NASA Education Express Message — Oct. 20, 2016
New This Week!
Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Oct. 20, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. EDT
Free Webinar — Federal Resources for P-12 Educators Webinar
Audience: P-12 Educators
Reservation Deadline: Oct. 26, 2016, 8 p.m. EDT
Event Date: Nov. 1, 2016, 8 p.m. EDT
National Science Foundation’s East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Fellowship Program
Audience: U.S. Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Nov. 10, 2016
NASA’s Langley Research Center Centennial Student Art Contest
Audience: K-12 Students
Entry Period: Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2016
NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Cube Quest Challenge
Audience: All Interested U.S. Citizens, Including Higher Education Educators and Students
Next Submission Deadline: Feb. 3, 2017
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
Sign Up for NASA Education ‘Science WOW!’ Weekly Email Newsletter
Audience: All Educators and Students
2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Oct. 20, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Presents ‘STEM in 30’ Webcast Series
Audience: Grades 6-8 Educators and Students
Next Webcast Date: Oct. 26, 2016, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT
ROSES-16 Amendment 33: New Program Element — Interdisciplinary Science for Eclipse 2017
Audience: Informal and Higher Education Institutions
Step-1 Proposal Deadline: Oct. 27, 2016
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Spring 2017 Policy Internship Program
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Oct. 28, 2016
Virginia Earth System Science Scholars Program
Audience: Virginia High School Juniors and Seniors
Application Deadline: Oct. 30, 2016
Postdoctoral Fellowships in Space Biology to Study the Microbiome of the International Space Station as a Built Environment
Audience: Postdoctoral Students
Required Notice of Intent Deadline: Oct. 31, 2016
Host a Real-Time Conversation With Astronauts Aboard the International Space Station
Audience: All Educators
Proposal Deadline: Nov. 1, 2016
NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships
Audience: Graduate Students and Ph.D. Scientists
Next Application Deadline: Nov. 1, 2016
National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program
Audience: Organizations Interested in Advancing STEM Learning in Informal Environments
Full Proposal Deadline: Nov. 8, 2016
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
Audience: Educational Institutions, Museums and Other Education Organizations
Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program Accepting Applications for 2017-2018 Fellowship Year
Audience: K-12 STEM Educators
Application Deadline: Nov. 17, 2016, at 8 p.m. EST
2017 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Proposal Deadline: Nov. 30, 2016
Access NASA Data to Analyze Astronaut Radiation Exposure in Space
Audience: Educators and Students, Ages 14 to 18
Entry Deadline: Dec. 3, 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
NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Vascular Tissue Challenge
Audience: All Interested U.S. Citizens, Including Higher Education Educators and Students
Deadline: No Later Than Sept. 30, 2019
Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With the ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Searchable Portals for Federally Sponsored Opportunities for STEM Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Audience: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students and Higher Education Institutions
Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educator and Student Current Opportunity pages on NASA’s website:
— Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html
NEW THIS WEEK!
Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.
