Details at a Glance:

• Award Amount: $4,000
• Submission Deadline:  November 13, 2024 (11:59pm)
• Period of Performance:  May 10, 2025 – December 31, 2025
• Award Announcement:  by March 1, 2025 with cost-reimbursable sub-award agreements expected to arrive at MSGC’s affiliated institutions by late Spring 2025
• Application:  Applications considered for funding MUST be submitted by the Undergraduate Student via MSGC’s online submission portal ‘Submittable’. https://michiganspacegrantconsortium.submittable.com.

Note: You are required to consult with and secure prior approval from your institution prior to submitting to MSGC

Program Description:

Undergraduate Research Grants are an opportunity supporting research and public service projects involving undergraduate students from affiliate institutions who are conducting research and projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests as expressed in NASA’s 2022 Strategic Plan. Specifically, research focused on aerospace, space science, and earth system science. While faculty working in other related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are also eligible to apply; starting this year, MSGC is piloting an expanded definition of STEM to include support for interdisciplinary projects that include art. Students conducting research and projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests in disciplines not traditionally considered STEM, such as the humanities or social sciences, are likewise encouraged to apply. The grant-supported research may occur over the summer, during the academic year, or both.

Eligibility: Students are required to identify a mentor from the faculty research, education, or public service communities, with whom they intend to work. The student MUST be a U.S. national, currently enrolled at one of MSGC-affiliated institutions, have a good academic record and be in good academic standing. The Student must also be willing to (i) have their student data reported to NASA and EPSS, the company that evaluates our programs, and (ii) engage in that evaluation process through responding to emails. Women, under-represented minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Merit: The merit of the application will be judged based on primary and secondary criteria.  The primary merit criteria are scientific merit, relevance to NASA strategy, clarity of student responsibilities with regard to research activities, and strength of the letter/s of recommendation. Secondary merit criteria include the interdisciplinary of the project, the student’s level of interest in pursuing a STEAM career, overall GPA, and grades in technical courses. If the application is for continuation funding, the progress report also contributes to the merit evaluation.

Details at a Glance:

• Award Amount: $5,000
• Submission Deadline:  November 13, 2024 (11:59pm)
• Period of Performance:  May 10, 2025 – December 31, 2025
• Award Announcement:  by March 1, 2025 with cost-reimbursable sub-award agreements expected to arrive at MSGC’s affiliated institutions by late Spring 2025
• Application:  Applications considered for funding MUST be submitted via MSGC’s online submission portal ‘Submittable’. https://michiganspacegrantconsortium.submittable.com.

Note: You are required to consult with and secure prior approval from your institution prior to submitting to MSGC

Program Description:

MSGC’s Graduate Fellowship opportunity supports graduate students from affiliate institutions who are conducting research and public service projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests as expressed in NASA’s 2022 Strategic Plan. Specifically, research focused on aerospace, space science, and earth system science. While graduate students working in other related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are also eligible to apply; starting this year, MSGC is piloting an expanded definition of STEM to include support for interdisciplinary projects that include art. Graduate students conducting research and projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests in disciplines not traditionally considered STEM, such as the humanities or social sciences, are likewise encouraged to apply. The fellowship-supported research may occur over the summer, during the academic year, or both.

Eligibility: Students are required to identify a mentor from the faculty research, education, or public service communities, with whom they intend to work. The student MUST be a U.S. national, currently enrolled at one of MSGC-affiliated institutions, have a good academic record and be in good academic standing. The Student must also be willing to (i) have their student data reported to NASA and EPSS, the company that evaluates our programs, and (ii) engage in that evaluation process through responding to emails. Women, under-represented minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.  Students currently receiving MSGC Fellowships are eligible to reapply.

Merit: The merit of the application will be judged based on primary and secondary criteria.  The primary merit criteria are scientific merit, relevance to NASA strategy, clarity of student responsibilities with regard to research activities, and strength of the letter/s of recommendation. Secondary merit criteria include the interdisciplinary of the project, the student’s level of interest in pursuing a STEAM career, overall GPA, and grades in technical courses. If the application is for continuation funding, the progress report also contributes to the merit evaluation.

