Filed under: Competitions, Engineering, Higher Education, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
The 2010 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage competition is a design project contest open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited college or university. The RASC-AL contest challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA projects. These design projects could then potentially be implemented by NASA. Student teams must submit abstracts by Feb. 5, 2010.
Please visit the official RASC-AL website for important guidelines and application instructions: http://www.nianet.org/rascal/index.html
Filed under: Competitions, Engineering, Higher Education, K-12, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
Registration is now open for the 17th Annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race. The race will take place April 1-3, 2010, in Huntsville, Ala., at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. High school and college students are required to design 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. Entries must be received by Feb. 1, 2010.
Learn more about this exciting competition at http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html
Filed under: Aeronautics, Competitions, Engineering, Higher Education, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
The Fundamental Aeronautics Program invites undergraduate and graduate students to research and design a civilian amphibious tiltrotor vehicle. The vehicle must be able to take off and land on water or land; carry up to fifty passengers; cruise at 300 knots; and cover 800 nautical miles. Participants must be enrolled in an accredited college or university. International students may participate but are not eligible for certain prizes. A notice of intent is requested by Jan. 15, 2010. Final papers are due May 3, 2010.
Participants will submit a conceptual design for an amphibious tiltrotor that meets or exceeds the design goals and capabilities described on the official context website. Participants will also describe the technical issues associated with water landings and take-offs and describe the design trade-offs considered to accommodate marinization. Format and content guidelines are available on the website.
To review the contest details and submission guidelines, please visit http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions_univ.htm
Filed under: Aeronautics, Astronomy, Engineering, Funding, Higher Education, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities, fellowships
NASA announces a call for graduate fellowship proposals to the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) program for the 2010-2011 academic year. This call for fellowship proposals solicits applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines. The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals. Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be made in the form of training grants to the respective universities.
The deadline for NEW applications is February 1, 2010, and the deadline for RENEWAL applications is March 15, 2010.
The NESSF call for proposals and submission instructions are located at the NESSF 09 solicitation index page at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ – click on “Solicitations” then click on “Open Solicitations” then select the “NESSF 10″ announcement. Also refer to “Proposal Submission Instructions” listed under “Other Documents” on the NESSF 10 solicitation index page.
All proposals must be submitted in electronic format only through the NASA NSPIRES system. The advisor has an active role in the submission of the fellowship proposal. To use the NSPIRES system, the advisor, the student, and the university must all register. Extended instructions on how to submit an electronic proposal package are posted on the NESSF 10 solicitation index page listed above. You can register in NSPIRES at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
Filed under: Aeronautics, Contest, Educational Materials, Engineering, K-12, NASA, STEM, Science
Space Math IV – Grades 9-12
This collection of activities is based on a weekly series of problems distributed to teachers during 2007-2008 school year. The problems in this booklet investigate space phenomena and math applications such as black holes, sunspots, the moon’s atmosphere, scientific notation, evaluating functions, Benford’s law and geometry. The problems are authentic glimpses of modern science and engineering issues, often involving actual research data. Each word problem includes background information. The one-page assignments are accompanied by one-page teachers answer keys.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space_Math_IV.html
Aeronautics Research Poster – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. The X-48B blended wing body test vehicle on the front of the poster is an example of NASA’s cutting-edge research. Besides aeronautics education and scholarship information, the back of the poster details the programs, work, research and careers of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
Aerospace Design Poster – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. The Aerospace Design poster reflects images from the “Aerospace Design: The Art of Engineering from NASA’s Aeronautical Research” exhibit to commemorate 100 years of powered flight. Artifacts on the poster include architectural and engineering designs for wind tunnels, wind tunnel models, and designs for conceptual airplanes, past and present.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Aerospace_Design_Poster.html
INSPIRE Brochure – Grades 9-12
Students in grades 9-12 can apply to be participants in the Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience. INSPIRE is a one-year program for students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Online Learning Community, the centerpiece of the program, allows INSPIRE students to interact with their peers, NASA experts and education specialists.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/INSPIRE_Brochure.html
Decades of Contributions to Tilt Rotor Aviation Lithograph – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Over NASA’s 50-year history, and even before as the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, the agency has helped to improve aircraft. The front of the Decades of Contributions lithograph shows an artist’s concept of a tilt rotor aircraft with labels pointing to NASA contributions. The back of the lithograph lists and explains how research has improved the safety, efficiency and performance of tilt rotor aircraft.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rotorcraft_Aviation_Litho.html
Decades of Contributions to Commercial Aviation Lithograph – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Over NASA’s 50-year history, and even before as the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, the agency has helped to improve commercial air travel. The front of the Decades of Contributions lithograph shows an artist’s concept of a commercial aircraft with labels pointing to NASA contributions. The back of the lithograph lists and explains how research has improved the safety, efficiency and performance of commercial jetliners.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Commercial_Aviation_Litho.html