Teachers Connect: NASA Langley Centennial Badge Webinar
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8
Event Date: Oct. 20, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. EDT
As part of its 100th Anniversary celebration, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia has developed three digital badges geared to middle school learning standards. The badges are intended to make real-world connections to the classroom as a way to teach STEM content through the NASA context. This webinar highlights Earth Right Now teacher and student digital badges that focus on the role of clouds and cloud types in Earth’s energy budget. This webinar will walk through the NASA Educator Professional Development Collaborative digital badge site and introduce the teacher professional development badge as well as digital or printable ways to implement the activities in the classroom. The webinar also will preview the Journey to Mars and Aeronautics digital badges. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/205370
NASA Weathering the Storm — Earth Right Now: Weather to Fly By
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Oct. 24, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will learn about basic meteorological concepts and how weather conditions and weather phenomena occur. There will be hands-on, standards-aligned mathematics, science and engineering activities about density, mass, fluid dynamics and weather. Real-world connections with NASA and airplanes doing weather research will be discussed as the session highlights a partnership between NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and NOAA with the Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology, or SHOUT, mission. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196774
NASA Weathering the Storm — Earth Right Now: Building for Hurricanes Engineering Design Challenge
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: Oct. 25, 2016, at 5 p.m. EDT
Whether you live in an area prone to hurricanes or not, you’ve seen images of the destruction caused by such storms. Data from satellites like the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission has vastly improved our ability to forecast the track of storms and to know when a storm will intensify. In this challenge, students take on the role of a builder by designing a building that can withstand a simulated hurricane. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/199048
NASA Weathering the Storm — Earth Right Now: Meteorology Educator Guide
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-9
Event Date: Oct. 26, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to Meteorology: An Educator’s Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. Discussion will focus on the hands-on activities and low-cost equipment builds included in the guide. This webinar addresses Next Generation Science Standards MS-ESS2.D and HS-ESS2.D. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/199129
NASA Weathering the Storm — Earth Right Now: NASA Weather Resources
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Oct. 27, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
Rain, snow and other forms of precipitation affect every part of life on Earth. NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission and the MY NASA Data website provide students and educators with resources to learn about Earth’s water cycle, weather, and climate, and the technology and societal applications of studying them. Discover classroom activities from these great resources. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/204907
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.
Free Webinar — Federal Resources for P-12 Educators Webinar
Audience: P-12 Educators
Reservation Deadline: Oct. 26, 2016, 8 p.m. EDT
Event Date: Nov. 1, 2016, 8 p.m. EDT
The U.S. Department of Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Smithsonian Science Education Center are presenting the inaugural Committee on STEM Education’s “Federal Resources for P-12 Educators Webinar” on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. The webinar will discuss professional development opportunities as well as tools and resources educators may use in the classroom. Participants will learn about concrete ways to connect content being taught to careers and current scientific exploration.
To register for this event, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/51347856501675333. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing more information about joining the webinar.
Please direct questions about the webinar to Moritz, Melissa Melissa.Moritz@ed.gov.
National Science Foundation’s East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for its East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes, or EAPSI, Fellowship Program. This program provides U.S. graduate students in science, engineering and education with an opportunity to spend eight weeks during the summer conducting research at one of seven host locations in East Asia and the Pacific. Host locations are Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan. The program is a collaboration between NSF and counterpart agencies in each host location.
EAPSI is open to graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and are enrolled in a research-oriented master’s or doctoral program in science or engineering. Applicants must propose a research project in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field supported by NSF. Applicants identify and contact host researchers on their own prior to submitting their EAPSI proposals. Lists of prospective host institutions are available at the opportunity website.
NSF provides EAPSI Fellows with a $5,000 stipend and roundtrip airplane ticket to the host location. The program’s foreign counterparts provide in-country living expenses and accommodations. (Arrangements vary by host location.)
The application submission deadline for summer 2017 is Nov. 10, 2016.
For additional information about the program, including location-specific handbooks, a How to Apply guide, and helpful tips for applicants, visit www.nsf.gov/eapsi.
Questions about this fellowship opportunity should be directed to eapsi@nsf.gov.
NASA’s Langley Research Center Centennial Student Art Contest
Calling all artists, grades K-12!
On July 17, 2017, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, will turn 100 years old! To celebrate, Langley invites you to take part in its Centennial Art Contest. The theme for this year’s contest is “A Storied Legacy, A Soaring Future.”
The contest is open to all children in grades K-12 who are attending public, private, parochial and homeschools in the United States. Artwork entries may consist of drawings, paintings, mixed media and digital creations.
A grand prize winner will be chosen from all contest entries. A first place winner will be chosen from each grade level, as well as second place, third place and honorable mention. Each entry will receive a certificate of participation.
The art contest submission period begins Nov. 1, 2016, and concludes on Dec. 31, 2016, at midnight EST.
For more information, visit https://artcontest.larc.nasa.gov/.
Please direct questions about this contest to Kristina Cors at larc-art-contest@mail.nasa.gov.
NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Cube Quest Challenge
Registration is open for NASA’s Cube Quest Challenge, which advances communication and propulsion technologies for CubeSats. Competitors have a shot at a share of $5 million in prize money and an opportunity to participate in space exploration and technology development. Participants can compete for a chance at flying their very own CubeSat to the moon and beyond as secondary payload on the first integrated flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, or SLS. Or the competitors can launch their satellite using an independent launch provider.
Challenge objectives include designing, building and launching flight-qualified, small satellites capable of advanced operations near and beyond the moon. The challenge and prize purse are divided into three major areas:
— Ground Tournaments: $500,000 in the four qualifying ground tournaments to determine who will have the ability to fly on the first SLS flight
— Deep Space Derby: $1.5-million purse for demonstrating communication and CubeSat durability at a distance greater than almost 2.5 million miles (4,000,000 km), 10 times the distance from Earth to the moon
— Lunar Derby: $3-million purse for demonstrating the ability to place a CubeSat in a stable lunar orbit and demonstrate communication and durability near the moon.
The Cube Quest Challenge seeks to develop and test subsystems necessary to perform deep space exploration using small spacecraft. Advancements in small spacecraft capabilities will provide benefits to future missions and also may enable new mission scenarios, including future investigations of near-Earth asteroids.
All teams may compete in any one of the four ground tournaments, or GT. Submissions for the final tournament, GT-4, are due Feb. 3, 2017. Teams that rate high on mission safety and probability of success will receive incremental awards. Participation in GT-4 is required to earn a secondary payload spot on SLS.
Teams must register at least 30 days prior to the ground tournament in which they plan to participate. Check the Cube Quest Challenge website for updates.
The Lunar Derby focuses primarily on propulsion for small spacecraft and near-Earth communications, while the Deep Space Derby focuses on finding innovative solutions to deep space communications using small spacecraft. Together, these competitions will contribute to opening deep space exploration to nongovernment spacecraft.
For more information on the Cube Quest Challenge, visit http://www.nasa.gov/cubequest.
To learn more about NASA’s challenges and citizen science efforts, visit http://www.nasa.gov/solve.
Please direct any questions about the Cube Quest Challenge to James Cockrell at james.j.cockrell@nasa.gov.
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
Sign Up for NASA Education ‘Science WOW!’ Weekly Email Newsletter
Are you a science educator or interested in science education? Sign up for the NASA Education “Science WOW!” newsletter. Receive an email with NASA’s latest science education offerings delivered “Weekly on Wednesdays.”
Science starts with a question, and so does “Science WOW!” Each week’s message kicks off with a science question and a link to where you can find the answer. “Science WOW!” also highlights an awesome science education tool each week. These featured resources will include NASA apps, interactive games, 3-D printing templates and more!
Plus, “Science WOW!” delivers — right to your inbox — the latest science education opportunities offered by NASA. It’s a simple way to keep up with the latest professional development webinars, student contests, workshops, lectures and other activities.
To register your email address and be added to the list, visit https://www.nasa.gov/education/sciencewow/.
2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.
Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.
Next Lecture in the Series:
Asteroid Anchors, Rock-Climbing Robots, Gecko Grippers and Other Ways to Stick in Space
Event Date: Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=10
The ability to rove the surface of Mars has revolutionized space missions. With more advanced mobility, new targets such as cliff faces, cave ceilings, and the surfaces of asteroids and comets could be explored. Join Dr. Aaron Parness from the Extreme Environment Robotics group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a discussion about the work being done at JPL’s Robotics Rapid Prototyping Lab.
For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.
Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.
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.
Seven Minutes of Terror: The Engineering Behind Landing on Other Planets
Oct. 26, 2016, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT
Rocket thrusters, giant airbags and a sky crane: These are just a few ways we have landed on other planets. Join the webcast to explore the engineering behind these different techniques and what is in store for future missions.
