorate or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but they may apply while completing degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as senior fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1 and November 1.

For more information and application procedures, go to https://npp.usra.edu/.

Please direct questions about this fellowship opportunity to npphelp@usra.edu.

Call for Proposals — Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program

NASA is seeking proposals for a new program as part of the NASA Research Announcement “Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2016.” The Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program’s primary goal is to develop and implement capabilities to use contributions from the general public to advance understanding of Earth as a system. The program will complement NASA’s observation of Earth from space, air, land and water by engaging the public in NASA’s mission. The program will advance the use of citizen science in scientific research about Earth by directly supporting citizen science activities, as well as by developing technology to further citizen science research.

Through this solicitation, two types of proposals are sought — citizen science research and low-cost sensor deployment for the collection of well-calibrated citizen science data.

Proposals are due July 21, 2016.

For more information, visit http://go.nasa.gov/1SUOO63 .

Questions concerning this program element may be directed to Kevin Murphy at kevin.j.murphy@nasa.gov.

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National Science Foundation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Undergraduate Program

The National Science Foundation is seeking proposals for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Undergraduate Program. HBCU-UP is committed to enhancing the quality of undergraduate STEM education and research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a means to broaden participation in the nation’s STEM workforce. HBCU-UP realizes this purpose by providing awards to develop, implement, and study innovative models and approaches for making dramatic improvements in the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may participate successfully in graduate programs and/or careers in STEM disciplines.

HBCU-UP provides support for a variety of opportunities. These include:

Research Initiation Awards: These awards provide support for STEM faculty at HBCUs to pursue new research at the home institution, an NSF-funded research center, a research-intensive institution or a national laboratory. The deadline to submit a required notice of intent for a Research Initiation Award is July 26, 2016. Full proposals are due Oct. 4, 2016.

Targeted Infusion Projects, Broadening Participation Research Projects, Implementation Projects, and Achieving Competitive Excellence Implementation Projects: These projects aim to support efforts that increase STEM participation at HBCUs. See the website for individual project descriptions. The deadline to submit a required notice of intent for these projects is Sept. 6, 2016. Full proposals are due Nov. 22, 2016.

Broadening Participation Research Centers: These centers represent the collective intelligence of HBCU STEM higher education and serve as the national hubs for the rigorous study and broad dissemination of the critical pedagogies and culturally sensitive interventions that contribute to the success of HBCUs in educating African-American STEM undergraduates. Centers are expected to conduct research on STEM education and broadening participation in STEM; perform outreach to HBCUs to build capacity for conducting this type of research; and work to transfer and disseminate promising participation-broadening research to enhance STEM education and research outcomes for African-American undergraduates across the country. The preliminary proposal deadline for this opportunity is March 21, 2017. Full proposals are due Nov. 22, 2017.

For more information on the overall Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Undergraduate Program, visit http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5481.

Please direct questions about these opportunities to Claudia Rankins at crankins@nsf.gov and Andrea Johnson at andjohns@nsf.gov.

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Call for Papers: NASA in the ‘Long’ Civil Rights Movement Symposium

The History Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Department of History at the University of Alabama Huntsville invite academics, graduate students and independent scholars to submit proposals for papers to be presented at a two-day symposium, March 16-17, 2017. The symposium will take place at the University of Alabama Huntsville and will address the role/relationship of NASA to the “Long” Civil Rights Movement, particularly in, but not limited to, the Deep South (Huntsville, Florida, Houston, Mississippi and New Orleans).

The conceptual framework for the symposium is provided by Jacquelyn Dowd Hall’s 2005 essay in the Journal of American History, “The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past,” which called upon historians to produce new “modes of writing and speaking that emphasize individual agency … while also dramatizing the hidden history of politics and institutions.” Along these lines, the conference welcomes papers addressing the Civil Rights experience across NASA that not only explore the experience of African Americans, but also of women, immigrants and other politically/legally marginalized groups. The intention is to publish a subset of the papers as an anthology.

Those interested in presenting a paper at the symposium should send an abstract of no more than 400 words and a short biography or curriculum vita, including affiliation, to Brian Odom at brian.c.odom@nasa.gov or Dr. Stephen Waring at warings@uah.edu by July 31, 2016.

For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/call-for-papers-nasa-in-the-long-civil-rights-movement-symposium-university-of-alabama.html.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Brian Odom at brian.c.odom@nasa.gov.

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‘CineSpace’ Short Film Competition

NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society once again will offer filmmakers around the world a chance to share their works inspired by — and using — actual NASA imagery through “CineSpace,” a short-film competition.

Films featuring NASA-captured imagery and video collected throughout the agency’s 50-year history will be judged on creativity, innovation and attention to detail. Works submitted to “CineSpace” will compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to be shown to audiences both on and off Earth. In addition to being screened at the “CineSpace” awards ceremony during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, winners and finalists may be screened at other film festivals across the country, as well as on NASA TV and even on the International Space Station.

“CineSpace” is open to all filmmakers, both professional and aspiring. The competition will accept submissions of all genres, including narrative, documentary, comedy, drama, animation, experimental and others, of up to 10 minutes running time. Entries must use at least 10 percent publically available NASA imagery.

The submission period opens June 1, 2016, and closes July 31, 2016. Finalists and winners will be announced at a “CineSpace” event during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival in November. Entries will be competing for $26,000 in prizes with cash awards going to the top three submissions as well as the two films that best demonstrate the themes “Benefits of Space to Humanity” and “Future Space Exploration.”

For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/cinespace-short-film-competition-returns-for-2016.

Please direct questions about this competition to cinespace@cinemartsociety.org.

Call for Submissions — NASA Announcement for High Impact / Broad Implementation STEM Education Partnerships (EDUCATION01SP16)

The NASA Headquarters Office of Education, in cooperation with the agency’s four mission directorates, nine center education offices, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) education office, announces this competition to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Responses must be submitted electronically via the NASA data system NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com).

NASA Education seeks to partner with eligible domestic or international organizations on a no-exchange-of-funds basis to reach wider and more diverse audiences and to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. The Announcement places a priority on collaboration involving the following: digital learning; engaging underrepresented groups in STEM; NASA-themed STEM challenges; and youth-serving organizations. NASA also is receptive to other creative ideas including, for example, investigations or application of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and design (STEAMD); or activities culturally relevant to or focused on unrepresented in STEM careers populations, such as women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. The announcement explains the criteria used to review responses and NASA’s partnership mechanism known as a no-exchange-of-funds or non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement.

NASA will accept responses on a rolling basis through Dec. 31. 2017.

For more information about this opportunity, visit NSPIRES at http://go.nasa.gov/1RZwWCi.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please direct your questions to the Points of Contact listed within the NASA Announcement.

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Free “NASA’s Journey to Mars” Planetarium/Dome Show

Are you looking for ways to prepare your students for STEM-related career opportunities in the future? Do you want to spark their interest in pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation? Right now, NASA’s fleet of Mars robotic explorers is paving the way for human exploration of the solar system in the coming decades. Have your students join NASA in preparing for a monumental journey of a lifetime — to Mars!

“NASA’s Journey to Mars” is a short planetarium presentation that can be used in the educational domes of your school district, as well as local planetariums, to inspire interest in STEM. To learn more, including how you can acquire the show for use in your area, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/journey-of-a-lifetime-mars-education-resources/.

Please direct questions about the “NASA’s Journey to Mars” planetarium/dome show to Elsie Weigel at elsie.weigel@nasa.gov.