OSGC Educational Resources Blog

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) proposals/nominations deadline (March 4, 200 has been extended to April 22, 2008.

The PAESMEM Program seeks to identify outstanding mentoring efforts that enhance the participation of groups (i.e., women, minorities, and persons with disabilities) that are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The awardees serve as leaders in the national effort to develop fully the Nation’s human resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

This program provides educational opportunities for Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, K-12 Educators. Please visit the following website for details regarding applications or to review abstracts from recent awardees.

http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf04525

Cornell University will be hosting a university-industry workshop on the integration of simulation technology into the engineering curriculum, July 25-26, 2008. This workshop should be of interest to all engineering faculty who use or would like to use simulation technology in their courses and projects. Participation from industry will include major engineering software vendors.

More information about the workshop is available at:
http://www.mae.cornell.edu/swanson/workshop2008/

Summer 2008 Aerospace Science and Engineering Research Opportunities at the University of Illinois

The Department of Aerospace Engineering (AE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) announces Summer 2008 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). Funding for the REUs comes from a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

The ten-week research program focuses on multidisciplinary research in aerospace science and engineering (ASE). We invite highly-motivated juniors (rising seniors) with backgrounds in engineering, computer science, and physics to apply for an REU position.

This program will involve students who will:

• Contribute actively to an intensive research project on the UIUC campus for ten weeks in the summer 2008.
• Participate in a set of aerospace-related activities (seminars, informal meetings, final paper). These activities will be designed to teach research and communication skills.
• Present the outcome of their research activities at a symposium at the end of the ten weeks.

Projects

• Project 01: Design and assessment of self-healing polymers and composites
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj1.html
• Project 02: Reliability analysis for Martian life support systems
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj2.html
• Project 03: Design and verification of safety-critical algorithms for uninhabited aerial vehicles
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj3.html
• Project 04: Unixial material response of Zr under dynamic tension
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj4.html
• Project 05: Designing, building, and testing small reconfigurable mission-flexible UAV concepts
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj5.html
• Project 06: Three-Axis Attitude Control for Nanosatellites
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj6.html
• Project 07: Computer interface for digital image correlation
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj7.html
• Project 08: Neural interfaces for control of semi-autonomous robotic systems
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj8.html
• Project 09: Multiscale analysis of thin films used in MEMS devices
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj9.html
• Project 10: Compressible Flows in Geological Applications: Directed volcanic blasts
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj10.html
• Project 11: Electrospinning Apparatus for Production of Polymeric Nanofibers
  http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/proj11.html

Eligibility:

• Junior (rising senior) enrolled full-time in an accredited undergraduate degree program. Preference will be given to non-University of Illinois UC students.
• GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher
• US citizen or permanent resident

The REU will take place June 2 – August 8, 2008, with a 40-hour work week. Participants will receive a $4,000 stipend (based on ten weeks of work) and $2,000 toward travel and living expenses. We will arrange for lodging.

Please go the Web site http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/ for further information and how to apply. Application Deadline is February 29, 2008

The Air Force is currently looking for Engineering students for internship opportunities at Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRLs) during the summer of their Sophomore or Junior year of college. Earn a great salary ($4,500 for 10 wks), plus paid lodging, transportation, and meals. Eligible students will be considered for a follow-on Air Force ROTC scholarship including full tuition and fees, $900 / year for books, and $450-500 / monthly stipend.

Application Deadline: January 15, 2008
Tentative Internship Dates: June 2 - August 5, 2008

Applicants must:
• Be a Sophomore with 2.50+ cum GPA in Electrical, Computer or Environmental Engineering
• Have completed at least 60 semester/90 quarter hours at time of internship
• Be able to graduate within two or three years of internship
• Be a U.S. citizen at time of internship and under age 31 on 31 December of graduation year
• Not be currently enrolled in Air Force ROTC
• Meet Air Force commissioning standards

Internship Locations
•Edwards AFB (Los Angeles, CA)
•Eglin AFB (Ft Walton Beach, FL)
•Hanscom AFB (Boston, MA)
•Kirkland AFB (Albuquerque, NM)
•Tyndall AFB (Panama City, FL)
•Wright-Patterson AFB (Dayton, OH)

Engineering Fields of Interest
•Computer Engineering
•Electrical Engineering
•Environmental Engineering

Contact the Local Air Force ROTC detachment for eligibility requirements and to start the application process. To locate the local detachment visit our website at http://www.afrotc.com  or call 866-423-7682.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is offering a Design Competition for Universities for the 2007 – 2008 academic year.

