This fiscal year (April 1, 2009 – March 31, 2010) the California Space Grant Consortium will provide fellowships totaling $40,000 (individual awards of $5,000-$7,000) to support UCSD graduate students for aerospace-related research in the designated research theme area of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their associated science payload sensors and technology.

These graduate student fellowship opportunities are for students in aerospace-related science, engineering, technology, and management. This program will act as a catalyst to focus a campus-wide interdisciplinary team’s (particularly 1st and 2nd year graduate students) attention on the science and engineering opportunities involved in the U.S. aerospace program. The Fellowship Program guidelines are as follows:

• Graduate students must be U.S. citizens for Space Grant awards;
• Each fellowship application is reviewed by a CaSGC selection committee and awards are made on a competitive basis. Priority will be given to 1st and 2nd year graduate students over students who have received previous awards;
• CaSGC encourages aerospace science and engineering graduate students, particularly underrepresented ethnic groups and females, to apply;
• Each award recipient is encouraged to mentor within the campus minority engineering and science programs and in the Space Grant Outreach Programs;
• Award recipients must provide a summary report at the end of the fellowship award period. This report must be submitted electronically to spacegrant@ucsd.edu;
• All award recipients will be “longitudinally” tracked after graduation to assess the impact of the fellowship awards on career choices.

Application Period:  November 19, 2009 – January 5, 2010

To download the full announcement and view application instructions please click here.

Click the link to read the full story:
http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2009/11/12/News/Students.Aim.For.Stars-3828529.shtml

Saturday’s high altitude balloon launch took place near the southern tip of the Salton Sea near the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. This change in location (originally scheduled to be Plaster City) was a result of weather prediction simulations showing where the winds would take our balloon and payloads. On the morning of the launch, the winds were headed south-east and we therefore shifted the launch site to avoid having our balloon and payload cross the U.S. – Mexico border.

UCSD faculty, students, and staff worked closely with teachers and students from The Preuss School, Lincoln High School, Helix Charter High School, and El Cajon Valley High School. All worked hard at incorporating their payloads in preparation for the launch and in working hands-on with mentors from UCSD. The students showed much spirit and braved the warm temperatures of the desert with gusto.

After the balloon was launched the teachers and students waited patiently for the return of their payloads. Lincoln High School put on a barbecue, students observed desert plant life, played football and board games, and watched UCSD Aerospace Engineers perform real-time tracking of the balloon using GPS and mapping software.

Results for the launch will be shared next week with the teachers and students. We commend everyone for their hard work and great spirit during this exciting day.

This activity was sponsored by the California Space Grant Consortium, a NASA-funded organization providing hands-on student-mentor experiences in Science and Engineering.

To view photos taken during Saturday’s launch, CLICK  HERE.

Help Recruit Students for NCAS

Please help identify community college students you believe will benefit from this program and encourage them to apply by visiting our website. Students must complete online applications by December 15, 2009. If you would like brochures to distribute, please email jsc-ae-cas@mail.nasa.gov with your name, school name, school address and how many brochures you would like.

What is NCAS?

An interactive, online learning experience where students complete Web-based lessons during the school year and travel to NASA for a three-day (May 20-22, 2010) experience where they work with NASA engineers and scientists developing a proposal for a fictitious Martian rover.

Who is Eligible?

Community college students from across the nation (must be US citizens).

Who pays for NCAS?

There is a one time, non-refundable $30 registration fee (due at the time of acceptance); all travel (up to $1000), room, and food is included.

Student Benefits

*   All-expense paid trip to NASA for workshop

*   Network with other community college students from across the nation

*   Discover career opportunities at NASA

Students Apply Online Now! https://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/NCAS/

NASA announces a call for graduate fellowship proposals to the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) program for the 2010-2011 academic year.  This call for fellowship proposals solicits applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines.  The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals.  Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be made in the form of training grants to the respective universities.

The deadline for NEW applications is February 1, 2010, and the deadline for RENEWAL applications is March 15, 2010.

The NESSF call for proposals and submission instructions are located at the NESSF 09 solicitation index page at:

–http://nspires.nasaprs.com/

–Click on “Solicitations”

–Then click on “Open Solicitations”

–Then select the “NESSF 10″ announcement.

Also refer to “Proposal Submission Instructions” listed under “Other Documents” on the NESSF 10 solicitation index page.

All proposals must be submitted in electronic format only through the NASA NSPIRES system.  The advisor has an active role in the submission of the fellowship proposal.  To use the NSPIRES system, the advisor, the student, and the university must all register.  Extended instructions on how to submit an electronic proposal package are posted on the NESSF 10 solicitation index page listed above.  You can register in NSPIRES at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/. For further information contact Russell Deyoung, Program Administrator for NESSF Earth Science Research, Telephone: (757) 864-1472, E-mail: larc-nessf-Earth@lists.nasa.gov or Dolores Holland, Program Administrator for NESSF Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research, and Astrophysics Research, Telephone: (202) 358-0734, E-mail: hq-nessf-Space@nasa.gov.

• NASA Undergraduate Student Research Project Spring and Summer 2010 Sessions
• 2009 NASA Postdoctoral Program Accepting Applications
• 2010 RASC-AL Competition for College Students
• National Space Biomedical Research Institute Announces Opportunities for College Students
• Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences
• National Space Biomedical Research Institute Summer Internship Program

NASA Undergraduate Student Research Project Spring and Summer 2010 Sessions

NASA’s Undergraduate Student Research Project is currently accepting applications for 15-week spring internships and 10-week summer 2009 internships. These internships offer students the opportunity to work alongside NASA scientists and engineers at NASA’s field centers, laboratories and test facilities.

