NASA Education Express Message — May 7, 2015

“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest

During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations. 

Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.

For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/feature/where-over-the-world-is-astronaut-scott-kelly.

To learn more about the One-Year Mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/one-year-crew.

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Cast Your Vote in the Ceres “Bright Spot” Mystery Poll

On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.

Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be. 

To learn more and to cast your vote, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/dawn/world_ceres/. 

For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/. 

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Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational Use

NASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.

There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to GSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.

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Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development

NASA Educator Professional Development 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. Simply click on the provided link to register.

Subject Matter Expert: Light and Technologies From Light
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-12
Event Date: May 7, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
2015 is classified as “The International Year of Light.” To commemorate the occasion, Mike Nofziger, Ph.D., professor and outreach coordinator at the College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, will show us some of the applications of light technologies. Nofziger helped establish the undergraduate program in optical sciences and engineering at the university in 1989. As part of that effort, he developed lab experiments and wrote curricula for six semesters of undergraduate optics labs. He is the outreach coordinator for the college and has led a wide variety of optics outreach over the years. 
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/125844

Distance-Rate-Time Mathematics in Air Traffic Control
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: May 11, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Want to know what it takes to work in air traffic control? Learn about NASA research on air traffic control and how it relates to mathematics standards. This webinar features NASA STEM online resources with interactive multimedia for students to use and enhance math skills to calculate distance, rate and time.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/125942

Space Food and Nutrition: A STEM Feast
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8
Event Date: May 12, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Space food, Mmmm good! This webinar will explore NASA STEM curriculum designed to investigate space food and the nutritional needs of astronauts. Participants will use NASA resources to research the caloric content and nutritional value of space foods. They will learn about the nutritional needs of astronauts and construct sample space food menus. Explore a menu of inquiry-based activities and other resources integrating this exciting topic, and satisfy your STEM appetite.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/125339

Space Math Series — Active Math
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: May 13, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Space Mathematics is a two-part series designed to help educators make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. In “Part 2 – Active Math,” participants will explore the use of inquiry to reinforce mathematics skills while engaging students with hands-on activities.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/125643

Rockets 2 Racecars: Solar Energy / Training for Pocono Raceway
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-9
Event Date: May 14, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDT
Join NASA Educator Professional Development for a free 60-minute webinar to discover how to connect NASA solar and aerodynamic research and educational activities to the solar-powered Pocono Raceway Track in Pennsylvania. Select educators will have the opportunity to earn professional development hours by supporting NASA experts at the Pocono Raceway Track in early June 2015!
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/125122

Solar System and the Periodic Table
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-8
Event Date: May 14, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDT
Participants will color the periodic table as we travel through the solar system. It will be a fun introduction to what the periodic table is and why it is important to us. The webinar includes a game and a short “writing for understanding” exercise.
Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/126710

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.

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After more than seven years cruising at stunning speeds, including a wonderful year exploring protoplanet Vesta, the Dawn spacecraft will arrive at its second destination in the main asteroid belt, the dwarf planet Ceres. As the Dawn mission begins its exploration of Ceres, it’s time to celebrate!

A flagship i C Ceres event will be held on May 9, 2015, in Pasadena, California, by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology. The event will include games and contests. Plus, members of the mission team will be there to translate the space science for you! 

If you aren’t in southern California, don’t worry. You can host your own event! Big or small, public or private, all are welcome. Celebrate with your club, society, school group or museum. Awesome presentations will be streamed live.

To learn more, find an event near you, or explore resources to plan your own I C Ceres event, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/I_C_ceres.html. 

For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/. 

Please email any questions about this opportunity to Joe Wise at jwise1972@gmail.com.

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2014 NASA EONS Solicitation — New MUREP Aerospace Academy Appendix

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions, or MSIs, to create and implement a NASA MUREP Aerospace Academy to increase participation and retention of historically underserved and underrepresented K-12 youth in the areas of STEM.

A pre-proposal teleconference to provide prospective proposers an in-depth overview of the MUREP Aerospace Academy (MAA) program and proposal requirements will be held on Monday, May 11, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT. After the presentation, there will be a brief Q&A to provide real time answers to participant questions. In order to address as many participants as possible, questions should be clear and concise, and limited to general topics only.