Scientist or Guinea Pig: Science on the Station
Nov. 16, 2016, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST
Do you like being poked, prodded and analyzed? If you said yes, then you may have a future as an astronaut. Astronauts on the International Space Station don’t just conduct scientific experiments — they are part of an experiment themselves. Learning about the human factors of spaceflight is an important element to a future trip to Mars. Join the webcast to explore the effects of space on the humans who travel there.
The Wright Stuff: Flying the Wright Flyer
Dec. 14, 2016, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. EST
The birth of aeronautical engineering began in the Wright brothers’ bike shop in Dayton, Ohio. The family tree of airplanes can be traced back to the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer. The principles of flight that got the Wrights into the air are the same today. Join the webcast to investigate the principles of flight and how the Wright Flyer made it into the air and then into the history books.
“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.
ROSES-16 Amendment 33: New Program Element — Interdisciplinary Science for Eclipse 2017
Audience: Informal and Higher Education Institutions
Step-1 Proposal Deadline: Oct. 27, 2016
A total solar eclipse is widely regarded as one of the most incredible natural phenomenon visible from Earth. On Aug. 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will traverse the continental U.S. from Oregon to South Carolina. For approximately 90 minutes, city after city along the centerline will experience two to nearly three minutes of darkness during daytime as totality moves from west to east. While the path of totality will cover a swath only 60 miles wide, the contiguous U.S. States will see at least 65% of the sun disappear behind the moon during its progression of phases. A large fraction of the population in North America is expected to witness this natural event (http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/).
The purpose of this program element is to support development of new research or enhancement of existing research, applied to the 2017 eclipse. NASA is seeking proposals that would use the special opportunity presented by the solar eclipse to study the sun, Earth, the moon, astronomy, and/or space science, including the ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere system. Building on existing partnerships and the use of interdisciplinary or citizen science approaches is encouraged. Citizen science involves public contributions to science, including formulating research questions, conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, and/or developing new/existing technologies and applications. Citizen science is distinguished from public outreach in that the primary purpose of public involvement is to make contributions to science. All proposals must demonstrate links to the 2017 solar eclipse.
Step-1 proposals are due by Oct. 27, 2016.
Step-2 proposals are due by Nov. 30, 2016.
For more information, visit http://go.nasa.gov/2cZzz8T .
Please direct questions concerning this program element to Madhulika Guhathakurta at madhulika.guhathakurta@nasa.gov.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Spring 2017 Policy Internship Program
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking students for spring 2017 internships. The OSTP advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The office serves as a source of scientific and technological analyses and judgment for the president with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the federal government.
Policy internships are open to interested students from all majors and programs, including law school programs. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who are enrolled, at least half-time, in an accredited college or university during the period of volunteer service. Students in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in all fields are encouraged to apply.
While these positions are without compensation, the assignments provide educational enrichment, practical work experience and networking opportunities with other individuals in the science and technology policy arena.
Applications for spring 2017 internships are due Oct. 28, 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/about/student.
If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Rebecca Grimm at rgrimm@ostp.eop.gov.
Virginia Earth System Science Scholars Program
The Virginia Earth System Science Scholars, or VESSS, program is an interactive online science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning experience for Virginia high school juniors and seniors. The program will select 175 high school juniors and seniors statewide to participate in the inaugural offering of the online course from December 2016 through April 2017. Three dual-enrollment college credits will be offered through Thomas Nelson Community College with costs underwritten by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.
About 90 students who perform well in the online course will be selected to attend one of two one-week residential summer academies at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. At the academy, students will work with mentors to apply course content and NASA data to real-world applications. It is anticipated that one additional college credit will be offered for successful completion of the academy.
VESSS partners include the Hampton University Center for Atmospheric Research and Education, NASA’s Langley Research Center, and Thomas Nelson Community College.
Applications are due Oct. 30, 2016.
For more information and to complete the online application for the 2016-2017 course, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/VESSS/.
Please email any questions about this program to Joyce Corriere at jcorrier@odu.edu.
