Alaska Space Grant Program
Undergraduate Fellowship Program
For students majoring in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field.
Application and Instructions
Proposal Deadline: September 15
Space is not just for Astronauts!
Consortium Membership listed at:
http://spacegrant.alaska.edu
Alaska Space Grant Program Headquarters Office
University of Alaska Fairbanks
207 Duckering Bldg
PO Box 755919
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-5919
Phone: (907) 474-6833
Alaska Space Grant Undergraduate Fellowship Program Summary
The Alaska Space Grant Program (ASGP), a participant in the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, invites applications from U. S. citizens for research fellowship stipends. These stipends are offered to undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields. Preference is given to projects directly related to NASA’s interests. Stipends available under this announcement are limited to students attending Alaska institutions of higher education.
While all qualified students are encouraged to apply, women and individuals from underrepresented groups, specifically, Alaska Natives, Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities are strongly encourage to apply.
Dates | Deadlines
· Application Deadline: September 15
All application materials, including supporting documentation, must be received at the ASGP office by the stated deadline. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a first come first serve basis as long as fellowship funds remain.
· Award Announcement: October 1
Applicants will be notified of award decisions by email. The awards will be made payable to the student directly. Award information will be reported to the appropriate Office of Financial Aid and may affect the student's financial aid package.
Eligibility and U.S. Citizenship Requirement
Fellowships are open to undergraduate students who meet the following eligibility criteria:
· Full-time enrollment at an Alaskan institution of higher education during the period of the award
· Good academic standing
· U.S. Citizen
Funding
Awards are subject to availability of NASA funding.
Review | Selection Process
The ASGP office evaluates the eligibility of all applications received. Qualified applications will be reviewed by the individual institutions that make recommendations for funding to the ASGP Director based on the quality of the applications as reflected in the review criteria. The final award decision will be at the discretion of the ASGP Director. Preference may be given to women and individuals from under-represented groups.
Review Criteria
Applications are ranked based on the following criteria:
· Proposed project scientific and/or engineering merit
· Project relevance to NASA
· Strength of recommendation and support of faculty mentor
· Scholastic achievement
Other Requirements
Award recipients agree to:
· Students will be required to give a presentation of their project at a public forum within two months of the end of their fellowship period. Alaska Space Grant (ASGP) must be notified of the presentation prior to the event.
· Students should plan to present a poster at the annual Alaska Space Grant Symposium. The Symposium is typically in mid to late April. Please contact the ASGP office for location and dates. Travel costs will be provided by ASGP.
· At the end of the stipend period, the student must submit a written report on their project to the ASGP office. A presented poster of their project may be submitted in lieu of a written report. Both the written report and/or poster will be posted on the Alaska Space Grant Program website. The report/poster should include results of the project and a list of any other presentations and papers published. Report/poster must be submitted by May 1 in PDF format.
· Notify ASGP of any changes in mailing address, e-mail address, or telephone number for purposes of progress reports.
· Additional survey/questionnaire documents will be sent periodically to student awardees via email to conduct longitudinal tracking of students supported by ASGP funding. The longitudinal tracking survey/questionnaire in an on-line document and the email message sent to the student will give instruction on how to access it. This will also assist in improving the quality of the Consortium’s Fellowship/Scholarship program.
· Grant permission to release and/or publish requested recipient information to NASA or other appropriate parties.
· Acknowledge Alaska Space Grant Program support in any presentations or publications that the student develops as a result of his/her Space Grant-supported research project. This acknowledgement should state that: "This material is based in part upon work supported by the Alaska Space Grant Program.”
For More Information
Contact Denise Thorsen at or by phone at (907) 474-7052
Undergraduate Fellowship Program
Undergraduate Research Fellowships of up to $5,000 will be awarded through a competitive process. Fellowships are open to new and continuing students to support research projects fostering the vision of NASA by encouraging career goals in STEM disciplines, strengthening the nation’s STEM workforce and engaging Americans in NASA’s mission. Students receiving awards in past competitions may apply and receive awards for subsequent competitions. Women, under-represented minorities and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Students are required to identify a faculty mentor with whom they intend to work and who is available to write a letter of collaboration. The mentor must provide a letter of collaboration agreeing to serve in the capacity of mentor for the duration of the award. Please provide any potential mentors the “Letter to Potential Mentors” available on the Alaska Space Grant website. The letter of collaboration from a faculty mentor must address the items discussed in this letter.