Prior to the teleconference, please thoroughly review the solicitation on MUREP Aerospace Academy (MAA) in NSPIRES and prepare any potential questions you may have. Any changes regarding this workshop will be posted on MUREP Aerospace Academy (MAA) in NSPIRES. This is the onlyway to be notified of any updates, so it is very important that you check the webpage prior to the webex/telecon.

The call will start on time, so everyone is encouraged to connect 10 minutes prior to the session to address any technical difficulties you may encounter. 

TO JOIN THE MUREP Aerospace Academy (MAA) PRE PROPOSAL TELECONFERENCE, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOTH WEBEX AND TELECONFERENCE NUMBER. Please connect to both Webex and Teleconference.

CONNECT TO WEBEX (for Slide Presentation)

Topic: EONS MAA Pre-proposal Telecon/Webex
Date: Monday, May 11, 2015
Time: 4 p.m. EDT

Meeting Number: 990 266 356
Meeting Password: MAA*2015

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To start or join the online meeting go to: https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?MTID=m1ea056794820a9aed3707ad4785216b4
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For assistance:
1. Go to https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/mc
2. On the left navigation bar, click “Support”.

To check whether you have the appropriate players installed for UCF (Universal Communications Format) rich media files, go to https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/systemdiagnosis.php.

CONNECT TO TELECONFERENCE (for AUDIO)

Call-in number: 866-844-9416
Participant passcode: 7622325

This call will be recorded and transcribed. For the sake of accuracy be sure to speak slowly and clearly, and please spell anything that might be recorded incorrectly.

Cell phones are not recommended for use for this call due to the possibility of disconnection and static.

If you are unable to attend, presentation slides and a written transcript of the teleconference will be posted to the NSPIRES website. Questions asked during the call will be part of the MAA FAQ document.

Any questions regarding this session should be sent to NASAMAA@nasaprs.com.

Proposals are due June 11, 2015. 

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

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to NASAMAA@nasaprs.com.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s National Summer Teacher Institute on Innovation, STEM and Intellectual Property

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, will host its second National Summer Teacher Institute on Innovation, STEM, and Intellectual Property on July 12-17, 2015, in Dallas, Texas.

This multiday professional development training opportunity is designed to help upper elementary, middle and high school teachers incorporate concepts of making, inventing, creating and protecting intellectual property into classroom instruction. Participants are expected to implement lessons learned from the institute into their schools and school districts in an effort to support development of a STEM/innovation-learning ecosystem.

The institute is open to teachers nationwide. Apply to be a part of this exciting cohort. Travel and lodging expenses will be covered for teachers who are traveling more than 50 miles to the venue in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations and USPTO travel policy. Space is limited. 

Applications are due May 12, 2015.

For more information, visit http://go.usa.gov/3W7BB. 

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to education@uspto.gov.

Lunar and Planetary Institute Workshop: Mars Through Time

The Lunar and Planetary Institute and the ChemCam instrument team invite high school educators, both in-service and pre-service, to attend the “Mars Through Time” workshop. This four-day workshop will take place at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, July 13-16, 2015. 

Attendees will discover the relationship between technology and science as it relates to our understanding of Mars. Attendees also will discuss the nature and process of science with invited Mars scientists. Classroom resources will be provided. 

Workshop registration is free. This workshop is limited to 20 participants. Interested educators are encouraged to apply early to secure a spot. Qualified applicants will be accepted in the order they apply. Travel stipends are available. The application closes May 15, 2015.

For more information and to apply for the workshop, visit http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/workshops/mars/.

Questions about the workshop should be directed to Andy Shaner at shaner@lpi.usra.edu.

Have you ever talked to an astronomer? To participate in an informal conversation with an astronomy researcher, join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of Astronomy Chats. The researchers work at a variety of institutions, including the Smithsonian, NASA, Harvard University and the U.S. Naval Research Lab. If they cannot come in person, they join by video chat.

The conversation may be on any topic of interest to you. Visitors frequently ask questions like, “What’s an average day like for you?” or “What kind of telescopes have you used?”

