80NSSC20M0047

Kentucky Space Grant Consortium (KSGC) is a diverse group of 28 affiliates across the state. They utilize a portfolio-of-programs approach and best practices to set students and faculty on pathways of opportunities towards aerospace-related career goals. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a skilled, high-performing, and diverse workforce that meets the emerging needs of NASA and Kentucky.

KSGC programs primarily engage competitively-selected participants in STEM education and training at the post-secondary level. These programs are complemented by pipeline pre-college programs. The diversity of students, faculty, and institutional types is essential and integral to this approach. Purposeful efforts are made to reach potential participants and inspire them to enter and persist along their pathway of opportunities. Alignment with NASA Mission Directorates (ARMD, HEOMD, SMD, STMD) and OSTEM is required for all programs.

Funding for the 2020-2024 Space Grant cycle will be used to implement the KSGC programs and themes described in the following proposal. These programs include NASA Internships and Fellowships (NIFS), which encompass NASA Center Internships (NCI) and Kentucky Industry Internships (KII). Additionally, there are Graduate Fellowships (GF) and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). These programs offer a flexible set of hands-on NASA-aligned training to establish individual student pathways of opportunities. Interns are guided by a NASA or industry mentor and gain experience working with technical professionals in support of NASA's missions or with aerospace companies in Kentucky. Graduate fellowships and REU projects provide research-based training and interaction with an advisor, including stipend, materials, travel, and tuition support for graduate students.

Higher education funding is a primary objective of KSGC. It is designed to support competitive awards in multiple areas of resource needs for higher education institutions affiliated with KSGC. Team projects (TP) support faculty-mentored experiences focused on authentic hands-on design in science and engineering. These projects aim to inspire innovation and may involve participation in team competitions and flight opportunities. Enhanced mini-grants (EMG) support a wide array of postsecondary projects aligned with Kentucky and NASA priorities under higher education goals. Research initiation awards (RIA) support early-career faculty proposing research and building NASA connections. This serves as an entry point to the NASA KY faculty pathway of opportunity, where faculty can apply for increasingly challenging research awards to enhance their proposal and research skills and develop student-mentoring abilities.

Pre-college education programs provide educational opportunities at various sites across Kentucky. These programs aim to attract and retain students while also developing educator content knowledge in NASA-related STEM disciplines. Mini-grants (MG) support a wide variety of pre-college opportunities, including STEM camps, competitions, K-12 teacher training, as well as museum-based astronomy and aerospace programs. Enhanced mini-grants (EMG) also support a wide array of projects aligned with Kentucky and NASA priorities under pre-college objectives.

The consortium has chosen three current strategic themes: Data + Science, Earth + Space, and Aerospace + Innovation. These themes allow for multiple programs to be unified in a portfolio approach. This approach can be balanced to serve an array of state and national aerospace needs through competitive selection and careful management of project awards.

Program evaluation data is drawn from two primary sources: NASA Kentucky Student Information Forms (SIF) and Principal Investigator (PI) reports of project results, including numbers of participants, publications, and presentations. Program data is reported to NASA via the Office of Education Performance Management (OEPM) and Annual Program Data (APD). Program evaluation utilizes smart metrics such as diversity and number of awards.