Postdoctoral Fellowships in Space Biology to Study the Microbiome of the International Space Station as a Built Environment
NASA is seeking proposals from potential postdoctoral fellows to conduct studies to characterize microbial populations isolated from the International Space Station. Selected studies will provide insight into how microbes and microbial populations adapt to spaceflight. Proposed experiments will use microbial isolates collected from the space station that have been archived at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Proposals will be accepted from graduate students in their final year of their Ph.D. or equivalent degree program; from postdoctoral fellows (Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution); or from applicants who received a doctoral degree within the past two years but have not yet had postdoctoral training. Applicants must have no more than four years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the initial or the subsequent resubmission or revision application. The program is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or persons with pre-existing visas obtained through their sponsoring institutions that permit postdoctoral training for the project’s duration. Sponsoring institutions must be U.S. academic, government or commercial institutions that will provide appropriate mentors.
Interested applicants must submit a required notice of intent no later than Oct. 31, 2016.
For more information, visit http://go.nasa.gov/2eup7bg.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to Dr. David Tomko at dtomko@nasa.gov.
Host a Real-Time Conversation With Astronauts Aboard the International Space Station
ARISS-US is now accepting proposals from U.S. schools, museums, science centers and community youth organizations (working individually or together) to host an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, radio contact with an orbiting space station crew member between July 1 – Dec. 31, 2017. Proposals are due Nov. 1, 2016.
ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Students can learn about satellite communications, wireless technology, science research conducted on the space station, what it is like to work in space, radio science, and any related STEM subject. Students learn to use amateur radio to talk directly to an astronaut and ask their STEM-related questions. ARISS will help educational organizations locate amateur radio groups who can assist with equipment for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students. Exact dates for the 10-minute radio contact are determined by crew scheduling and space station orbits.
For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, visit http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact.
ARISS-US is offered through a partnership between NASA; the American Radio Relay League, or ARRL; and the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, or AMSAT. ARISS was created and is managed by an international working group.
Please email questions about this opportunity to ariss@arrl.org.
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.
National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program
The National Science Foundation is accepting proposals for the Advancing Informal STEM Learning, or AISL, program. This program seeks to advance new approaches to evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning opportunities for the public in informal environments; to provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; and to advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments.
Proposals are due Nov. 8, 2016.
For additional information about the program, including anticipated awards, visit http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15593/nsf15593.htm.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to DRLAISL@NSF.gov.
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.
Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program Accepting Applications for 2017-2018 Fellowship Year
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to serve in the national education arena. Fellows spend 11 months working in a federal agency or U.S. congressional office to bring their extensive classroom knowledge and experience to efforts related to STEM education programs and policy.
To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens who are currently employed full time in a U.S. public or private elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching full time in a public or private elementary or secondary school for at least five of the last seven years in a STEM discipline.
Current sponsoring agencies included NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. The DOE sponsors up to four placements in U.S. congressional offices.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program is managed by the DOE Office of Science through its Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and partnering federal agencies.
Program applications are due Nov. 17, 2016, at 8 p.m. EST and must be submitted through an online application system.
Additional information about the program, including eligibility requirements, program benefits, application requirements and access to the online application system, may be found at http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/.
Please direct inquiries about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program to sc.einstein@science.doe.gov.
2017 BIG Idea Challenge
NASA’s Game Changing Development Program and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2017 Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing Idea Challenge. The BIG Idea Challenge invites teams and their faculty advisors to work together to design and analyze potential modular concepts and systems that provide the ability to construct large solar electric propulsion, or SEP, tugs in space that can transfer payloads for low Earth orbit to a lunar distant retrograde orbit. Concepts can employ new approaches for packaging modules in one or more launch vehicles that minimize launch loads; modular (distributed) solar arrays and ion engines; and robust robotic assembly (joining) of the modules that form the SEP tug.
Interested teams of three to five undergraduate and/or graduate students will submit proposals (eight to10 pages) describing their BIG Idea. Based on a review of the proposals, four teams will be selected to submit full technical papers and present their concepts to a panel of NASA judges at the 2017 BIG Idea Forum at NASA’s Langley Research Center on Feb. 15 and 16, 2017, in Hampton, Virginia.