Astronomy Chats take place at the Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory at the Smithsonian Institution in the District of Columbia. During inclement weather, the chats may be moved indoors, usually to the Explore the Universe gallery. Both locations are accessible. There is no admission fee.

The next Astronomy Chat is scheduled for May 17, 2015. 

For more information about the Smithsonian’s Astronomy Chat Series, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/astronomy-chats/index.cfm. 

Questions about this series should be directed to the visitor service line at 202-633-2214.

2020 Electric General Aviation NASA Aeronautics Design Challenge

Electric-powered aircraft have the potential to revolutionize the way we travel. NASA invites college teams to take part in the 2015 NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s 2020 Electric General Aviation Design Challenge. Student teams are invited to design an electric (i.e., no combustion) general aviation aircraft that meets performance requirements and is operational by 2020.

The contest is open to teams of full-time students enrolled in higher education institutions of the United States or its territories. This category includes universities, colleges, trade schools, community colleges, professional schools, etc. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Final entries are due May 18, 2015.

For more information and a complete list of rules, visit http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/university-contest/. 

Questions about the challenge should be directed to Elizabeth Ward at Elizabeth.B.Ward@nasa.gov.

NASA Robotic Mining Competition 2015

The Sixth Annual NASA Robotic Mining Competition will be streamed live from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center on May 20-22, 2015. 

The NASA Robotic Mining Competition challenges university-level students to design and build a mining robot that can traverse the simulated Martian chaotic terrain, excavate Martian regolith and deposit the regolith into a collector bin within 10 minutes. The technology concepts developed by the university teams for this competition conceivably could be used to robotically mine regolith resources on Mars.

To learn more about the competition, visit https://www.facebook.com/RoboticMiningCompetition. 

To watch the competition live online, visit http://www.ustream.tv/NASAEDGE.

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In September 2014, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission began exploring Mars’ upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the sun and solar wind. The MAVEN Educator Ambassador, or MEA, program will focus on in-depth learning experiences around Earth, space and physical science topics for educators teaching middle- and high-school grades.

During this weeklong, NASA-funded program, participants will receive training to become a MAVEN Educator Ambassador. The goal of the MEA program is to develop the capacity and provide the opportunity for educators to train other teachers on NASA heliophysics and planetary science educational resources. Follow-up support will be provided via teleconference calls and other electronic communications. Participants involved in the MEA program will be expected to implement the lesson plans and education resources in their own classrooms, as well as train other teachers at local and regional professional development conferences or meetings.

The program will take place Aug. 3-7, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Participants will receive a travel stipend of $700. Free housing and meals will be provided.

Applications are due May 22, 2015.

For more information about the workshop and to apply online, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/for-educators/mea/2015mea/.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 9 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 an authentic 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 9 to the International Space Station, or ISS, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low-Earth orbit on the ISS. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a real microgravity research minilaboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring 2016 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 leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, 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 are also encouraged to participate. The deadline for interested communities to inquire about the program has been extended to May 31, 2015. 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 9 to International Space Station National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2015/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-9-to-the-international-space-station-for-2015-16-academic-year/. 

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization 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.

NASA History Program Office Fall 2015 Internships

The NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for fall 2015 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.

Fall 2015 internship applications are due June 1, 2015. 

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.

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2015 NSBRI First Award Fellowship Program

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, is accepting fellowship applications for the First Award Fellowship Program. The one-year fellowships are available in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research.

Applicants are required to submit proposals with the support of a mentor and an institution, and all proposals will be evaluated by a peer-review committee. Selected applicants receive a stipend, allowance for health insurance and travel funds for related scientific meetings.

This year’s applicants also can request to be considered to spend part of the fellowship in Russia, via a program involving NSBRI and the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

Detailed program and application submission information is available at http://www.nsbri.org/firstaward/.

The application deadline is June 5, 2015. 

Questions may be directed to Dr. Amanda Smith Hackler at hackler@bcm.edu.

NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortia of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight and developing the medical technologies needed for long missions. The institute’s science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.

