Technical College Research Award

APPLY HERE: Technical College Research Award Application

All applications will be due by midnight on Monday, January 29, 2024.

Faculty Letters of Recommendation are due Monday, February 5, 2024.

*NASA Media Release form – download here: NASA-AdultMediaReleaseForm 2
Goals of the Program
This Technical College Research Award program is designed to increase the number of 2-year students involved in Science, technology, Engineering and Math as well as enable Technical/Community College students to conduct NASA-related research.
Awards
Research money awarded by the SC Space Grant Consortium will be administered as a stipend through your institution’s Grants and Sponsored Programs Offices. Indirect charges (IDCs) are NOT ALLOWED on any SC Space Grant student awards. The full research stipend amount is $4,000.
Outreach Requirement for ALL student awardees:
We are now requiring that you participate in at least one Outreach/Public Engagement activity event during your award period. SC Space Grant participates in many events each year, and you may join us at any time. Past events include the Charleston STEM festival, Camp Happy Days Summer camp, and the NASA STEM Expo. You may work with our main office or your campus director to locate an event of your choosing. These events will provide you with a great opportunity to share your enthusiasm for NASA and for STEM with the general public.
Please contact the main SC Space Grant office and your SC Space Grant campus director for information regarding upcoming outreach events in your area.
Application Requirements

  • Resume
  • Education Institution with whom you would like to work (for a list check out the List of Member Institutions). You may choose someone from your institution or from one of our member institutions.
  • Current Education Information to include unofficial transcripts
  • 1 letter of recommendation, which MUST be from your faculty member research project mentor who will oversee your project. A post-doc or PhD student is not eligible to submit this letter.
    Faculty Letters of Recommendation (one MUST be from your research advisor) are due Monday, February 5, 2024.
  • Research Idea Proposal (no more than 2 pages-references not included in page count):

    If you are unsure of what exactly you want to do, contact the SC Space Grant office and let us help!

    • General outline of the project
    • Research methods to be used
    • Goals and expected results
    • Project TImeline
    • Relevance to NASA
  • Essay (500 words or less)
    • Why are you applying
    • How will this program help you to advance your research goals

Proposal Formatting Guidelines:
• Must be single-space, in English, use a font of at least 12 point (no more than ~15 characters per inch horizontally and 5.5 lines per inch vertically),
• Must use standard 1” margins on all sides.
• 10 mb file size max for each proposal, must be an unlocked and searchable pdf file.
Assistance in locating research mentors:
Students interested in the Technical College Research Award Program who do not have a research mentor should contact the main office (contact information below). Students should be prepared to provide potential mentors with their resume, college transcripts, and a listing of research interests. Students should also indicate whether they are seeking a mentor for an academic year or summer research award. The South Carolina Space Grant Consortium can not guarantee that a student can be matched to a research mentor or that finding a mentor will result in a successful award proposal.
Eligibility
Students must:

  • Be a citizen of the United States (see U.S. citizenship requirements here)
  • Attend a consortium member institution or educational partner;
  • Have an interest in NASA. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the basic sciences, science education, astronomy, planetary science, environmental studies, and engineering.

Equal Opportunity
Applicants will not be denied consideration on grounds of race, creed, color, age, sex, or handicap. We encourage women and minorities to apply.
Reporting Requirements

  • SC Space Grant Awardees are required to submit a final report of their research and outreach activities at the end of the academic year.
  • SC Space Grant Awardees are required to present their work at a research symposium or conference.
  • If selected to participate in this program you agree to participate in the South Carolina Space Grant Longitudinal Tracking program that is designed to monitor student progress from award through first employment.

Obligation to the Government
While students who receive support through the National Space Grant Program do not incur any formal obligations to the government of the United States, the objectives of the program clearly will be best served if graduates from the program pursue further study or careers in science, technology, engineering, and support areas. *As required by NASA, all awardees will be tracked via email through their first year of employment.