Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program

The VSGC Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program provides awards of up to $8,500 to rising juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time in a program of study in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance.

Awards are one-year, non-renewable scholarships limited to a $3,000 student stipend during the 2010–2011 academic year and a $3,500 stipend during summer 2010 or 2011 (must be specified in application). Students may request an additional $1,000 research allocation for materials and travel to support research activities conducted during the academic year and/or a $1,000 research allocation during the summer.

The maximum award per year cannot exceed $8,500. This is a competivite scholarship program, funded by NASA and the Commonwealth of Virginia contributions, with the goals of:

• Promoting undergraduate aerospace research while recognizing high academic achievement and promise
• Increasing participation of underrepresented minorities, females and students with disabilities in aerospace-related careers
• Implementing the goals of the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Application

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 P.M. EST FEBRUARY 8, 2010
(Letters of recommendation must be received by February 15, 2010)

Eligibility:

• Must be U.S. citizen
• Must enrolled as a full-time student (minimum 12 credit hours) at one of the five Virginia Space Grant Consortium member institutions
• Must have completed at least two years of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) undergraduate program and be a junior or senior during the 2010-2011 academic year (must have at least junior status by summer 2010 if choosing this option)
• Must be in a program of study demonstrating an interest in aerospace or supporting NASA’s mission
• Must have a grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Application Timeline:

Applications are due by February 8, 2010. Awards will be announced by early April 2010 with funding provided to students through the universities for the 2010–2011 academic year.

Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Application

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 P.M. EST FEBRUARY 8, 2010
(Letters of recommendation must be received by February 15, 2010)

Required Application Components:

• Statement of your academic goals – a brief statement written by the applicant relating to the reasons for his/her desire to enter a profession in a STEM field.
• Plan of study – an outline of intended coursework for the remainder of your undergraduate degree program (uploaded as attachment)
• Resume – submit a short summary of your career and qualifications, list any relevant education information and significant accomplishments (uploaded as attachment)
• Letters of Recommendation – provide the names and contact information for two references of which one must be the applicant’s current faculty advisor.  Letters of recommendation should assess the applicant’s potential as well as his/her progress and academic achievements.
  • The on-line application system will contact both references via email to request a letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant.  We suggest that you inform both of your references that they will receive an email from the VSGC in reference to your application.  Your references will be provided with a link to submit their recommendations.  We must receive both recommendations by the deadline for your scholarship application to be complete
• Transcript – An unofficial transcript with all grades through fall semester 2009 is required and can be submitted as a PDF in the online application.  If the applicant is selected to receive an award then an official transcript will be required at acceptance.  If the applicant does not have a PDF conversion tool, links to free on-line PDF converters are provided in the application (uploaded as attachment)

VSGC-supported Undergraduate STEM Research

For a list of research titles and abstracts recently funded by the VSGC through the Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program, visit the VSGC Student Research Conference web site.

Click here for a list of researchers from NASA and other organizations that you can contact to discuss potential research projects and ideas.

Sample research proposals that were awarded through the VSGC Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program.

Awardee Requirements

Awardees are required to participate in the VSGC’s Annual Student Research Conference to be held in late March or early April 2011. Participation includes attendance and active involvement throughout entire conference, a poster presentation (two 30-minute poster sessions), and submission of a research paper for inclusion in the conference proceedings.

Additionally, awardees must:

• provide a photo and biographical information upon selection;
• inform the Consortium of changes of address; and,
• respond to academic and employment follow-up surveys administed by VSGC as required by NASA.

Students may also be asked to share research experiences in public forums, classroom presentations and professional meetings. Presentations that encourage interest in aerospace and NASA careers and research to high school students are of particular interest to the Consortium.

Disposition of Unused Funds

If the scholarship recipient terminates his/her academic program during the 2010–2011 academic year, the University is required to return a prorated share of the scholarship award to the VSGC. Scholarship funds are not transferable.

For questions, please contact:

Virginia Space Grant Consortium
600 Butler Farm Road Suite 2253
Hampton, Virginia 23666
vsgc@odu.edu
Phone: 757/766-5210
Fax: 757/766-5205