Space Grant Opportunities
Whether you're in kindergarten, graduate school, or simply a lover of science, Space Grant and NASA have opportunities for you.
Undergraduate and Graduate
NHSGC Affiliate Programs
UNH Space Grant Fellowships
2023 Summer/ Fall award deadline:
March 15, 2023
The New Hampshire Space Grant Consortium typically awards two fellowships per semester for research-based graduate study in NASA-related disciplines at the University of New Hampshire. NASA-related disciplines cover a broad spectrum of fields, including (but not exclusively): physics, space physics, astrophysics, science education, computer science, engineering, Earth science, and life sciences which utilize space technology and/or adopt a “planetary” view of the global environment.
MSDC Internships
Each year the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center seeks undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM fields) to work as interns on STEM-based curricula and to serve as lead teachers in summer day camps. Applicants must be currently enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students majoring in a STEM field; at least three months’ experience in teaching and/or working with children is preferred. The ideal candidates will be self-starters with strong leadership and social skills, who enjoy working with children and who can positively challenge and encourage children to learn and explore. Due to federal funding for this program, applicants must be U.S. citizens.
CCSNH Scholarships
The NASA Space Grant Scholarship is available to part- or full-time students enrolled in a STEM certificate or degree program at any CCSNH college. Eligible students must be US Citizens and have a minimum 2.5 GPA. NASA values diversity and strongly encourages underrepresented and nontraditional students to apply. The fall award cycle opens on March 20, 2023.
NASA Programs
NASA Internships
NASA STEM Engagement is a NASA-wide system for recruitment, application, selection and career development of undergraduate and graduate students primarily in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Opportunities for students in other disciplines are available.
Spring 2024 session application deadline:
August 31, 2023
Summer 2024 session application deadline:
October 20, 2023
Competition Announcement: Unique NASA Opportunity to Design, Build, and Launch High-Power Rockets
Informational videocon: Sept. 18, 2023, 7-8pm CST
The Minnesota Space Grant Consortium, working with the Tripoli MN HighPower Rocketry Club, hereby announces the 2023-2024 Space Grant Midwest High-Power Rocketry Competition. The fly-off will be held in Minnesota, but this competition is open to college/university student teams from across the nation during the 2023-2024 academic year. This competition is an opportunity for students to design and construct high-power rockets, to be launched in May 2024 from a Tripoli high-power rocket club launch site just north of Minneapolis.
No previous experience in high-power rocketry is necessary to compete! Up to 30 college/university teams, sponsored by their state’s Space Grants, will be accepted into this competition. Interested teams from any state, not just those in the Space Grant Great (Lakes) Midwest Region, are required to garner local Space Grant “sponsorship” (this might or might not involve financial support, depending on the state) then submit a non-binding “Notice of Intent to Compete” to the MnSGC by October 1, 2023, in which they list the team’s student members and student certification levels (if any), team name, and a committed faculty adviser. (Note – institutions not planning to form a team until spring 2024 still should also submit a Notice of Intent to Compete by Oct. 1, 2023, naming a faculty adviser (so that we know who to send updates to.)) Teams are also required to consult with a non-student mentor who has high-power rocketry experience and is Level 2 certified (or higher). Competition organizers can help teams find a certified high-power rocketry mentor, if need be.
Contact James Flaten, MnSGC DirectorRockSat
Intent to Fly deadline: September 21, 2023
Registration opens November, 2023
Welcome to the RockOn and RockSat programs. These hands-on programs connect higher education students from across the United States with opportunities to fly their experiments into space on NASA Wallops Flight Facility sounding rockets. RockOn and RockSat started in 2008 and have provided thousands of students and faculty with real-world flight experiences and experimentation. Most students get started with RockOn but it is not required.
- RockOn! - Build your first sounding rocket experiment
- RockSat-C - The next step in becoming a Rocket Scientist
- RockSat-X - Advanced Student Flight Opportunity
- GHOST - Grant cHallenge MesOsphere Student rockeT
2023 Program Deadlines:
- RockSat-X & RockSat-C - Currently accepting applications for 2024!
- RockOn - The 2024 RockOn application will open in November 2024
- GHOST - Application delayed until March 2024
Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL):
Call for proposals
Notice of Intent due: October 11, 2023
2024 RASC-AL COMPETITION THEMES:
- Long Duration Mars Simulation at the Moon: Develop an architecture for a long duration simulation of a human mission to Mars conducted at the Moon.
- Sustained Lunar Evolution: Develop an architecture for evolving human presence on the Moon to expand available services and commodities.
- AI-Powered Self-Replicating Probes – an Evolutionary Approach: Develop a concept for an autonomous spacecraft that enhances itself via resources it gathers as it visits multiple low gravity bodies in the solar system.
- Large Scale Lunar Crater Prospector: Develop a concept for a prospecting rover that can operate for long durations in craters at the lunar south pole.
Gateways to Blue Skies Competition 2024 theme:
Advancing Aviation for Natural Disasters
Notice of Intent due: October 16, 2023
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of many natural disasters, NASA Aeronautics asks collegiate teams to conceptualize aviation-related system(s) that can be onboarded to improve aerial disaster management efforts immediately and into the next ~10 years. [More]
Based on a review of proposal and video submissions, up to 8 finalist teams will be selected to receive an $8,000 stipend to develop a final technical paper, an infographic, and to present at the 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition Forum at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA, May 30-31, 2024. As the competition prize, NASA is offering 6 internship opportunities within its Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate!
Submissions from ANY and ALL academic levels (i.e., freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate) and majors are highly encouraged and anticipated from any accredited U.S.-based college or university, including Minority-Serving Institutions.