The final four qualifying teams will receive a $6,000 stipend to facilitate participation in the BIG Idea Forum. The winning team will receive offers to participate in paid internships with the Game Changing Development team at Langley Research Center where they can work toward further developing their concept under the mentorship of NASA experts.
Proposals are due Nov. 30, 2016.
For full competition details, including design constraints and submission guidelines, please visit http://BigIdea.nianet.org.
If you have any questions about the competition, please contact BigIdea@nianet.org.
Access NASA Data to Analyze Astronaut Radiation Exposure in Space
Imagine what it would be like to live in space. What kind of shelter would you live in? What kind of protection would you have from the elements? How long could you stay there?
On Earth, humans are protected from radiation by the atmosphere and Earth’s magnetic field. Astronauts on the space station are above the atmosphere and receive a higher dose of radiation than when they are on the ground. The harmful effects of radiation that come from the sun and other sources outside the solar system pose danger to humans living and working in space.
Radiation is one of the top concerns for humans living in deep space for long durations. A NASA group called RadWorks is using radiation detectors the size of USB thumb drives to collect data inside the International Space Station. Together with the University of Houston and the Institute for Research in Schools, RadWorks is sharing the data with high school students who are helping to analyze the radiation that astronaut Tim Peake is exposed to during his time aboard the International Space Station.
NASA is making this same data available to teachers and students through the TimPix project administered by the Institute for Research in Schools, with funding from the European Space Agency and the United Kingdom Space Agency. During European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s time aboard the station, data is taken many times a minute while in orbit. A variety of data sets are currently available, and others are being added as the mission progresses. Aimed at high school physics classes, the TimPix project allows students ages 14-18 to access and analyze radiation data during Peake’s mission. They are able to take part in authentic research occurring aboard the station. What type of radiation is present? What impact do different altitudes or locations around the world have on the number and types of particles detected? What happens during a solar flare? Join us in helping NASA answer these questions!
For more information about NASA’s Radworks project, visit http://techport.nasa.gov/view/10581.
For more information or to register for the TimPix project, email timpix@researchinschools.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 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.
NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Vascular Tissue Challenge
NASA, in partnership with the nonprofit Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, is seeking ways to advance the field of bioengineering through a new prize competition. The Vascular Tissue Challenge offers a $500,000 prize to be divided among the first three teams that successfully create thick, metabolically functional, human vascularized organ tissue in a controlled laboratory environment.
Competitors must produce vascularized tissue that is more than .39 inches (1 centimeter) in thickness and maintains more than 85 percent survival of the required cells throughout a 30-day trial period. To win an award, teams must demonstrate three successful trials with at least a 75 percent success rate. In addition to the laboratory trials, teams must submit a proposal that details how they would further advance some aspect of their research through a microgravity experiment that could be conducted in the U.S. National Laboratory on the International Space Station.
The first registered team(s) to meet the required guidelines and complete their trials by Sept. 30, 2019, will win the awards.
The Vascular Tissue Challenge prize purse is provided by NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program, part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Centennial Challenges, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is NASA’s citizen-inventor prize program. It invites the nation to help advance the technologies that will enable us to go to Mars and beyond, as well as improve life on Earth. The New Organ Alliance is administering the competition on behalf of NASA. The alliance is a nonprofit organization focused on regenerative medicine research and development to benefit human disease research and tissue engineering.
For information about the Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, official challenge documents, rules and schedule of events, visit https://neworgan.org/vtc-prize.php.
For more information about the Vascular Tissue Challenge, visit http://www.nasa.gov/vtchallenge.
Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With the ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Want to be a citizen Earth scientist? To contribute to NASA’s studies of our home planet, all you need is a smartphone, access to the outdoors, and the “GLOBE Observer” app.
Now available for Apple and Android phones, the app is an initiative of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. For over two decades, GLOBE has enabled schools and students in over 110 countries to investigate their local environment and put their observations in a global context.
To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-opportunity and http://observer.globe.gov.
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/.
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/.
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/
