MS PHD’s Program for Minority Students in Earth System Science – Deadline Sept 8, 2009

The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science, or MS PHD’S, initiative was developed by and for underrepresented minorities to facilitate increased participation in Earth system science. Each year, the initiative engages 30 minority undergraduate and graduate students in a series of activities.

The project starts with orientation and a broad Earth system science and engineering exposure during MS PHD’S community-building activities at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Participants will engage in additional professional development activities at one of the MS PHD’S organizational partners’ meetings. These activities could include attending meetings of the American Meteorological Society, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, the National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists, and the Oceanography Society, among others. Each participant will attend the meeting that most closely aligns with his or her specific academic and professional interests.

The final phase will occur at the National Academies in Washington, D.C., where participants will visit government agencies and engage in dialogs with professional society and foundation representatives. Each student will also receive a scholarship award of up to $1,000 and participate in a tour of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The deadline for submitting the online application is Sept. 8, 2009.

For more information about the MS PHD’S initiative and how to apply, visit http://www.msphds.org/

Summer 2009 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) – Deadline Extended to February 22, 2009

Summer 2009 Research Experiences for Undergraduates
APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 22, 2009!

The Department of Aerospace Engineering (AE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) announces Summer 2009 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.

We would like to invite highly-motivated juniors (rising seniors) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher to apply to participate in REU. US citizenship or permanent residency required.

For further information and to apply, go to: http://www.ae.uiuc.edu/opportunities/reu/

NEW AERONAUTICS COMPETITION FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

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. The new aeronautics competition encourages high school and college students to share their ideas of future aircraft with NASA for a chance to receive trophies, student internship offers and cash prizes. Students will write about the next generation of aircraft, what they would look like and how they would operate.

For the competition, high school students will write a research paper that explains ideas for a future aircraft that could revolutionize passenger and cargo travel in the year 2058. Papers should include sections on fuel, environmental effects, noise levels, runway length and conditions, operating costs, passenger and cargo loads, and service operations.

A group of federal, university, industry and other expert representatives will judge the high school entries, which are limited to 12 pages. Entries will be judged on how well students focus their essays and meet four basic criteria: informed content, creativity and imagination, organization, and writing. Subject to availability of funds, team entries can win cash awards up to $1,500 and individual entries up to $1,000.

College students are challenged to write about their designs for the next generation of 21st-century aircraft. 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.

Each college entry is limited to 25 pages and must be sponsored by a supervising or advising faculty member. Winning entries may be invited to a student forum sponsored by NASA and/or industry, receive offers of student internships, and receive other prizes, including up to $5,000 cash, depending on available funds.

College entries will be judged by how well they address all aspects of the problem they chose to discuss, including the following criteria: innovation and creativity, discussion of feasibility, a brief review of current literature, and a baseline comparison with the relevant current technology, system or design.

These two competitions have different eligibility and submission requirements. To learn more about the competition, visit: http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions.htm