Details at a Glance:

• Award Amount: Up to $5,000 Requires 1:1 Match
• Submission Deadline:  November 13, 2024 (11:59pm)
• Period of Performance:  May 10, 2025 – December 31, 2025
• Award Announcement:  by March 1, 2025 with cost-reimbursable sub-award agreements expected to arrive at MSGC’s affiliated institutions by late Spring 2025.
• Application:  Applications considered for funding MUST be submitted via MSGC’s online submission portal ‘Submittable’. https://michiganspacegrantconsortium.submittable.com.

Note: You are required to consult with and secure prior approval from your institution prior to submitting to MSGC

Program Description:

MSGC’s Research Seed opportunity supports junior faculty and research scientists at MSGC affiliate institutions as well as mid-career and senior level faculty pursuing newareas of research and development relevant to NASA’s strategic interests as expressed in NASA’s 2022 Strategic Plan. Specifically, research focused on aerospace, space science, and earth system science.  Faculty working in other related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are also eligible to apply. The objective of this program is to support early career research and development necessary to collect preliminary data required to apply for extramural support.

Eligibility: Participation in this program is limited to faculty at MSGC-affiliated institutions. Applicants may be faculty members or research scientists who are either early career (PhD up to seven years postgraduate) or starting a new area of research.  Applicants are not limited to one proposal. However, applicants who receive a Research Seed Grant as part of this year’s funding are not eligible to submit a proposal the following year.  Awardees are prohibited from holding two consecutive years in a row.  Women, under-represented minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Merit: The merit of each proposal will be judged based on primary and secondary criteria.  The primary merit criteria are scientific merit, relevance to NASA strategic interests, clarity of the proposal, quality of the relationship between the budget and the statement of work (including narrative about how both Space Grant funds and the matching funds will be used to carry out the project), and the ability of the research to advance the faculty’s future research efforts.  Secondary merit criteria are interdisciplinarity of the project and the potential for extramural support.

Details at a Glance:

• Award Amount: Up to $5,000 requires 1:1 Match
• Submission Deadline:  November 13, 2024 (11:59pm) & Off-cycle (Applications will be considered throughout the year as funds allow).
• Period of Performance:  May 10, 2025 – December 31, 2025
• Award Announcement:  by March 1, 2025 with cost-reimbursable sub-award agreements expected to arrive at MSGC’s affiliated institutions by late Spring 2025.
• Application:  Applications considered for funding MUST be submitted via MSGC’s online submission portal ‘Submittable’. https://michiganspacegrantconsortium.submittable.com.

Note: You are required to consult with and secure prior approval from your institution prior to submitting to MSGC

Program Description:

MSGC’s Hands-on NASA Oriented Experiences for Student Groups (HONES) supports active participation by student groups from MSGC-affiliated institutions that engage in hands-on, authentic, science and engineering problem-solving research and development related to NASA Mission Directorate challenges and NASA STEAM engagement priorities. Student group activities should align closely with NASA’s strategic interests as expressed in NASA’s 2022 Strategic Plan and the following areas of emphasis that NASA has specified for the Program Description.

Eligibility: An applicant may be a student representing a student group, a faculty/staff mentor for a student team, or a faculty advisor whose research group creates products that are launched into space. A faculty mentor is required for applications submitted by a student group. Women, under-represented minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Student groups currently receiving MSGC HONES support are eligible to reapply.

Student groups are encouraged to consult with their institution’s MSGC affiliate for guidance about eligible cost-share opportunities available at their home institution necessary to satisfy the 1:1 match. UM based student groups should reach out to MSGC directly at mispacegrant@umich.edu.

Merit: In evaluating applications, the primary merit factors are (i) the degree to which the proposed project matches the description in the pdf noted in Program Description, with preference given to projects linked directly to NASA itself, and (ii) the overall quality/clarity of the proposal.  Secondary merit criteria are related to faculty mentoring, budget, team diversity, interdisciplinary, and the likelihood of a positive outcome for student participants. If the application is for continuation funding, the progress report also contributes to the merit evaluation.

