NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) Accepting Applications – Deadline March 1, 2010

The NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) is an Agency-wide fellowship program for graduate study leading to masters or doctoral degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics related to NASA research and development.

In 2010, NASA is expanding GSRP to include students that are interested in becoming teachers or education administrators.

This twelve month award requires a research experience at the NASA center extending the GSRP Fellowship.

The goal of NASA’s GSRP is to cultivate additional research ties to the academic community, to help meet the continuing needs of the Nation’s aeronautics and space workforce requirements by increasing the number of highly trained scientists and engineers in aeronautics and space-related disciplines, and to meet the Nation’s need to increase the number of highly trained teachers.

Underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are encouraged to apply. Please visit the GSRP website for eligibility requirements and application instructions: http://fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp/nav/

Hubble Case Study for Collegiate Level Students and Faculty

Goddard and USA TODAY Education Collaborate on Hubble Case Study for Collegiate Level Students and Faculty — Understanding Hubble’s Contributions to the Study of the Cosmos

In this second NASA Goddard/USA TODAY Hubble Case Study, we look more closely at three areas in which discoveries made with Hubble, often working together with other telescopes, both on the ground and in space, have fundamentally changed our ideas about astronomy: extrasolar planets, the formation and evolution of galaxies, and the nature of the expansion of our universe.

This Case Study was developed in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute. The first case study is The Hubble Legacy. Both are available for download at:
http://www.usatodayeducate.com/collegiatereadership/index.php/current-case-studies

USA TODAY Education is promoting both case studies all next week in their Campus Coverage which reaches 17,000+ college administrators and faculty members.

How are Case Studies promoted and made available to professors and students?
• Distribution through Offices of Student Affairs/Career Counseling Centers on USA Today’s 500+ Collegiate Readership Program campuses
• Downloadable via PDF file on USA Today website.
• National collegiate conferences attended by USA Today & NASA – print copies
• Informational flyers
• Email newsletter blasts to targeted collegiate organizations and audiences
• Highlighted monthly in USA Today’s Campus Coverage news digest (17,000+ college administrators and faculty)

View the case studies here: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/collegiatereadership/index.php/current-case-studies

Applications Open for Pre-Service Teacher Institute at NASA’s Johnson Space Center – Deadline March 15, 2010

The Pre-Service Teacher Institute is a two-week summer residential session for early childhood and elementary education majors preparing to teach in an elementary or middle school classroom. The event will take place July 12-23, 2010, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

College students from diverse backgrounds will be exposed to aerospace, mathematics and science enrichment activities. Pre-service teachers are able to interface with NASA personnel and tour Johnson Space Center facilities while learning to incorporate NASA’s cutting-edge research into lesson plans for elementary and intermediate school students.

Full-time undergraduate students in their junior or senior year are invited to apply.

The application period closes on March 15, 2010. For more information, visit http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/psti/default.htm

61st International Astronautical Congress – Abstracts Due to NASA by Feb 25, 2010

61st International Astronautical Congress: Call for Abstracts

NASA announces its intent to participate in the 61st International Astronautical Congress (IAC), “Space for Human Benefit and Exploration” and requests that full-time graduate students attending U.S. universities respond to this “Call for Abstracts.”

The International Astronautical Federation, or IAF, the International Academy of Astronautics, and the International Institute of Space Law organize the IAC. The IAC is the largest space-related conference in the world and selects an average of 1000 scientific papers every year. The upcoming IAC will be held Sept. 27- Oct. 1, 2010, in Prague, Czech Republic. NASA’s participation in this event is an on-going effort to continue to connect NASA with the international astronautical and space community.

This “Call for Abstracts” is a precursor to a final paper, which may be presented at the 61st IAC. Student authors are invited to submit an abstract regarding an original, unpublished paper that has not been submitted in any other forum. A NASA technical review panel will select abstracts to be considered by the IAF. This opportunity is for graduate students majoring in fields related to the IAF research topics. Students may submit technical (oral) presentations and/or posters. Students may submit abstracts that are co-authored with their Principal Investigators; however, the student must be the “lead author,” and only the student will present at the IAC. Students must be available to travel to the conference to represent NASA and their universities. Students must be U.S. citizens, attending a U.S. university, who plan to enter a career in space science or aeronautics. Pending the availability of funding, graduate students selected by IAC will be considered for subsidy funding from NASA.

Many students and professors are currently involved in NASA-related research that could be considered for this submission. Students submitting abstracts are strongly encouraged to seek advice from professors who are conducting NASA research and/or from NASA scientists and engineers. Abstracts must be related to the Vision for Space Exploration and fit into one of the following IAF Conference themes: Science and Exploration, Applications and Operations, Technology, Infrastructure, and Space and Society.

