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. The programs plans 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. Contact your advisor if you need assistance identifying a mentor.
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.
The Fellowship Meetings with the Coach are required. There will be three times to choose from each month and these dates will be announced as soon as possible so students can plan accordingly.
Anticipated Timeline: FY21
Applications Due - Oct 19, 2021
Notifications Sent - Oct 27, 2021
Acceptance & Onboarding - Nov 5, 2021
Nov 2021 - Fellowship Meeting 1: Meet & greet with Fellowship Coach (3 meeting times to choose from)
Dec 7, 2021 - Submit Progress Report 1 in InfoReady
Dec 10, 2021 - Payment 1 if all above is complete
Dec 2021 - Fellowship Meeting 2: Discuss progress with group and Fellowship Coach (3 meeting times to choose from)
Jan 2022 - Fellowship Meeting 3: Discuss progress with group and commit to an innovative final product (3 meeting times to choose from)
Jan 31, 2022 - Payment 2 if all above is complete
Feb 2022 - Fellowship Meeting 4: Present final project to group and Fellowship Coach and discuss next steps (3 meeting times to choose from)
Feb 28, 2022 - Submit Final Project to NASA Office via Google Drive folder
Mar 7, 2022 - Payment 3 if all above is complete (final payment)
Summer - 2022 Exit Interviews with Evaluator
Ongoing - Longitudinal Tracking Surveys through Undergraduate Education and to Next Step
Eligibility
Fellowships are limited to U.S. Citizens. This funding is not intended for students who have not yet graduated high school. Underrepresented minorities and women are strongly encouraged to apply. This fellowship program is available to full- and part-time freshman and sophomore students attending one of the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Academic Affiliates (list below).
Chadron State College
College of St. Mary
Creighton University
Hastings College
Metropolitan Community College
Nebraska Indian Community College
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska at Kearney
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Western Nebraska Community College
Are These Fellowships Renewable?
These fellowships are not renewable. However, students who successfully complete these fellowships are encouraged to apply for the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Fellowships in May of each year.
Application Submission
Complete the application form through the NASA Nebraska Space Grant InfoReady Review Portal: https://nespacegrant.infoready4.com/
The application calls for “Proposal Title”. It is important to follow the naming convention for this competition. The Proposal Title will be: SG Intro to NASA Fellowship FY21 Institution Last Name (example: SG Intro to NASA Fellowship FY21 UNO Smith). Applications not following this naming convention will not be reviewed.
The student is responsible for ensuring the application is complete and submitted on time. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Questions
The NASA Nebraska Space Grant staff members are available to answer questions about the application process. Please contact us at:
Phone: (402) 554-3772
Email: Nasa.Nebraska@unomaha.edu
More details at: https://nespacegrant.infoready4.com