National Aeronautics in Space Administration

By: U.S. Department of Education

Here are the latest updates on NASA opportunities for the Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) community from NASA’s MSI Engagement Team. This update is a service of the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). If you would like to invite your MSI colleagues to receive this newsletter, encourage them to register here.   

Event Name –  Ask NASA – What to Know Before Applying for NASA Grants and Cooperative Agreements

Time – 2:30-4:00 East/1:30-3:00 Central

Date – Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

Attendee Registration Link – Register Here!

Have Questions About Applying for NASA Grants? Does the process seem overwhelming? Don’t miss the virtual discussion about how to apply for NASA grants and cooperative agreements! This session is ideal for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that have not received NASA grant or cooperative agreement awards in the past or would like a refresher on the grants and cooperative agreement rules and tools. Representatives from NASA’s granting and policy community, as well as the Office of STEM Engagement will discuss best practices and considerations in applying for grant and cooperative agreement funding, discuss programs relevant to the MSI community, and answer questions about how to apply for NASA grants. The NASA Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity will also provide a brief overview of their role related to NASA grants and cooperative agreements.

We look forward to your questions and helping you partner with NASA! Please email NASA Grant Policy and Compliance with any questions about this event at hq-dl-grants-policy-compliance@mail.nasa.gov.

Student Opportunities

1. The 2023 RASC-AL Competition is seeking undergraduate and graduate teams to develop new concepts that leverage innovation to improve our ability to operate on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This year’s themes range from supporting lunar operations and tourism at the south and north poles to enabling long-term survival on the surface of Mars. Submit a Notice of Intent (NOI). Proposals are due March 13. 
2. MUREP Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC) is your #SpaceToPitch! Can you turn a creative idea into a real-world application? Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Are you fascinated by NASA technology? Then MITTIC is your #SpaceToPitch! MITTIC is a spinoff challenge to develop new ideas for commercialization open to multi-disciplinary student teams attending MSIs. Teams selected to participate will receive up to $5,000 with the winning team receiving an additional $10,000! Contact HQ-MITTIC@mail.nasa.gov to schedule a personalized info session, exclusively geared to faculty and/or students at your institution. To get started on your NASA MITTIC journey, visit the website. Check out the new enhancements for this year’s MITTIC competition! Spring 2023 proposal deadline is March 15. Teams may use ANY NASA Intellectual Property (IP) from the patent portfolio as the basis for their spinoff concept. A list of 45 suggested technologies can also be found on our website. Prerequisites are not required for training courses to be completed before a team may submit a proposal for the competition.  
3. Become a NASA Partnership Eclipse Ambassador! NASA and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific are inviting undergraduate students to become Eclipse Ambassadors and help prepare their community for a pair of exciting celestial events! Two solar eclipses will cross North America: an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Hundreds of college students across the country will be partnered with amateur astronomers to bring eclipse science, safe viewing techniques, and cultural connections for the eclipses to their communities as trained Eclipse Ambassadors. The project hopes to reach 500 communities across the country, with a particular emphasis on connecting with traditionally underserved audiences. We ask students, of any major, to join us to learn new skills, make connections, and share their enthusiasm about eclipses and science with the public! Click here to learn more! 
4. Dreaming of a career at NASA? Create a USAJOBS account, upload your resume, and set your preferences for notifications of job opportunities open to the public at NASA or other departments of the federal government. Don’t wait until you hear about an opening the day before it closes to get started. Be prepared to jump on those opportunities as soon as they’re posted! Be sure to check out the resources to help you put your best foot forward in the federal application process.  

We hope you enjoyed this week’s update from your NASA MSI Engagement Team. Stay engaged through our trainings and events, invite your STEM faculty and grants and contracts administrators to subscribe to our newsletter, and create or update your capability statement then send it to NASA-MSIExchange@mail.nasa.com to get the ball rolling! We look forward to supporting your success!