Submit an NOIUniversity Student Research Challenge Cycle 2 is OPEN
Proposal deadline for this cycle: November 9, 2023
Amendment 5 to the NASA ARMD Research Opportunities in Aeronautics (ROA) 2023 NRA has been posted on the NSPIRES web site.
University Student Research Challenge seeks to challenge students to propose new ideas/concepts that are relevant to NASA Aeronautics. USRC will provide students, from accredited U.S. colleges or universities with grants for their projects and with the challenge of raising cost share funds through a crowdfunding campaign. The process of creating and implementing a crowdfunding campaign acts as a teaching accelerator - requiring students to act like entrepreneurs and raise awareness about their research among the public.
The solicitation goal can be accomplished through project ideas such as advancing the design, developing technology or capabilities in support of aviation, by demonstrating a novel concept, or enabling advancement of aeronautics-related technologies.
Notices of Intent (NOIs) are not required for this solicitation. Three-page proposals for the next USRC cycle are due November 9, 2023. Proposals can also be submitted later and evaluated in the third and fourth cycles.
Proposal siteHuman Lander Challenge (HuLC)
Proposal deacline: March 4, 2024
The 2024 HuLC competition seeks near-term, innovative solutions for Human Landing System (HLS) challenge areas...specifically addressing the mitigation of lunar Plume-Surface Interaction (PSI).
Interested teams have a full year to prepare and submit proposals by the deadline of March 4, 2024. HuLC solicits proposals for innovative, systems-level solutions that can help NASA understand, mitigate, and manage the impacts of lunar PSI - with the ability to be implemented within 3-5 years.
HuLC is open to teams of undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities in the United States. Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) are encouraged to apply. Based on a review of initial proposals received by March 2024, up to 12 teams will be selected to continue developing their proposed concepts. Each finalist team will receive a $7,000 stipend to facilitate full participation in a competitive design review at a Forum in Huntsville, Alabama in June 2024.
Challenge siteSTEM Opportunities for
Higher Education
Ongoing
Find opportunities for college/university students and facult, as well as projects for community colleges, vocational and technical schools. Updated frequently.
Current OpportunitiesFor many more opportunities, please visit NASA's STEM Engagement page
Faculty
NASA NSPIRES
Supporting research in science and technology is an important part of NASA's overall mission. NASA solicits this research through the release of various research announcements in a wide range of science and technology disciplines. NASA uses a peer review process to evaluate and select research proposals submitted in response to these research announcements. Researchers can help NASA achieve national research objectives by submitting research proposals and conducting awarded research.
K-12 and Outreach
NASA Educator Resources for NH
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center serves as New Hampshire's NASA Educator Resource.
UNH Eclipse Information page
Find regularly-updated information about the April 8, 2024 eclipse, including safety, how to observe, what to expect, and more.
NH GRANIT
NH GRANIT provides access to New Hampshire's geospatial data and resources as the NH Statewide GIS Clearinghouse. Their ongoing mission is to promote the efficient use of New Hampshire's diverse resources by utilizing spatial information in an effective way, and by providing geographic information and related tools to citizens and organizations
NASA STEM Education
Explore opportunities, media, lesson plans, citizen science opportunities, and much more!
Mount Washington Observatory: Teacher Development Programs
Mount Washington Observatory is excited to continue our popular Arctic Wednesdays professional development program this winter, introducing teachers and students to the arctic landscape of Mount Washington, often dubbed the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather.” On select Wednesdays between January and March, teachers can apply to join our weather observers on their snowy commute to the Mount Washington Observatory.
Mount Washington Observatory: Virtual Classroom
Connect live via Zoom to the highest peak in the Northeastern US, Mount Washington, New Hampshire, as Weather Observers and Education Specialists at the non-profit Mount Washington Observatory present a virtual program called “Home of the World’s Worst Weather Live.” Geared towards students in grades 6-8.
Mount Washington Observatory: Distance Learning
AN EDUCATIONAL EXPEDITION TO THE HOME OF THE WORLD'S WORST WEATHER
Distance learning utilizes live, interactive video conferencing technology, allowing us to bring the science and excitement of Mount Washington anywhere in the world.
NASA Current Opportunities for Educators
Updated frequently, with hundreds of links to primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational content.
NASA Resources and Links
Citizen Science Opportunities
For a full list, please visit https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience
NASA Globe Cloud Gaze
Would you like to help NASA scientists advance their understanding of Earth’s atmosphere and climate from the comfort of your own home? Become an armchair cloud expert and help NASA scientists along the way.
Cloud GazeBe a Backyard Meteorologist
You can make a real contribution to science -- all you have to do is join the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network—CoCoRaHS. You will join thousands of volunteers across the country who take daily measurements of precipitation (rain, hail, or snow) from their location.
GLOBE Observer
GLOBE Observer is an international network of citizen scientists and scientists working together to learn more about our shared environment and changing climate. GLOBE Observer currently accepts observations of Clouds, Mosquito Habitats, Land Cover and Trees with planned expansion to other types of data in the future.
Selected media
NASA Image of the Day
A daily dose of awe-inspiring space, science, technology, and human-interest imagery, with deeper links to help you understand exactly what you're seeing.
GalleryNASA Live
Tune in and you may see: ISS station views and spacewalks; satellite and mission launches; in-flight-education; historical features; lectures; and space news. There's always something fascinating on!
NASA Podcasts
From longform interviews with astronauts and engineers to narrative shows that take you on a tour of the galaxy, NASA’s diverse podcast portfolio lets you experience the thrill of space exploration without ever leaving Earth.