The following information must be included in the submission: paper title, author’s name and e-mail address, organization/institution, mailing address, phone number, fax number, names of the co-authors, e-mail address of co-authors. Please use the IAF webpage (http://www.iafastro.org): Unregistered persons should log onto the site for submission of papers.

IAC Paper Selection:
The Session Chairs, on the basis of technical quality and suitability, will evaluate abstracts submitted. Relation to the Congress theme “Space for Human Benefit and Exploration” will also be considered. Abstracts will be selected for presentation and discussion on the basis of potential for discussion but with no distinction in terms of quality threshold. All selected abstracts must reach the same high level of quality and will be accorded the same level of recognition by the Congress. Papers with the potential for extended discussion will be chosen for Interactive Presentations wherever possible. The Session Chairs’ evaluations will be submitted to the responsible Symposium Coordinators, who will make acceptance recommendations to the International Programme Committee, which will take the final decision. Ensuring the high quality of the papers presented at the 61st Congress will be the primary goal of the International Programme Committee.

The criteria for the selection will be defined according to the following specifications:
• Abstracts should specify: purpose, methodology, results, conclusions and areas for discussion.
• Abstracts should indicate that substantive technical and/or programmatic content is included.
• Abstracts should clearly indicate that the material is new and original; explain why and how.
• Prospective author(s) should certify that the paper was not presented at a previous meeting and that financing.

NASA Submission Guidelines:
All abstracts must be submitted electronically to HQ-NASA-Intern1@mail.nasa.gov via email by Feb. 25, 2010, even though the deadline for IAC submission is March 5, 2010. Submit abstracts in MS Word or Adobe PDF format, as an attachment or as text pasted within the body of the e-mail.

In addition, please include an education/citizenship statement: I verify that I am a U.S. citizen and a full-time graduate student majoring in a field or fields related to the IAF research topics. The abstract submitted is original and has not been presented at another meeting.

38th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) 2010 – Abstract Deadline Extended

38th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) 2010: Call for Abstracts

NASA announces its intent to participate in the 38th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and requests that full-time undergraduate and graduate students attending U.S. universities respond to this “Call for Abstracts”.

The International Astronomical Federation, International Space Education Board (ISEB), which was established in 2005 to: 1.) Increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics literacy achievement in connection with space; and 2.) Support the future workforce needs of space programs, organized a student program for COSPAR. Current membership of the ISEB includes CNES, CSA, ESA, JAXA, NASA, and VSSEC.

This Assembly is an excellent meeting point for all space science experts, providing students the opportunity to create many valuable contacts with professionals and like-minded students, both from the USA and the world. Throughout the Assembly, students will interact with science professionals, learn from their expertise and listen to their views on the future of space science. While a Student Program will be incorporated into the Assembly, student participation is also integrated into the technical portion of the Assembly bringing an appreciated element of youthful insight and energy into workshop and plenary sessions.

The upcoming Scientific Assembly of the COSPAR will be held July 18-25, 2010, in Bremen, Germany. Reflecting NASA’s commitment to encouraging the development of the next generation of space professional, undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit an abstract simultaneously to NASA and to the Technical Committee of COSPAR. NASA reviewers will review submitted abstracts. Pending the availability of funding , those selected by NASA that are also selected for oral or poster presentation by the COSPAR Technical Committee will be considerate for subsidy funding from NASA. The deadline for abstracts/applications submitted to NASA has been extended to Feb. 15, 2010, even though the deadline for COSPAR submission is Feb. 19, 2010.

If you have a keen interest in space exploration and would like to take part in this year’s Assembly, then now is the time to start preparing your application. Students must be available to travel to the conference to represent NASA and their universities. Students must be U.S. citizens, attending an accredited U.S. university with aspiration to enter a career in space science or aeronautics.

Many students and professors are currently involved in NASA-related research that could be considered for this submission. Students submitting abstracts are strongly encouraged to seek advice from professors who are conducting NASA research and/or from NASA scientists and engineers. Abstracts must be related to the NASA Vision for Space Exploration and tied to one of the following COSPAR categories:

Category A: Space Studies of the Earth’s Surface, Meteorology and Climate
Category B: Space Studies of the Earth-Moon System, Planets and Small Bodies of the Solar System
Category C: Space Studies of the Upper Atmospheres of the Earth and Planets including Reference Atmospheres
Category D: Space Plasmas in the Solar Systems, including Planetary Magnetospheres
Category E: Research in Astrophysics from Space
Category F: Life Sciences as Related to Space
Category G: Materials Sciences in Space
Category H: Fundamental Physics in Space

NASA Sponsorship Guidelines ( Due Feb. 15, 2010 ):
To be considered for NASA sponsorship, please contact Dr. Mabel J. Matthews, Higher Education Manager, at mabel.j.matthews@nasa.gov for an application. Student applicants are also required to comply with NASA and COSPAR guidelines (two submissions).