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation

KENTUCKY SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM (KSGC) A DIVERSE GROUP OF 28 AFFILIATES ACROSS THE STATE USES A PORTFOLIO-OF-PROGRAMS APPROACH ANDBEST PRACTICES TO SET STUDENTS AND FACULTY ON PATHWAYS OF OPPORTUNITIES TOWARDS AEROSPACE-RELATED CAREER GOALS WITH A GOAL OF CONTRIBUTING TO A SKILLED HIGH-PERFORMING AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE THAT MEETS THE EMERGING NEEDS OF NASA AND KENTUCKY. KSGC PROGRAMS ENGAGE COMPETITIVELY-SELECTED PARTICIPANTS IN STEM EDUCATION AND TRAINING PRIMARILY AT THE POST-SECONDARY LEVEL WITH COMPLEMENTARY PIPELINE PRE-COLLEGE PROGRAMS. DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS FACULTY AND INSTITUTIONAL TYPES IS ESSENTIAL AND INTEGRAL TO THIS APPROACH. PURPOSEFUL EFFORTS ARE MADE TO REACH POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS AND INSPIRE THEM TO ENTER AND PERSIST ALONG THEIR PATHWAY OF OPPORTUNITIES. NASA MISSION DIRECTORATE (ARMD HEOMD SMD STMD) AND OSTEM ALIGNMENT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL PROGRAMS. FUNDING FOR THE 2020-2024 SPACE GRANT CYCLE WILL BE USED TO IMPLEMENT THE KSGC PROGRAMS AND THEMES DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL: NASA INTERNSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS (NIFS) INCLUDING NASA CENTER INTERNSHIPS (NCI) AND KENTUCKY INDUSTRY INTERNSHIPS (KII) ALONG WITH GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS (GF) ANDRESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES (REU) OFFER A FLEXIBLE SET OF HANDS-ON NASA-ALIGNED TRAINING TO ESTABLISH INDIVIDUAL STUDENTPATHWAYS OF OPPORTUNITIES. FOR INTERNSHIPS THE INTERN''S EFFORT IS GUIDED BY A NASA OR INDUSTRY MENTOR AND SERVES TO ADVANCE THE STUDENT''S KNOWLEDGE TO PROVIDE THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS IN SUPPORT OF NASA''S MISSIONS OR WITH ESTABLISHED OR STARTUP AEROSPACE COMPANIES IN KENTUCKY. GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES PROJECTS PROVIDE 1-ON-1 RESEARCH-BASED TRAINING AND INTERACTION WITH AN ADVISOR INCLUDING STIPEND MATERIALS TRAVEL AND TUITION FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS.HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING IS A PRIMARY KSGC OBJECTIVE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT COMPETITIVE AWARDS IN MULTIPLE AREAS OF RESOURCE NEEDS FORKSGC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS. TEAM PROJECTS (TP) SUPPORT FACULTY-MENTORED EXPERIENCES FOCUSED ON AUTHENTIC HANDS-ON DESIGN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING TO INSPIRE INNOVATION INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN TEAM COMPETITIONS AND FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES. ENHANCED MINI-GRANTS (EMG) SUPPORT A WIDE-ARRAY OF POSTSECONDARY PROJECTS ALIGNED WITH KENTUCKY AND NASA PRIORITIES UNDER HIGHER EDUCATION GOALS. RESEARCH INITIATION AWARDS (RIA) SUPPORT EARLY-CAREER FACULTY PROPOSING RESEARCH AND BUILDING NASA CONNECTIONS AS ONE ENTRY POINTTO THE NASA KY FACULTY PATHWAY OF OPPORTUNITY WHERE FACULTY CAN APPLY FOR INCREASINGLY-CHALLENGING RESEARCH AWARDS TO HONE THEIR PROPOSAL AND RESEARCH SKILLS AND DEVELOP STUDENT-MENTORING ABILITIES. PRE-COLLEGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AT SITES ACROSS KENTUCKY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN STUDENTS AS WELL AS DEVELOP EDUCATOR CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN NASA-RELATED STEM DISCIPLINES. MINI-GRANTS (MG) PROVIDE A WIDE VARIETY OF PRE-COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDING STEM CAMPS AND COMPETITIONS K-12 TEACHER TRAINING AS WELL AS MUSEUM-BASED ASTRONOMY AND AEROSPACE PROGRAMS. ENHANCED MINI-GRANTS (EMG) SUPPORT A WIDE-ARRAY OF PROJECTS ALIGNEDWITH KENTUCKY AND NASA PRIORITIES UNDER PRE-COLLEGE OBJECTIVES. THREE CURRENT STRATEGIC THEMES CHOSEN BY THE CONSORTIUM ARE DATA +SCIENCE EARTH + SPACE AND AEROSPACE + INNOVATION. THESE THEMES ENABLE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS TO BE UNIFIED IN A PORTFOLIO APPROACH THAT CAN BE BALANCED TO SERVE AN ARRAY OF STATE AND NATIONAL AEROSPACE NEEDS THROUGH COMPETITIVE SELECTION AND CAREFUL MANAGEMENT OF PROJECT AWARDS. PROGRAM EVALUATION DATA IS DRAWN FROM TWO PRIMARY SOURCES: NASA KENTUCKY STUDENT INFORMATION FORMS (SIF) AND PI REPORTS OF PROJECT RESULTS INCLUDING NUMBERS OF PARTICIPANTS PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS. PROGRAM DATA IS REPORTED TO NASA VIA OEPMAND APD. PROGRAM EVALUATION USES SMART METRICS SUCH AS DIVERSITY AND NUMBER OF AWARDS.

43.008 - Office of Stem Engagement (OSTEM)

Shared Services Center (NSSC) [NASA]

Lexington, Kentucky 40526-0001 United States

Single Zip Code

National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program - Opportunities in NASA STEM FY 2020 – 2024 (NNH19ZHA001C)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 02/03/24 to 02/03/26 and the total obligations have increased 1119% from $350,000 to $4,267,101.