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Diane D. DeTroyeDiane D. DeTroyeDirector, Higher Education Division (Acting)Director, Higher Education Division (Acting)

NASA Office of EducationPartnering Strategies for Educating and Motivating

the Next Generation of Aerospace Scientists and Engineers

June 1, 2006

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More Than 20 Years of STEM Education Reports

1983 2006

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NASA programs create an educational pipeline to inspire, motivate and prepare the future STEM

workforce by providing research, andinfrastructure opportunities.

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Clearly Defined and Coordinated Portfolio Approach

Employ

Engage

Educate

Inspire

Elementary/SecondaryEducation

InformalEducation

HigherEducation

Outcome 2: Attract andretain students inSTEM disciplinesthrough a progressionof educationalopportunities forstudents, teachers andfaculty.

Outcome 1: Contribute to thedevelopment of the STEMworkforce in disciplinesneeded to achieve NASA’sstrategic goals, through aportfolio of investments.

Outcome 3: Build strategicpartnerships and linkagesbetween STEM formal andinformal educationproviders that promoteSTEM literacy andawareness of NASA’smission.

Principles/Criteria Relev ance Div ersityNASA

ContentEv aluation Continuity Partnerships/

Sustainability

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LEGEND

NASA Field Centers <11 Locations>

NASA Educator Resource Center Network <69 Locations>

Space Science Support Network <12 Locations>

Space Grant Consortium Network <835 Affiliates>

NASA Explorer Schools <150 Schools>

ARCDFRC

JPL

GRC

GSFCHQ

LaRC

KSCSSCJSC

MSFC

Guam

Outr each: NASA’s Physical Assets

Education Opportunities

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Agency-level Programs• Undergraduate Opportunities • Graduate Opportunities • Post Doc Program• Faculty Research Opportunities• Institutional Infrastructure Programs

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Undergraduate Student Opportunities

http://education.nasa.gov/usrp

Targets Rising Junior and Rising Senior Undergraduates

• Provide hands-on, challenging research experiences tostimulate continued student interest in the disciplinesaligned with NASA’s research mission

• Attract undergraduates with demographic and geographicdiversity

• Encourage and facilitate STEM student interest inprofessional opportunities with NASA and its partnerorganizations

• Extend and strengthen NASA’s commitment to academicand university research

• 8-10 week Summer internships at NASA Centers

Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP)

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• Undergraduate program with emphasis onoutreach to underserved and underrepresentedstudents.

• Supports students, majoring in fields related toNASA’s science and technology interests.

• One-year competitive scholarships to risingfreshmen, sophomores, juniors and transferstudents for up to half the tuition and fees, not toexceed $10,000 per year.

• Internship stipends of $5,000 per year

Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST)

Undergraduate Student Opportunities

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Description: conduct education, research, andpublic service projects through a nationalnetwork of university-based consortia– Mandatory Scholarship Program

• Average 1,800 undergraduate awardsannually

• Average award = $2K– Additional Undergraduate Student Support

• Average $3.0M annually forundergraduate student research,participation in NASA programs (ex:Microgravity U, NASA Academy,Moon Buggy), student satelliteinitiatives

National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

www.nasa.gov/education/spacegrant

Undergraduate Student Opportunities

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Targets Full-Time Graduate Students

• Cultivate research ties to the academiccommunity in disciplines aligned with NASA’sresearch mission• Increasing the number of highly trainedscientists and engineers in aeronautics andspace-related disciplines• Broaden the base of students pursuingadvanced degrees in science, mathematics, andengineering.

$24,000 stipend

Graduate Student Opportunities

http://fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp/program/

Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP)

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Targets Full-Time UnderrepresentedGraduate Students• Increase the number of women,minorities, and persons with disabilitiesparticipating in STEM disciplines leading toa doctoral degree in NASA-relateddisciplines• Includes 6-week, hands-on researchexperience at a NASA Center or the JetPropulsion Laboratory (JPL)• Fellowship tenure is three years• $24,500 per year plus mini-researchaward opportunities

Graduate Student Opportunities

http://www.uncfsp.org/NASA/Jenkins

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Description: conduct education, research, andpublic service projects through a nationalnetwork of university-based consortia– Mandatory Fellowship Component

• Average 625 graduate fellowships peryear at ~ $9K;

– Additional Graduate Student Support• Average $3.0M for graduate

assistantships, research seed funding,etc.

Graduate Student Opportunities

National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

www.nasa.gov/education/spacegrant

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Postdoctoral Opportunities

NASA Postdoctoral Program

Provide recent doctoral scientists and engineersof unusual promise and ability, or seniorscientists and engineers, with temporary full-time residence at NASA to performindependent research in collaboration withNASA scientists or engineers.

Opportunity for concentrated research inassociation with selected members of thepermanent professional staff

Stipends start at $50,000/year

For established scientists and engineers, the Program affords an opportunity for research without the interruptions and distracting assignment of permanent career positions.

http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/

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Faculty Opportunities

Faculty Awards for Research (FAR)

• Expands NASA’s research base atHBCUs and OMUs by involving facultyand students in the Agency’s sponsoredresearch community

• Three-year awards of up to $100,000 peryear

• Research must focus on area relevant toone of NASA’s research enterprises andof interest to a NASA Center or JPL

• Proposed research can support/leverageNASA related research conducted at otheruniversities (both majority and minority),national labs, and/or NASA contractors.

• Up to 25% of funds can go to studentsupport

Next FAR announcementDecember 2006

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National networkCooperative programs Interdisciplinary education, research,

and public service programsRecruit and train U.S. citizensPromote a strong science

mathematics, and technologyeducation base

National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

Space Grant is primarily aHigher Education Program withK-12 and Informal Components

Contributes to the Nation’s scienceenterprise by funding education,research, and public service projectsthrough a national network ofUniversity-based Space Grant consortia

www.nasa.gov/education/spacegrant

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University Research Centers

The URC’s are multidisciplinaryresearch units established atminority institutions to focus on aspecific area of NASA interest

Achieve a broad-based, competitiveaerospace research capability among theNation's Minority Institutions (MI’s) to:• Foster new aerospace science andtechnology concepts;• Expand the Nation's base for aerospaceresearch and development;• Develop mechanisms for increasedparticipation by faculty and students of MI'sin mainstream research; and• Increase the production of socially- andeconomically-disadvantaged students, whohave historically been underrepresented,with advanced degrees in NASA-relatedfields.

http://mured.nasaprs.com/awards/iset_awards/urc/index.cfm

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The success of NASA’s educationportfolio depends upon strategicplanning in the Agency.

Close coordination is required amongthe Office of Education, MissionDirectorates, Centers, the Office ofHuman Capital Management, the Officeof Diversity and Equal Opportunity, andwith our partners

… strengthening the pipeline in STEMdisciplines and

… building strategic partnerships andlinkages between academia, industry,and government