Decades of Contributions to General Aviation Lithograph – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Over NASA’s 50-year history, and even before as the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, the agency has helped to improve commercial air travel. The front of the Decades of Contributions lithograph shows an artist’s concept of a general aviation aircraft with labels pointing to NASA contributions. The back of the lithograph lists and explains how research has improved the safety, efficiency and performance of general aviation aircraft.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/General_Aviation_Litho.html
Decades of Contributions to Rotorcraft Aviation Lithograph – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Over NASA’s 50-year history, and even before as the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, the agency has helped to improve rotorcraft. The front of the Decades of Contributions lithograph shows an artist’s concept of a helicopter with labels pointing to NASA contributions. The back of the lithograph lists and explains how research has improved the safety, efficiency and performance of rotorcraft.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rotorcraft_Aviation_Litho.html
Decades of Contributions to Military Aviation Lithograph – All Grades
The first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Over NASA’s 50-year history, and even before as the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, the agency has helped to improve military aircraft. The front of the Decades of Contributions lithograph shows an artist’s concept of a military aircraft with labels pointing to NASA contributions. The back of the lithograph lists and explains how research has improved the safety, efficiency and performance of military airplanes.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Military_Aviation_Litho.html
Neutral Buoyancy: Astronaut Training Is Not Always “Sink or Swim” – Grades 9-12
Watch the short NASA Brain Bites video “Why Do Astronauts Practice Underwater?” and use the accompanying resource sheet to explain sinking and floating. NASA astronauts simulate floating in space as they train for spacewalks in a huge pool called the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. The video shows the NBL, and the resource sheet lists questions, answers and resources to stimulate a discussion on density and Archimedes’ Principle. The resource sheet includes links to more buoyancy activities.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Neutral_Bouyancy.html
What Is the Temperature of Space? – Grades 9-12
Watch a short NASA Brain Bites video and use the accompanying resource sheet to explain why objects traveling through space have a temperature but space does not. The resource sheet contains questions and answers to stimulate a discussion about the types of heat transfer, solar absorptivity, IR emissivity, and how NASA designs spacecraft and spacesuits for astronauts.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/What_Is_the_Temperature.html
Spacesuits: Pressurized Protection from Thermal Effects – Grades 9-12
Start with the NASA Brain Bites video “How Do You Scratch Your Nose in a Spacesuit?” for basic information about the suits. Then build on the video with a discussion of how the suit is like a “personal spacecraft.” This resource sheet lists discussion questions, answers, and resources about spacesuits and air pressure. In an application of Ohm’s Law, students calculate the current drawn by the heaters in a spacesuit glove. The resource sheet includes additional links and resources about spacesuits and albedo.
Ares I Can Model – All Grades
NASA plans to send humans back to the moon and on to Mars. To do this, the agency is developing a new rocket called the Ares I. Teachers and students can build an Ares I model. This easy-to- build model, made of cans of foods, was originally created to give visually impaired students an idea of the structure and relative sizes of the parts of Ares I.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Ares_I_Can_Model.html
“Out of Sight” Remote Vehicle Activity – Grades 5-9
Engineers and scientists tested the FIDO rover in the Mojave Desert. The rover drivers worked out of a trailer without watching the rovers. In similar fashion, in this activity students drive a remote-controlled car through a course to learn the challenges faced while trying to operate a planetary rover. They will use measurement, geometry and problem-solving skills to move through the course.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Out_of_Sight_Activity.html
Rover Races Activity – Grades 5-9
Students learn the challenges of operating a robot on Mars from Earth. In this simulation, the rover drivers upload their commands to their rovers (team of three blindfolded students) to travel around obstacles on the Martian surface (red paper on the floor) and complete the mission.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Rover_Races_Activity.html
Buzz Lightyear ‘Putting It All Together’ Activity – Grades 3-8
Buzz Lightyear has the distinguished honor of having been the longest-serving toy in space. He launched May 31, 2008, aboard the space shuttle Discovery with mission STS-124. He returned on Discovery 15 months later on Sept. 11, 2009, with STS-128. Now, back on Earth, Buzz has a challenge for your students: Create a Rube Goldberg-type device that incorporates at least 10 steps to put a marble in a cup. Students use their knowledge of the design process and physical science to design, test, modify and build a successful device.
Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge Educator Guide – Grades 5-8 & Informal
This guide is a starting point for middle school students to research and answer the challenging questions of how to maintain human habitations on the moon and other planets in the solar system. The guide focuses specifically on the need for water recycling. The guide includes background information on topics relating to the moon, Earth’s water cycle and water recycling. Several basic classroom activities on water recycling are also included.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/WLMR_Guide.html
Celebrating Apollo U.S. History and Human Geography Series – Grades 9-12
The Celebrating Apollo series provides challenging supplemental problems for students enrolled in advanced U.S. history and advanced human geography courses. NASA’s Apollo Program had a great effect on the history, politics, and social and economic indicators of the United States. Students are exposed to this rich history as they interpret its meaning and connection with other events in that era. Each problem set includes a teacher edition with scoring guide and a student edition.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Celebrating_Apollo_Series.html
Filed under: Competitions, Cool Science, Educational Materials, Educator Kit, Engineering, K-12, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
NASA is inviting students in grades 5-8 to participate in the Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge. The challenge uses real-world scenarios that meet science and mathematics content standards. Students can participate in a formal, informal or home-school setting.
