STEM Education and Workforce Development Funding Opportunity Announced
ISS National Lab Soliciting Research Proposals for Evaluation
The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory is soliciting research to leverage the orbiting outpost for education programs and training for space-focused careers. This ISS National Lab Research Announcement (NLRA) is open to U.S.-based institutions (academic, commercial, government, or not-for-profit) with a vested interest in workforce development and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The solicitation has up to $600,000 total allocated funding, with the expectation to award four to five projects.
Proposals must seek to create or expand education programs, projects, or public-private partnerships that leverage the space station or space-based research to engage post-secondary students (including colleges, universities, community or junior colleges, and vocational institutions), enhance K-12 learning, or provide professional development experiences for formal and informal educators.
Concepts submitted in response to this announcement must specifically state how proposed initiatives will target and reach underrepresented demographics. Proposals for flight projects must include a statement defining how the scientific aims will benefit from being evaluated in space.
For example, a project awarded through a prior education-focused NLRA allowed Oklahoma State University, in collaboration with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Boeing, to study the effects of spaceflight on Choctaw heirloom seeds. The seeds are currently on the space station, where they will be exposed to microgravity and space radiation for several months. Upon return, Choctaw students will plant the space-flown seeds alongside seeds that remained on Earth. They will make predictions about the growth of the seeds and observe the plants as they develop in an effort to inspire Native American students to pursue STEM-related careers.
The ISS National Lab will host an informational webinar for this solicitation on March 7, 2024, at 1 p.m. EST. Through the webinar, educational institutions, organizations, and companies interested in workforce development can review the objectives of the research announcement, discuss educational opportunities related to the space station, and ask questions. To register, please visit the webinar registration page.
This research announcement will follow a two-step proposal submission process. Before being invited to submit a full proposal, all interested investigators must first submit a Step 1: Concept Summary for review. Step 1: Concept Summaries must be submitted by end of day on April 24, 2024. Step 2: Full Proposals (from those invited to submit) will be due by end of day July 1, 2024.