For more information about NSBRI’s First Award Program, please visit http://www.nsbri.org/firstaward/.

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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 will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.

A tour 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 2015 Tour Schedule

June 6, 2015 — Glenn’s Portal to the Space Station: Take a journey through the Telescience Support Center. This secure, multipurpose facility is designed to provide dedicated support for simultaneous training, simulations and real-time operations of space experiments on the International Space Station. Principal investigators, project scientists and payload operators can send commands and receive telemetry and science data from their payload hardware operating on board the station.

July 11, 2015 — Breeze by a Wind Tunnel: Tour the Abe Silverstein Supersonic Wind Tunnel. This facility has conducted supersonic propulsion testing on aircraft components such as inlets, nozzles and engines. It is ideally suited for launch vehicle tests and other fuel-burning applications.

Aug. 1, 2015 — 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. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.

Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.

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. 

Questions about the tours should be directed to Sheila Reese at sheila.d.reese@nasa.gov.

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Smallsat Technology Partnerships Solicitation

NASA is extending an opportunity to college and university teams to propose small spacecraft technology projects that they can conduct in collaboration with NASA researchers. The Smallsat Technology Partnerships solicitation is being issued by the Small Spacecraft Technology Program as an appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s NASA Research Announcement for 2015.

NASA expects to competitively select about eight projects from among those proposed by university teams, which can form proposal partnerships with researchers from any of NASA’s 10 field centers. Awards for each project will include up to $100,000 to each university team per year. In addition, NASA will fund the time for one NASA employee to work with each selected team. Project funding is for one year with the potential to continue for a second year.

Proposed projects could involve laboratory work to advance a particular spacecraft technology or the development of a new smallsat. NASA will be accepting proposals in four topic areas: 1) precise attitude control and pointing systems for cubesats, 2) power generation, energy storage and thermal management systems for small spacecraft, 3) simple low-cost deorbit systems, and 4) communications and tracking systems and networks.

Proposals are due June 8, 2015.

The appendix document is available through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System website at http://go.nasa.gov/1HsPKb7.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Rachel Khattab at rachel.khattab@nasa.gov.

2014 NASA EONS Solicitation — New MUREP Community College Curriculum Improvement Appendix

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from Minority Serving Community Colleges to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Community College Curriculum Improvement, or MC3I, solicitation must contain plans for and be guided by curricula improvements, and address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) improving curriculum in STEM vocational certificate programs, associate of arts/science degree programs, and/or transfer programs; (2) strengthening and diversifying the STEM pipeline through high school partnerships; or (3) expanding opportunities in engineering. Proposers are required to partner with a NASA center or facility, and are highly encouraged to partner with other institutions, such as K-12 school districts and four-year colleges/universities. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MC3I are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and to determine the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 14, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Proposals are due on June 11, 2015 by 11:59 p.m. in NSPIRES. 

For more information, visit http://go.nasa.gov/1AP8WqY. 

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Roslyn Soto at roslyn.soto@jpl.nasa.gov.

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

June 13-14, 2015 — South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

June 22-25, 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland
New Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy

August 4-6, 2015 — Honolulu Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii
CAE Teaching Excellence Short-Courses on Active Learning in the STEM Classroom

August 15, 2015 — American Museum of Natural History in New York, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange

For more information and to register for workshops online, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of workshops should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

2014 NASA EONS Solicitation — New MUREP American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM Partnership Appendix

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from American Indian and Alaskan Native Serving Institutions to develop and implement an evidence-driven recruitment method/model to address the shortage of computer science graduates in historically underrepresented and underserved populations.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM Partnership, or MAIANSP, solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) developing the American Indian and Alaskan Native STEM workforce; (2) strengthening STEM curricula at American Indian and Alaskan Native Serving Institutions; or (3) increasing the pool of underrepresented and underserved students in computer sciences. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for NASA MAIANSP are required to submit a Notice of Intent, or NOIs, to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative in the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Interested proposers must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Proposals are due on June 23, 2015. 

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

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Torry Johnson at NASAMAIANSP@nasaprs.com.  

