NASA Education Express Message — Sept. 8, 2016
New This Week!
Take ‘STEM on Station’ Back to School With You
Audience: K-12 Educators
Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Sept. 8, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Free Educator Workshop — Introduction to NASA Resources for Informal Educators
Audience: Informal Educators
Event Dates: Sept. 13, 2016, 10 a.m. EDT
Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With New ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Initial Release Phase: Aug. 31-Sept. 14, 2016
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Seeking High School Classes for Interactive Event About Game-Changing Technology
Audience: 9-12 Educators
Application Deadline: Sept. 16, 2016
Event Date: Oct. 19, 2016, at Noon EDT
Host a Real-Time Conversation With Astronauts Aboard the International Space Station
Audience: All Educators
Next Optional Informational Session: Sept. 20, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
Proposal Deadline: Nov. 1, 2016
NASA Unveils New Public Web Portal for Research Results
Audience: All Educators and Students
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
Sign Up for NASA Education ‘Science WOW!’ Weekly Email Newsletter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: Sept. 10, 2016
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. EDT
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles and Blankets Available for Educational Use
Audience: Educational Institutions, Museums and Other Education Organizations
2016 NASA Kennedy Space Center Community Day
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 17, 2016, 2-6 p.m. EDT
Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
Audience: Current and Future College Instructors of Astronomy
Next Event Date: Sept. 17, 2016
NASA Swarmathon: Seeking College Teams for Virtual Robotics Competition!
Audience: Higher Education Faculty and Students at Minority Serving Universities and Minority Serving Community Colleges
Application Deadline: Sept. 30, 2016
Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting Applications
Audience: All Educators
Application Period: Sept. 1-30, 2016
2017 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Notice of Intent Deadline: Sept. 30, 2016
Entry Deadline: Nov. 30, 2016
Mars Survival Kit: Lessons and Activities to Guide Your Exploration of Mars!
Audience: K-12 Educators
NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Space Robotics Challenge
Audience: All Interested U.S. Citizens, Including Higher Education Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7, 2016
2017 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students
Notice of Intent Deadline: Oct. 14, 2016
Entry Deadline: Nov. 17, 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
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
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/
Visit NASA Education on the Web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub
NEW THIS WEEK!
Take ‘STEM on Station’ Back to School With You
Looking for ways to bring the space station into your classroom? Visit NASA’s STEM on Station website to learn about the station, the research currently taking place there, and exciting ways to get your students involved. Take a look at the themed “Teacher Toolkits” to find lesson plans and other resources related to a monthly topic. STEM on Station has everything you need, all in one place!
More opportunities and resources await you at this education website focused on the space station. http://www.nasa.gov/education/STEMstation
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.
Seeing Your Students at NASA: So You Want to Be an Astronaut and Other NASA Careers
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Sept. 8, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Working at NASA is not just being an astronaut. Explore the many NASA STEM careers needed to successfully accomplish the unique, exciting missions that explore and build a better understanding of Earth and the universe beyond. NASA career education curriculum and resources will also be integrated into this online learning session. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/197933
Seeing Your Students at NASA: Climate Kids — Dream of a Green Career
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
The Climate Kids website features sections through which participants gain a deeper understanding of climate change issues. The section titles are Learn the Basics, See the Impacts, Think Like a Scientist, Be Part of the Solution and Dream of a Green Career. This NASA education resource includes articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196236
Seeing Your Students at NASA: Wright Brothers-Inspired Lift and Drag Calculations Using Trigonometry
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: Sept. 13, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
Inspired by the Wright brothers and their development of gliders, you can use trigonometry and paper airplanes to produce your own data by using elevation angles, distances and height to calculate the forces of lift and drag for different airplane wing shapes compared to actual NASA airplanes. This session touches on Common Core Math: Geometry and Next Generation Science Standards PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/192830
Lava Layering: Making and Mapping a Volcano
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: Sept. 14, 2016, at 7 p.m. EDT
The focus of this webinar is interpreting geologic history through volcano formation and excavation. Baking soda, vinegar and play dough are used to model fluid lava flows. Various colors of play dough identify different eruption events. Students will (1) Construct a model of a volcano, (2) Produce lava flows, (3) Observe, draw, record, and interpret the history and stratigraphy of a volcano produced by other students, and (4) Draw connections between Earth and Mars by studying volcanic features on each. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196508
Seeing Your Students at NASA: Engineering for Mars — Part 1
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-10
Event Date: Sept. 15, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
In Part 1 of this series, educators will review two classroom activities in which students work in engineering design teams to test various components of a Mars exploration vehicle. This ready-to-go facilitation guide, Gaining Traction, is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and includes a pre-assessment, handouts, rubrics and a post-assessment. In the first two activities of the project, students build batteries and test wheel friction while focusing on the subject areas of engineering, motion and interaction. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/198527
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.
