2010-2011 Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program
The 2010 Application Period has closed.

Each year, NC Space Grant awards Undergraduate Research Scholarships to students attending its member institutions who are pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields that support NASA’s mission. This competitively awarded program engages the future STEM workforce in basic and/or applied aerospace-related research projects and facilitates the development of mentor relationships between students, faculty and the NASA community.

The Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program requires that students participate in an active, identified research activity in STEM that has aerospace and NASA applications. The research must be supervised by a faculty mentor and may be conducted on the home campus or at an industrial or government facility. The research activity should be continuous and may be conducted anytime during the academic year, summer (defined as a minimum of 10 weeks) or both.

Awards are made annually and are renewable for one year for students making satisfactory academic and research progress. This is a competitive scholarship program supported by NASA and the State of North Carolina. Awards are based on merit recognizing high academic achievement and promise. (Examples of exemplary Undergraduate Research Scholarship applications)

Award Levels

Academic year: $4,000
Summer on-campus: $5,000
Summer off-campus at a NASA center, industry or other research facility: $6,000

Applicants must indicate on their application whether they are applying for an academic, summer on-campus, or summer internship (NASA center, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute*, or industry) award. *For students interested in applying for an internship at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), please review projects here.

Eligibility Requirements

• Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics (STEM) discipline of interest to NASA or aerospace industry.
• Enrolled as a full-time student and classified as a junior or senior at a NC Space Grant member university during the 2010-2011 academic year. Students enrolled in an accredited Dual Engineering Degree program are also eligible to apply – please select the appropriate partnering NC Space Grant member university on your application.
• Conducting a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance.
• In good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0).

Applicants are eligible to receive a total of two Undergraduate Research Scholarships during their academic studies.

Please review the FAQ page for more information.

Applying for an Undergraduate Research Scholarship

The 2010 Application Period has closed.

Applicants must click new user registration button to begin application
APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 P.M. EST February 25, 2010
(Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the reference by March 1, 2010)
Awards will be announced by early April 2010.

Interested students must complete an online application (see link above). Please read all program guidelines including applicant eligibility and reporting requirements before submitting your application. The application must be submitted online and all information must be complete or the application will not be reviewed. The key components of the application are discussed in more detail below.

• Description of proposed research project: A statement written by the student in consultation with the advisor should describe: the key elements of the proposed research and plan of study; what he/she intends to accomplish; and, identify any aerospace and NASA application of the proposed research activity. The selection committee is made up of university faculty in a variety of disciplines. Applicants should present their research project in a way that will be understandable to a range of readers.
• Faculty Recommendations: Applicants will also provide the names and contact information for two references of which one must be the student's faculty mentor. NC Space Grant will contact both references via email to request a letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant. References will be provided with a link to submit the recommendation. For the application to be complete, both letters of recommendation must be submitted by the mentioned due date. NC Space Grant suggests that applicants contact the references listed and inform them that they will receive an email requesting this information on their behalf (applications@spacegrant.org).
• University transcripts: Unofficial transcripts from all institutions and from the current institution with grades through Fall 2009 are required and can be submitted as a PDF in the online application. Applicants must submit one transcript from each institution of higher education attended, whether as an undergraduate or graduate student. If the applicant is selected to receive the award, official transcripts will be required at time of acceptance. If the applicant does not have a PDF conversion tool, links to free on-line PDF converters are provided within the application.

Awardee Requirements

• Participate in the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) to be held November 21, 2010 at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Participation includes an oral or poster presentation at SNCURCS and active involvement throughout entire symposium.
• Share their research experiences in public forums or educational settings. Presentations that encourage interest in aerospace careers and research to high school students are of particular interest to NC Space Grant;
• Provide a photo and biographical information upon selection;
• Inform the Consortium of changes of address; and
• Respond to academic and employment follow-up surveys administered by NC Space Grant as required by NASA.

For questions, please contact:
Tom Knott, Technology and Communications Specialist
NC Space Grant
1009 Capability Drive, Suite 210
NC State University
Campus Box 7515
Raleigh, NC 27695-7515
tom_knott@ncsu.edu
(919) 515-4240

Previous Student Award Recipients: 03-04 | 04-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08