In the letter of collaboration, the mentor must outline his/her expectations of and responsibilities to the student.
Application Procedure
1) Complete all sections of the Application Form
The application is available in an electronic format (MS Word) and can be accessed from the ASGP website at: http://spacegrant.alaska.edu/student.
2) Attach the following supporting documentation to the application
· Project Proposal (three page maximum):
a. Project Synopsis: Include a short synopsis of this project outlining its purpose in terms understandable by the general reader. You should address what “big picture” questions your research is attempting to address and its relevance to NASA and how it aligns with NASA’s strategic goals. Describe what the science/technology investigation will be, what are you planning to accomplish and what the anticipated results are.
b. Project Description: Clearly describe the proposed research project and your plans on developing it. Identify what has already been accomplished and what you expect to accomplish over the award period. Break up your award timeline into smaller manageable task and provide an estimation of how long it will take to complete each task. Identify the milestones or achievements at each step which show the progression of the project. Identify any parts of your project that will need special attention or any special tests that will be used to evaluate you project. Specify your expectations and responsibilities, if you are working in a group identify how your expectations and responsibilities affect the project as a whole. Be clear on what you expect to accomplish during this award period. Lastly, include other information that you believe qualifies you for fellowship consideration.
· Academic Transcript: An unofficial transcript printed from the student account of the college or university website is acceptable. Student must be in good academic standing to qualify for an award.
· Letter of Recommendation from Mentor: Letter from your Mentor who intends to mentor you in completion of your research. This letter should indicate the agreement of the mentor to serve in this capacity for the duration of the award as well as his/her expectations and responsibilities for the research activity you wish to pursue.
· If applying for continuation funds, a report on progress during the current project is required. The report should describe your activities during the current time period and an evaluation of the successful and unsuccessful components of the program. Documentation of any papers, presentations, announcements, new articles, and press releases relating to the existing project should be included in an appendix.
3) Submit ONE compiled pdf file of the completed application packet. Submissions containing more than one file will be returned. If you do not receive a confirmation of submission within 2 business days, please contact the Space Grant office.
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Send the completed pdf file by email to:
Subject line: Undergraduate Fellowship Application
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Alaska Space Grant Program
Application
Undergraduate Fellowship Program
For dates, deadlines, and other relevant forms, refer to http://spacegrant.alaska.edu/student
Name(Last, First, Middle): / female
male / Student ID #
Local Address
Street: / Telephone:
City: / State: / Zip: / cell work home parents
Permanent Address
Street: / Email Address:
City: / State: / Zip: / Date of Birth:
Race (Voluntary, however if selected this information is required for NASA demographic study.)
Asian / White / Alaska Native or American Indian
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander / Black or African American / Do not wish to report
Ethnic Identity / Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino
Disability: I do not have a disability I do not wish to identify my disability status
Hearing Vision Missing Extremities Paralysis Other Impairments
I have a disability, but it is not listed (specify if not listed)
U.S. Citizenship (Required)
Have you served in the United States Military? Yes No / Class Standing: Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior
Expected graduation date (mm/yyyy):
School Attending: Campus: / Academic Major: / GPA:
High School Attended: / If a transfer student School transferred from:
Honors, awards, and other scholarships:
Enrollment Verification (provide contact person for the department of your academic major, i.e. Department Head, Chair or Dean)
Name: Dept:
Phone: Street:
Email: City: State: Zip:
Applicant’s Certification
I certify that all information in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I also authorize release of information as described in the program guidelines. I understand that submitting false information will disqualify me from scholarship consideration.
Signature:______Date: ______
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