Teams of up to six students will design a water recycling system for the unique environment of the moon. Teams will then test their system on a simulated wastewater stream. Proposals and results are due Feb. 1, 2010.
The winning teams will be announced in May 2010. The top three teams will receive awards. The first place team will receive an expense-paid trip to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the winning team’s visit to Kennedy, students will gain firsthand knowledge about NASA’s missions, receive behind-the-scenes tours of NASA’s launch facilities, and learn about future aerospace and engineering careers.
For more information and contest rules, please visit http://wlmr.nasa.gov/
On Oct. 28, 2009, Dr. Jay Garland will be hosting a webcast tutorial for educators on the WLMR design challenge from 4-5 pm EDT. The presentation will provide an overview of the contest objectives and schedule, demonstrate methods students will use to create and analyze the wastewater, and answer questions from the audience. The webcast can be accessed at http://dln.nasa.gov
Also available online is the Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge Educator Guide. This guide is a starting point for middle school students to research and answer the challenging questions of how to maintain human habitations on the moon and other planets in the solar system. The guide focuses specifically on the need for water recycling. The guide includes background information on topics relating to the moon, Earth’s water cycle and water recycling. Several basic classroom activities on water recycling are also included.
The guide is available for downloading at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/WLMR_Guide.html
Filed under: Competitions, Engineering, Higher Education, NASA, Research, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2010 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage Competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition aimed at university-level engineering students.
The RASC-AL contest challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA projects. These design projects could then potentially be implemented by NASA.
Student teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by Feb. 5, 2010. Their work must be based on one of four themes: lunar outpost to settlement, technology-enabled human Mars mission, bringing the world along with participatory exploration, and common lunar sortie / near-Earth object mission design. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as ten undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2010 in Florida.
The RASC-AL Program is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may also work in collaboration on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.
For more information about this competition, visit http://www.nianet.org/rascal/index.html
Filed under: Aeronautics, Astronomy, Engineering, Environmental Science, Higher Education, NASA, Research, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
The NASA Postdoctoral Program provides talented postdoctoral scientists and engineers with valuable opportunities to engage in ongoing NASA research projects. The Postdoctoral Program serves as a source of talent to ensure the continued quality of the NASA research workforce. These one- to three-year fellowship appointments are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems and astrobiology.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctorate degree before beginning the fellowship. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship, Lawful Permanent Resident status, Employment Authorization Document with pending LPR status, or J-1 Visa status as a Research Scholar before beginning the fellowship. An H-1B Visa status is not acceptable because the NPP is not an employment program.
Stipend rates for Postdoctoral Fellows start at $50,000 per year. Moderate supplements are given for Ph.D. degrees in certain specialized fields, such as engineering, computer science, clinical space-biomedical science, etc., and for high cost-of-living areas. Funds are available for relocation expenses. Fellows also receive $8,000 per appointment year to support travel to conferences, meetings and other activities (i.e., travel to field sites or observatories to collect data or for required training) that directly support their research projects.
Applications for this opportunity are due on Nov. 1, 2009.
For further information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm
Filed under: Aeronautics, Engineering, Higher Education, Internships, NASA, Research, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
NASA Undergraduate Student Research Project Spring and Summer 2010 Sessions
NASA’s Undergraduate Student Research Project is currently accepting applications for 15-week spring internships and 10-week summer 2009 internships. These internships offer students the opportunity to work alongside NASA scientists and engineers at NASA’s field centers, laboratories and test facilities.
Applicants must be sophomores, juniors or seniors with a 3.0 GPA. They must have an academic major or course work concentration in engineering, math, computer science, or physical or life sciences. Participants work on practical problems that will be applied in aerospace or on future NASA missions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
The application deadline for the spring 2010 internships is Oct. 23, 2009. Applications for the summer 2010 session are due Jan. 22, 2010.
For more information and to apply online, visit http://usrp.usra.edu
Filed under: Engineering, K-12, Oregon State University, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls and their parents are invited to attend a free workshop called “Discovering the Scientist Within.” This event will be held at OSU on Nov. 7 from 8:15 am – 1:15 p.m.
Registration deadline is Oct. 30.
The morning includes fun, hands on activities, and the opportunity to meet successful woman engineers, doctors, veterinarians, research scientists, and university professors. Field trips to science labs at OSU will introduce girls to a variety of careers in science and engineering. For more information about the event and to register, go to: http://academy.engr.oregonstate.edu/discovering-the-scientist-within.html
