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Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program

Overview

Each year, North Carolina 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 conducted during summer 2018 (defined as a minimum of 10 weeks) or during the 2019–20 Academic Year (Fall 2019 – Spring 2020).

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 Level

Summer 2019:  $6,000

Academic Year (2019–20): $6,000

Eligibility Requirements

The Undergraduate Research Scholarship applicant must be:

  • 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 at a NC Space Grant member university during the 2019-20 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.

To Apply for an Undergraduate Research Scholarship, click HERE.

  • Applicants must click new user registration button to begin application.
  • APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 P.M. EST April 15, 2019.
  • Letter of recommendation must be submitted by faculty research mentor by April 19, 2019.

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 Recommendation: Applicants will provide the name and contact information for his/her faculty research mentor. NC Space Grant will contact mentor via email to request a letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant. Mentor will be provided with a link to submit the recommendation. For the application to be complete, recommendation must be submitted by the mentioned due date. NC Space Grant suggests that applicants contact the reference 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 2016 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

The Undergraduate Research Scholar must:

  • Submit a final research report to NC Space Grant.
  • Present a poster at the NC Space Grant SPACE Conference in Spring 2020.
  • 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.
  • Inform the Consortium of changes of address.
  • Respond to academic and employment follow-up surveys administered by NC Space Grant as required by NASA.

For questions, please contact:

Jobi Cook, Associate Director
NC Space Grant
850 Main Campus Drive
Toxicology Building, Suite 105
NC State University
Campus Box 7515
Raleigh, NC 27695-7515
jobi_cook@ncsu.edu
(919) 515-5933