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2014 NASA EONS Solicitation — New MUREP Other Opportunities Appendix

NASA’s Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project, or MUREP, is seeking proposals from U.S organizations and institutions that align with the four White House Executive Orders for Minority Institutions to strengthen curriculum and curricular pathways in STEM and to attract, retain and support the success of underrepresented students in STEM degree programs.

Proposals for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation must address one of the following as a primary focus: (1) increasing the number of minorities in STEM education areas relevant to NASA (2) effectively implementing NASA’s educational goals and objectives using NASA’s unique assets and capabilities (3) increasing the number of available STEM courses and curricular pathways (4) attracting, retaining and supporting the success of students in STEM degree programs and subsequently in NASA-related careers, or (5) increasing the number of students who complete STEM certificates/degrees from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in STEM. Successful proposals will be funded as multiyear cooperative agreements.

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Proposals are due on June 26, 2015. 

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

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Misti Moore at Misti.M.Moore@nasa.gov.

2014 NASA EONS Solicitation — New MUREP Educator Institutes Appendix

NASA’s Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement. Proposals are being solicited from Minority Serving Institutions to plan, coordinate and evaluate MUREP Educator Institutes that will bring pre-service and alternative-route STEM educators from Minority Serving Institutions across the U.S. to NASA centers annually for a one-week professional development session. 

Institutions planning to prepare a proposal package for the NASA MUREP Other Opportunities solicitation are asked to submit a Notice of Intent to propose. NOIs assist NASA in assessing the response to this cooperative agreement notice and in determining the expertise required for the proposal review panel. NOIs should be submitted by the authorized organization representative into the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, or NSPIRES, by April 24, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Those interested in submitting a proposal must register with NSPIRES before it can be accessed for use.

Since NOIs submitted after the deadline may still be useful to NASA, late NOIs may be submitted and will be accepted.

Proposals are due on June 30, 2015.

For more information, visit http://go.nasa.go v/1F2H2tO.

Questions about this solicitation may be directed to Chris Copelan at NASAMEI@nasaprs.com.

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2015 Lunar Workshop for Educators

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a pair of workshops for educators of students in grades 6-9. Each workshop will focus on lunar science, exploration and how our understanding of the moon is evolving with the new data from current and recent lunar missions. 

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowed scientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system, map the surface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence of recent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment around the moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers and much, much more! 

Workshop participants will learn about these and other recent discoveries. They will reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts; gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the moon; and interact with lunar scientists and engineers. Participants will work with LRO data and learn how to bring the data and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grades 6-9 Next Generation Science Standards.

The workshops will take place July 6-10, 2015, and July 13-17, 2015, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and the Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.

For more information and to register to attend, visit http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html.

Questions about this workshop should be directed to Andrea Jones at Andrea.J.Jones@nasa.gov.

Teacher Professional Development Programs at the NASTAR Center

The National AeroSpace Training and Research, or NASTAR, Center is hosting a series of teacher professional development programs throughout the month of July. Here’s your chance to experience acceleration in a centrifuge, pilot an airplane simulator, or explore the gas laws in an altitude chamber. Each one-day workshop is worth eight hours of continuing education.

One-day workshops are planned for multiple dates in July. To see a full list of workshop dates, visit http://www.nastarcenter.com/nastar-teacher-professional-development-program-dates-for-2015. 

For more information about the workshops and to download a registration packet, visit http://www.nastarcenter.com/education/teachers. 

The NASTAR Center is located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. The center is an Affiliate Member of the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. Funding from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports these programs, so they are offered at no cost to teachers. 

Questions about this series of workshops should be directed to Greg Kennedy at gkennedy@nastarcenter.com.

Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops — Fall/Winter 2015-16

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

Oct. 3, 2015 — Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina
CAE Southeast Regional Teaching Exchange

Oct. 17, 2015– Everett Community College in Everett, Washington
CAE Northwest Regional Teaching Exchange

November 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland
New Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy

Jan. 3-4, 2016– Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors

For more information and to register for workshops online, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of workshops should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

Celebrate World Space Week 2015

Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2015. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.

World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 60 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities. 

To learn more about World Space Week, search for events in your area, and find educational materials, visit http://www.worldspaceweek.org.