Applicants must be sophomores, juniors or seniors with a 3.0 GPA. They must have an academic major or course work concentration in engineering, math, computer science, or physical or life sciences. Participants work on practical problems that will be applied in aerospace or on future NASA missions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

The application deadline for the spring 2010 internships is Oct. 23, 2009. Applications for the summer 2010 session are due Jan. 22, 2010.

For more information and to apply online, visit http://usrp.usra.edu .

2009 NASA Postdoctoral Program Accepting Applications

The NASA Postdoctoral Program provides talented postdoctoral scientists and engineers with valuable opportunities to engage in ongoing NASA research projects. The Postdoctoral Program serves as a source of talent to ensure the continued quality of the NASA research workforce. These one- to three-year fellowship appointments are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems and astrobiology.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctorate degree before beginning the fellowship. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship, Lawful Permanent Resident status, Employment Authorization Document with pending LPR status, or J-1 Visa status as a Research Scholar before beginning the fellowship. An H-1B Visa status is not acceptable because the NPP is not an employment program.

Stipend rates for Postdoctoral Fellows start at $50,000 per year. Moderate supplements are given for Ph.D. degrees in certain specialized fields, such as engineering, computer science, clinical space-biomedical science, etc., and for high cost-of-living areas. Funds are available for relocation expenses. Fellows also receive $8,000 per appointment year to support travel to conferences, meetings and other activities (i.e., travel to field sites or observatories to collect data or for required training) that directly support their research projects.

Applications for this opportunity are due on Nov. 1, 2009.

For further information about this opportunity and to apply online, visithttp://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm. Questions regarding this opportunity may be submitted by e-mail to nasapostdoc@orau.org.

2010 RASC-AL Competition for College Students

NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2010 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage Competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition aimed at university-level engineering students.

The RASC-AL contest challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA projects. These design projects could then potentially be implemented by NASA.

Student teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by Feb. 5, 2010. Their work must be based on one of four themes: lunar outpost to settlement, technology-enabled human Mars mission, bringing the world along with participatory exploration, and common lunar sortie / near-Earth object mission design. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as ten undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2010 in Florida.

The RASC-AL Program is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may also work in collaboration on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

For more information about this competition, visit http://www.nianet.org/rascal/index.html.

If you have questions about this competition, please contact Audrey Staples atAudrey.Staples@nianet.org.

National Space Biomedical Research Institute Announces Opportunities for College Students

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute seeks solutions to health concerns facing astronauts on long missions. This research also benefits patients on Earth. The NSBRI has two exciting opportunities for college students on several levels.

Graduate Education Program in Space Life Sciences

The NSBRI-sponsored training program in space life sciences enables students to work toward a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. at Texas A&M University and focus their research on space life sciences and fields related to the space initiative. Texas A&M is currently recruiting participants for fall 2010. Students will pursue doctoral degrees in kinesiology, nuclear engineering (health physics) or nutrition, or a M.D./Ph.D. or Ph.D. in medical sciences.

Application packages are due Feb. 15, 2010.

For more information, visit http://SLSGraduateProgram.tamu.edu.

National Space Biomedical Research Institute Summer Internship Program

The NSBRI’s summer program is for graduate or medical students and undergraduate students who have completed their second year of undergraduate studies. Applicants are asked to send a curriculum vitae or resume, a letter of interest indicating available dates during the summer, and two letters of recommendation. The program is open to U.S. citizens.

The deadline to apply for the 2010 program is Jan. 31, 2010.

For more information, visit http://www.nsbri.org/Education/SummerInternship.html. Questions about this opportunity should be directed to info@www.nsbri.org .

We have been funding two of our MAE students, Casey Barrett and David Hernandez, to work on aerospace projects this summer, including an interdisciplinary archeological balloon flight project with the Department of Anthropology (Professor Thomas Levy), Calit2, and the California Space Grant Consortium. Below is a description of the project, written by Professor Levy.

“The purpose of the Calit2 Archaeology Aerial Photography System (CAAPS) is to provide imagery of archeological excavations from a low altitude aerial perspective for digital site mapping and general photography needs. The system will be useful in the creation of a historical visual catalog that documents structures and important findings during the excavation. The system consists of helium filled urethane balloon positioned over the excavation. The balloon is tethered to the ground using a high strength SPECTRA line. Two Canon cameras are suspended from the balloon and remotely triggered via a wireless transmitter. In addition the cameras offer a real time live feed of the target (LiveView) that aids in the positioning of the balloon over the area.

The project is led by UCSD Aero Space undergraduates David Hernandez and Casey Barrett under the supervision of PI Prof. Tom Levy from the UCSD Department of Anthropology and Center for Interdisciplinary Science for Art, Architecture and Archaeology (CISA3) at Calit2. Levy secured the funding for this project through Calit2 which aims at deploying CAAPS in the fall at a major UCSD excavation in southern Jordan supported by the National Geographic Society. “

To learn more information on the archeological dig, visit the following website:
http://anthro.ucsd.edu/~tlevy/Archaeology_in_the_Levant/Home.html

Elena S. Amador is the California Student Ambassador for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. The International Year of Astronomy is a global program that aims to bring astronomy and all space sciences to a wider audience. Elena is currently a 4th year undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz where she is studying planetary sciences and astrophysics.

For her biography, click here.

For the IYA website, click here.