NASA MICI seeks Undergrads and Faculty for May 24th Kick-off

The mission of the Minority Innovation Challenges Institute is to create a virtual training ground where minority undergraduate students learn how to compete in NASA technical challenges for both prestige and significant cash prizes. This NASA-funded program, which is managed by Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, is slated to kick off at 3 p.m. EST on May 24, 2010.

MICI provides a year-round virtual conference platform where students from across the country can participate in free, interactive, educational sessions of their choosing. Many sessions will focus on competitions within NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, which provides cash prizes ranging from $50,000 to $2 million. Students will learn how to compete in other NASA-sponsored competitions created specifically for universities. These competitions include the Fundamental Aeronautics Student Competition for Colleges/Universities, the NASA University Student Launch Initiative, the University Business Plan Contest for Engineering Technology, and the Great Moonbuggy Race.

Students and faculty are encouraged to register for the May 24, 2010, kick-off by visiting http://www.NASAMICI.com.

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/

Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Accepting Applications – Deadline February 1, 2008

Applications are now being accepted for the Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship. Up to 20 Fellows will be selected to receive support for graduate education in NASA-related STEM disciplines. The fellowship is open to full-time women, minorities and disabled graduate students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students are selected for fellowships that include financial support and opportunity for hands-on research experience at a NASA center. Fellowship tenure is three years for candidates seeking either a master’s or doctoral degree in NASA-related fields.

The mission of the fellowship is to increase the number of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities participating in mathematics, science, engineering and technology disciplines.

Applications for this opportunity are due Feb. 1, 2008. For more information and to apply online, visit http://www.uncfsp.org/spknowledge/default.aspx?page=program.view&areaid=1&contentid=177&typeid=jpfp