COSPAR Submission Guidelines ( Due Feb. 19, 2010 ):
As a part of the application procedure the abstract must be submitted in one of the COSPAR Technical Sessions. The sessions can be found in the Scientific Program Overview section of the COSPAR 2010 website at http://www.cospar-assembly.org/ . You are encouraged to carefully follow the instructions related to the submission of abstracts. Abstracts may be uploaded as soon as possible.

2010 NASA Education Resource Showcase Series

NASA’s Digital Learning Network presents a series of webcasts to assist educators in staying current on NASA education resources and related products.

During each event, product producers, authors and experts will demonstrate their materials designed to optimize awareness and understanding of science concepts. Instructional objectives, accessing the materials and primary contacts for the materials will also be discussed. During the webcasts, participants will be able to submit questions to the presenter that will be addressed during the presentation.

In the coming months, the following topics will be covered:

— NASA Fit Explorers Feb. 24, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EST
— NASA eProfessional Development Network — Robotics Course: March 31, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EDT
— MoonWorld: April 28, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EDT
— On the Moon: May 26, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EDT

For more information about these webcasts and to sign up online, visit http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/

NASA Langley Research Center / National Alliance of Black School Educators Lecture Series for 2010

Join NASA’s Langley Research Center and the National Alliance of Black School Educators for a series of free, interactive programs that allow you and your students to learn more about our home planet and the universe beyond through webcasts.

The Earth System
Feb. 26, 2010, 1 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
The components of the Earth system, the lithosphere (the solid planet), the hydrosphere (the water), the atmosphere (the air) and the biosphere (life), will be discussed. Learn about the various processes on the Earth system including the structure of the Earth’s interior and surface, the formation of impact craters, volcanism and volcanic craters, the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, the water cycle (evaporation, condensation and precipitation), the formation of clouds, and meteorological phenomena. The interactions between the components of the Earth system will be also discussed.

Earth and Mars: A Tale of Two Planets
March 26, 2010, 1 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Mars is a cold, dry, very inhospitable planet. Its thin atmosphere has a surface pressure of only about 6 millibars (the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere is about 1013 millibars). Scientists now think that early Mars was a very hospitable planet with abundant surface water in the form of lakes, rivers and even planetary-scale oceans. They believe it had an atmospheric pressure comparable to that of Earth. What caused the very divergent evolutionary paths of Earth and Mars? Scientists believe that some 500 million years after its formation about 4.6 billion years ago, Mars lost its planetary dipole magnetic field. The field had protected its atmosphere from the “sand-blasting” effects of the solar wind, the continuous stream of energetic protons, electrons and ions emitted by the sun into interplanetary space. Once Mars lost its planetary magnetic field, the direct interaction of the energetic solar wind particles with the atmosphere resulted in the planet’s losing more than 99 percent of its atmosphere. Once Mars lost the bulk of its atmosphere, surface liquid water was no longer stable and was either lost to space and/or migrated to the subsurface of Mars as frozen water.

Global Warming: Causes and Consequences
April 30, 2010, 1 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
The temperature of the surface of Earth and the other planets is controlled by incoming solar radiation and the outgoing thermal or infrared radiation generated at the surface by the absorption of the incoming solar radiation. As the surface-emitted thermal radiation travels upward through the atmosphere, certain atmospheric gases absorb and then re-emit the radiation. This process results in an additional warming of the surface. This additional warming is called the “greenhouse effect.” Gases that absorb and then re-emit thermal radiation are called “greenhouse gases.” Carbon dioxide, while only a very minor gas in the atmosphere, is an important greenhouse gas. Measurements indicate that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are increasing, most likely as a result of certain human activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels for transportation and energy generation and the burning of vegetation for deforestation and other land-clearing activities. The causes and consequences of global warming will be discussed.

For more information about this series of webcast events, visit http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/

Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers (ASSET) – Deadline February 12, 2010

The Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers, or ASSET, is being held July 18-24, 2010, at San Francisco State University. ASSET will feature presentations by leading astrobiology researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA and the California Academy of Sciences. Scientists will share the latest in astrobiology research on the origin of life on Earth, the extreme conditions in which life exists, Mars exploration, the formation of planetary systems around sun-like stars, and the search for life in the universe.

The 6-day workshop features a combination of cutting-edge science, inquiry-based teaching and learning, and leadership skills development to support teachers and teacher trainers.

Participants receive the entire Voyages Through Time curriculum and complementary astrobiology materials, developed by NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, for use in their classrooms.

Applications are due Feb. 12, 2010.
For more information, visit http://www.seti.org/epo/ASSET