Free Educator Workshop — Introduction to NASA Resources for Informal Educators
NASA has a wealth of resources and information available to the public! Join NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Research Center Office of Education on Sept. 13, 2016, 10 a.m. EDT, for a free educator professional development workshop to explore how to navigate these opportunities and how you might incorporate them into informal learning settings.
To register for this online event, visit https://nvite.jsc.nasa.gov/RSVP/?id=u7h7y.
Please direct questions about this workshop to Amanda Harvey at amanda.c.harvey@nasa.gov.
Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With New ‘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 new “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.
The initial release of the app allows users to collect observations of clouds, which are a critical part of the global climate system. From Aug. 31 – Sept.14, the GLOBE Observer team challenges citizen scientists to collect cloud observations that coincide with the overpass of cloud-observing satellites over their location. Through the GLOBE Observer app, users will be informed about the timing of the satellite overpass at their respective locations. Users can also view daily maps of the satellite’s path by following GLOBE Observer on Facebook or Twitter.
To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-opportunity and http://observer.globe.gov.
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Seeking High School Classes for Interactive Event About Game-Changing Technology
In 2013, life changed drastically for the families of 19 firefighters trapped in an Arizona wildfire. The fire shelters the firefighters were carrying were unable to protect them. That tragedy inspired scientists and engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia to look at how technology developed for inflatable heat shields for spacecraft could be used to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening to others.
Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a special web conference on Oct. 19, 2016 at Noon EDT. During this event, students can learn personally from the scientists, engineers and representatives of the National Forestry Service about how they will use this technology to save lives. The DLN is currently accepting requests for high school classes to participate live during the webcast.
To be considered for this opportunity, please send an email to dlinfochannel@gmail.com. Use “CHIEFS Webcast” in the message’s Subject line and include the following information in the email message:
Point of Contact (POC) Name
School Name
POC Email
POC Phone Number
Grade Level of Students Who Will Participate
Approximate Number of Students Who Will Participate
To be considered, requests to participate must be received by Sept. 16, 2016.
Please direct questions about this event to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.
For more information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.
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.
Informational Sessions
To help organizations learn about ARISS radio contacts and the proposal process, ARISS offers one-hour online information sessions; all questions are welcomed. Attending an online session is not required but strongly encouraged.
Informational sessions will be offered Sept. 20, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT and Sept. 28, 2016, at 7 p.m. EDT.
Advance registration is necessary. Email ARISS (ariss@arrl.org) to sign up for an information session.
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 Unveils New Public Web Portal for Research Results
With the launch of a new agency public access portal, public access to NASA-funded research data now is just a click away. PubSpace is a repository of original science journal articles produced by NASA-funded research and available online without a fee.
While the agency always has made access to its research a high priority, the focus now is to make NASA science data more easily obtainable via “one-stop shopping.” This increased public access is intended to accelerate the dissemination of fundamental research results to advance scientific knowledge and help ensure the nation’s future prosperity.
The NASA-Funded Research Results portal was created in response to a 2013 request from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which directed science-funding agencies to develop plans to increase access to the results of federally funded research. NASA’s public access plan was developed in coordination with the science and technology research community across the agency. NASA will continue to consult with the scientific community, academic institutions, publishers and other federal agencies to implement this plan and increase access to research results.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/open/researchaccess.
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!” mailing list. 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/.
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 reservations are required to guarantee admission. 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 a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop follows the tour.
Glenn’s 2016 Tour Schedule
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.
Sept. 17, 2016 — Historic District Tour: Join us on a free tour of Glenn’s newly established historic district. The tour will feature the Zero Gravity Research Facility, a National Historic Landmark that was built in the 1960s and is still used for research today.
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 to 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.
NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
After five years of travel, Juno is in orbit actively exploring the largest planet in our solar system. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a live webcast showcasing what we have learned in the first two months since Juno’s arrival at Jupiter and what we expect to learn throughout the course of this mission. The program will be live from two NASA centers, feature special guests and include questions from the online audience.
The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.
Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NASADLN, or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.
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.
2016 NASA Kennedy Space Center Community Day
NASA is hosting its annual NASA Kennedy Space Center Community Day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Sept. 17, 2016, with free admission from 2-6 p.m. EDT.
The event, targeted for K-12 students and their families, will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, with the theme “Express to Mars.” Educational activities and demonstrations will highlight the future of America’s space program. Community Day will give visitors the opportunity to talk with real-life astronauts and engage in awesome experiments, cool demonstrations, and fun hands-on activities.
For more information, visit https://twitter.com/NASA_KETI and https://www.facebook.com/nasaketi.
Please direct questions about the event to KSC-KETI-program@mail.nasa.gov.
Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.
Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.
Workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies.
Sept. 17, 2016 — Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange
Sept. 24, 2016 — Seattle University in Seattle, Washington
CAE Northwest Regional Teaching Exchange
Sept. 24, 2016 — Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina
CAE Southeast Regional Teaching Exchange
Jan. 4, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching About Exoplanets
Jan. 5, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching in the Flipped Classroom
For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.
Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.
CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.
NASA Swarmathon: Seeking College Teams for Virtual Robotics Competition!
The NASA Swarmathon is now accepting applications for the 2017 NASA Swarmathon Virtual Competition. Selected teams will receive a $500 stipend for their faculty member; training via live webinars, videos and guides; and access to technical forums to post questions and receive answers. The top scoring team will receive a $3,000 prize.
The Swarmathon Virtual Competition will challenge students to develop search algorithms for robotic swarms, and these algorithms will be tested by competition organizers in a virtual environment. Winners will be announced at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in April 2017.
Swarmathon participation will (1) improve students’ skills in robotics and computer science and (2) further advance technologies related to future NASA space exploration missions. Faculty members at Minority Serving Universities and Minority Serving Community Colleges are eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30, 2016.
For more information, visit http://nasaswarmathon.com/.
Please direct questions about the NASA Swarmathon Virtual Competition to Info@NASASwarmathon.com.
Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting Applications
The NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassadors Program, a nationwide network of space enthusiast volunteers, will be accepting applications from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, 2016.
Highly motivated individuals will be given the opportunity to represent NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as volunteer SSAs to the public for a one-year, renewable term beginning Jan. 1, 2017.
While applications are being sought nationwide, interested parties from the following areas are especially encouraged to apply: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. SSA hopes to add 100 new volunteers to the program in 2017.
To learn more about the SSA Program and to apply online, visit https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ssa/home.cfm. The Announcement of Opportunity and application form will be available on Sept. 1.
If you have questions about this opportunity, contact Kay Ferrari, SSA coordinator, by email at ambassad@jpl.nasa.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.
Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Sept 30, 2016, and teams must submit proposals by 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.
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.
NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Space Robotics Challenge
NASA, in partnership with Space Center Houston and NineSigma, has opened registration for a new competition — the Space Robotics Challenge. This event seeks to develop the capabilities of humanoid robots to help astronauts on the journey to Mars.
The Space Robotics Challenge is a $1 million prize competition designed to push the boundaries of robotic dexterity. Teams must program a virtual robot, modeled after NASA’s Robonaut 5, or R5 robot, to complete a series of tasks in a simulation that includes periods of latency to represent communications delay from Earth to Mars.
The competition will be held in a virtual environment. Each team’s R5 will be challenged with resolving the aftermath of a dust storm that has damaged a Martian habitat. This involves three objectives: aligning a communications dish, repairing a solar array and fixing a habitat leak.
Registration for the Space Robotics Challenge closes at 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7, 2016. A qualifying round will run from mid-September to mid-November. Finalists of that round will be announced in December and will engage in open practice from January to early June 2017. The final virtual competition will be held in June 2017, and winners will be announced at the end of June at Space Center Houston.
For more information about the Space Robotics Challenge, visit http://www.nasa.gov/spacebot.
Please direct questions about this competition to info@spaceroboticschallenge.com.
2017 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2017 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge. This new special edition challenge for 2017 is taking place in celebration of the 100th anniversary of NASA’s Langley Research Center! This design competition is aimed at university-level engineering students and is one of several NASA RASC-AL competitions.
The Mars Ice Challenge requires participants to build a prototype ice drilling system. Teams will compete to extract the most water from simulated Martian subsurface ice at NASA Langley in a three-day competition during summer 2017. During this competition, each participating team will receive a simulated subsurface ice test station composed of solid blocks of ice. The blocks will be in an ice container with a layer of overburden (dirt, rocks, etc.) on top. After drilling through the overburden into the ice, teams must devise innovative solutions to deliver clean water from the ice to an external storage tank (filtering out sediments).
Up to four members of the team (plus the faculty advisor) may travel to NASA Langley for the onsite testing. The drilling and water extraction systems must operate autonomously or via teleoperation, and they are subject to mass, volume and power constraints.
After completion of the test and validation portion of the project, teams will present their drilling concepts to a design review panel composed of NASA judges. Presentations will be based on the team’s technical paper that details the drill concept’s path-to-flight (how the design can be applied to actual drilling on Mars).
Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Oct. 14, 2016, and teams must submit a project plan for their proposed system by Nov. 17, 2016.
A Steering Committee of NASA experts will evaluate the project plans and select up to eight teams to compete against each other at NASA’s Langley Research Center in summer 2017. Each of the selected teams will receive a $10,000 stipend to develop their drilling and water extraction system.
The RASCAL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering, science or related disciplines at an accredited university in the United States. University design teams must include (a) one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and (b) two or more undergraduate or graduate students. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.
For more information about this competition, visit http://rascal.nianet.org/mars-ice-challenge.
If you have questions about this competition, please contact the RASC-AL team at rascal@nianet.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.
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/.