The Competition challenges individual students or teams of students from U.S. colleges and universities working under the mentorship of a faculty advisor to address challenges in three broad areas: Airport Operations and Maintenance, Runway Safety/Runway Incursions, and Environmental Interactions of Airports. Students must have a faculty advisor. Cash prizes are given to first, second and third place winners in each category. The first place winners will present their design solutions at the American Association of Airport Executives June 2008 Meeting in New Orleans.

Competition guidelines and full details are available at:
http://www.faa.gov/runwaysafety/design_competition.htm

The Fundamental Aeronautics Program of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters announces a new aeronautics competition for high school and college students for the 2007-2008 academic year.

High school students are challenged to write a research paper to explain ideas for a future aircraft that could become the “DC-3″ for cargo and passengers in the year 2058. Descriptions should be well-informed and include sections on fuel, environmental effects, noise levels, runway length and condition, operating costs, passenger and cargo loads, and service operations. Notice of intent for high school entries is due on Dec. 15, 2007.

College students are invited to design the next generation, 21st-century, “DC-3″-type aircraft. Some of the design considerations include reduced environmental impact, reduced noise, daily operations on short runways, cost analysis for production and operation, passenger and cargo limits, structure and materials, and engines. Students should also briefly describe three valid scenarios for potential use of this vehicle in the year 2058. Notice of intent for college entries is due on Jan. 19, 2008.

Any U.S. student enrolled in an accredited high school, secondary school, or home school in the United States or its territories is eligible to enter the competition for cash prizes. Non-U.S. citizens and students in international locations can enter as well, but they are not eligible for cash prizes. Trophies and certificates will be awarded to each winner, regardless of citizenship.

For complete details, visit: http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions.htm

Registration is open for the 15^th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race. High school and college students design and build a vehicle that addresses a series of engineering problems similar to those faced by the original lunar-roving vehicle team. Each school may enter up to two teams. The race will take place April 4-5, 2008, in Huntsville, Ala., at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Entries must be received by Feb. 1, 2008.

For more information about the competition and to register online, visit: http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2008 CanSat Competition.

This annual competition is open to university students from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Teams of 2-10 students are required to design and build a space-type system called a CanSat. Each CanSat is the size of a soda can and must be built according to the specifications released by the competition organizing committee. Participants are involved in the end-to-end life cycle of a complex engineering project, from conceptual design, through integration and test, actual operation of the system, and the conclusion with a post-mission summary and debriefing.

All teams entering the CanSat competition are required to have a faculty adviser. The faculty adviser shall oversee and be responsible for the conduct of the team at all times during the competition and is strongly encouraged to accompany the team to the competition.

Applications are due Oct. 31, 2007.  For more information about the competition and to download the application, visit: http://www.cansatcompetition.com/

The 15th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race is April 4-5, 2008 in Huntsville, Alabama, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Students are required to design a vehicle that addresses a series of engineering problems that are similar to problems faced by the original Moonbuggy team.

Each Moonbuggy will be human powered and carry two students, one female and one male, over a half-mile simulated lunar terrain course including “craters”, rocks, “lava” ridges, inclines and “lunar” soil.

Moonbuggy entries are expected to be of “proof-of-concept” and engineering test model nature, rather than final production models. Each student team of six members is responsible for building their own buggy, and the course drivers, who are chosen from each team, must also be builders of the vehicle.

Visit the Moonbuggy Race website for details. Registration is open for hgih school and college teams!
http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/

Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering (BRIGE) Program Solicitation NSF 07-589
National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time): February 08, 2008

Synopsis of Program:
With the goal of broadening participation to all engineers including members from groups underrepresented in the engineering disciplines, the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) at NSF offers a research initiation grant funding opportunity. These grants are intended to increase the diversity of researchers who apply for and receive ENG funding to initiate research programs early in their careers, including those from under-represented groups, engineers at minority serving institutions, and persons with disabilities. By providing these funding opportunities, ENG intends to further broaden participation of engineering researchers who share NSF’s commitment to diversity in the following ways:

* Expand the population of role models who will interact with an increasingly diverse student population, the workforce of the future
* Increase the number of engineering researchers at minority serving institutions actively and competitively engaged in research as independent investigators, thereby creating new research opportunities for students from underrepresented groups
* Fund engineering research projects that use innovative ways to attract and retain members of under-represented groups to careers in engineering.

Awards are for 24 months and are limited to a maximum of $175,000 total costs (direct plus indirect). Principal Investigators must be U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted U.S. permanent residents at the time of application; visa-holders are not eligible.

PI Limit: Proposers must be affiliated with an engineering department or a department closely related to engineering. Co-investigators are not permitted, but collaborations with other scientists and/or visiting scientist status in other laboratories are permitted. Principal investigators must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents

Full details at:
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf07589