This is a new fellowship program from the NASA Nebraska Space Grant.
There are students, especially those from rural areas, underrepresented students, and females, who would be interested in working for NASA and have not yet had an opportunity to be introduced to NASA-related careers and fields of study in a meaningful way. There could be several reasons for this, including lack of mentorship, lack of role models, and students not knowing how to get started.
This pilot program will target freshman and sophomore students attending our academic affiliates across Nebraska. We plan to make 20 awards at $1,500 each. The goal of the awards is to expose students to NASA careers and fields of study who may have always been interested in or passionate about NASA and space, but never knew how to get started.
During the award period, students will identify a faculty mentor, research scientific or technical NASA careers that are of interest to them and determine fields of study that would lead them to be competitive for these careers. In addition to their faculty mentor, the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Fellowship Coach will work with the students in small groups. The Fellowship Coach will help connect them with NASA, answer questions and overcome barriers, and advise them on career paths.
The Fellowship Coach will work with the students to discuss progress and an innovative final product. This outcome could include a vision board, an interview with a NASA professional in one of the fields researched, a podcast, a commercial, a video, or other product that will assist the student in getting to the next step toward this career goal.
Applications are due October 19, 2021. More information is available on our application portal.