Scholarship for STEM Students at MSIs Offered a Second Year
To encourage talented students from traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations (e.g., women, minorities and persons with disabilities) to pursue STEM related careers, NC Space Grant is excited to offer the STEM Bridge Scholarship for Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) Students for a second year. Through this scholarship, NC Space Grant aims to increase support to students who will bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences to the STEM fields of the future.
This newer program was designed as a bridge for traditionally underrepresented students to increase their exposure to NASA opportunities and internships, and serves to connect these students with NC Space Grant-supported faculty mentors, as well as a NASA mentor.
Because this scholarship is geared towards first-, second- and third-year undergraduates, it is designed to be more of a learning experience of the different career pathways NASA offers and less of a basic or applied STEM research project. Through this scholarship, NC Space Grant hopes to introduce students early in their academic careers to our Undergraduate Research Scholarships, Graduate Research Fellowships and other NASA-related programs.
NC Space Grant expanded the scholarship this year to include third-year (junior) undergraduate students.
Applicants must be currently enrolled as a full-time first-year, second-year or third-year student (minimum 12 credit hours) at one of the accredited Minority Serving Institution (MSI) or Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in North Carolina listed below:
- Bennett College
- Elizabeth City State University
- Fayetteville State University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- Livingstone College
- North Carolina A&T University
- North Carolina Central University
- St. Augustine’s College
- Shaw University
- UNC-Pembroke
- Winston-Salem State University
Applications are due Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, by 5:00pm. A faculty letter of recommendation is due on Wednesday, Oct. 7, by 5:00pm.
Tiffany Bramblett takes a break outside in her laboratory gear. Bramblett is studying energy storage. 
NASA Glenn scientist Nancy Hall spoke with Bramblett and another STEM Bridge Scholar, Terrill Jones of NC A&T University.
The 2019-20 STEM Bridge Scholars conducted research into NASA Mission Directorates, spoke with researchers at their home institutions and had the chance to speak via webinar with Nancy Hall, a scientist at Glenn Research Center, about STEM career opportunities at NASA.
University of North Carolina Pembroke student Tiffany Bramblett, one of the 2019 scholarship recipients, shared that her scholarship project opened her eyes to the wide variety of research and internship opportunities within NASA.
Bramblett is a chemistry major with an interest in batteries. Through her STEM Bridge Scholarship work, she learned about the work NASA is currently doing in battery science. She also learned about the annual Aerospace Battery Workshop at Marshall Space Flight Center, which she now plans to attend one day, to network and expand her knowledge of energy storage.
When asked what advice she would give to students considering applying for the scholarship, Bramblett says to “open your mind to the possibilities beyond what you are doing on campus. Keep pushing forward and challenge yourself.”
Learn more and apply on the STEM Bridge Scholarship program page here.
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