Details at a Glance:

• Award Amount: Up to $20,000 Requires 1:1 Match
• Submission Deadline:  November 13, 2024
• Period of Performance:  May 10, 2025 – December 31, 2025
• Award Announcement:  by March 1, 2025 with cost-reimbursable sub-award agreements expected to arrive at MSGC’s affiliated institutions by late Spring 2025.
• Application:  Applications considered for funding MUST be submitted via MSGC’s online submission portal ‘Submittable’. https://michiganspacegrantconsortium.submittable.com.

Note: You are required to consult with and secure prior approval from your institution prior to submitting to MSGC

Program Description:

Designed to lay the seeds of STEM workforce development by focusing on our youngest students, as well as their parents, guardians, and mentors. MSGC’s Educational Program opportunities support proposals from outreach institutions and organizations throughout the state as well as from affiliate institutions conducting programs and projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests as expressed in NASA’s 2022 Strategic Plan. Specifically, research focused on aerospace, space science, and earth system science.  Programs focused on other related science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, including educational research topics in STEAM, are also eligible to apply.

• Pre-College Education up to 5K Requires a 1:1 Match

Programs aimed at the pre-college level and in-service teacher professional development for individuals.

Supports projects that encourage and enrich the study of STEM for teachers and K-12 students through the development, implementation, and/or testing of activities or supplementary resources that meet the new Michigan K-12 science standards that are based upon the Next Generation Science Standards. Activities may include both in-classroom work as well as informal programs of long and short duration occurring outside the classroom.

• Informal Education/Public Outreach up to 5K Requires a 1:1 Match

Education in informal settings designed to increase learning and educate students, educators, and the broader public on STEAM content areas in order to expand the nation’s future STEM workforce

Supports conferences, workshops, publications, lecture series, non‐technical courses, science fairs, radio and television broadcasts, and other enrichment events that serve industry, state and local governments, non‐profit organizations, children, and adults with a focus on enhancing literacy and interest in STEM.

• Teacher Training up to 5K Requires a 1:1 Match

Promotes innovative higher education of pre‐service (college level) and in‐service teacher training.  Eligible activities include the development of courses and supplementary materials, entry‐level gateway courses, conferences, and workshops for in‐service and pre‐service teacher education.

• Special Initiative up to 5K with NO match required for Augmentation support

Augmentation grants are available to supplement funding for programs that target women, underrepresented minorities, rural, low-income and people with disabilities.

Eligibility: Participation in this program is open to (i) faculty members at MSGC affiliated institutions and (ii) representatives of nonsectarian educational or community organizations, statewide. For any one of the MSGC Educational Programs (Teacher Training, Pre-College, Public Outreach, and Augmented Support), the maximum award is $5,000. However, applicants may apply simultaneously for funding from more than one of the program areas. Multi-program awards are given for exceptional proposals that meet all requirements. Applications should justify the additional resources needed based on the scale of the project and clearly indicate which programs they are applying to on the application form. Applicants currently funded through these programs are welcome to reapply for continuation funding. Under-represented minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Merit: The merit of applications is judged based on primary and secondary criteria.  The primary merit criteria for all educational programs are (i) relevance to NASA’s strategic interests, (ii) clarity of the proposal, (iii) degree of focus on STEAM subjects, (iv) evaluation plan, and (v) the credentials of personnel.  Secondary merit criteria include the quality of the relationship between the budget and the statement of work (including narrative about how both Space Grant funds and the matching funds will be used to carry out the project), involvement with underrepresented populations (specifically women, minorities, and persons with disabilities), and the clarity of the cost-sharing mechanism.  If the application is for continuation funding, the progress report also contributes to the merit evaluation.

Additional merit criteria specific to individual programs are:

• Pre-College Education: Alignment with state and national education standards
• Public Outreach: Likelihood of stimulating STEAM literacy and interest
• Teacher Training: Potential to promote innovative training
• Augmentation: Anticipated success in involving underrepresented populations and effective use of budget