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Undergraduate Aerospace Design Research

Announcement of Opportunity

Applications Open: December 2, 2022
Submission Deadline: February 20, 2023 Extended to March 24, 2023
Award Announcements: March 31, 2023
Work Period: June 1, 2023 – August 11, 2023 (In-Person)
                     September 15, 2023 (Proceedings Paper Deadline)

Undergraduate Aerospace Design Research Scholarship Program - Announcement of Opportunity

Awards

*$4,000 stipend – student research scholarship (maximum four (4) students)
*$5,000 stipend – student research scholarship team lead (one (1) returning student)
Lodging at the Milwaukee School of Engineering dorms or a commuter parking pass (optional)

* Based on availability of funds.

Purpose

The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) is looking for 4-5 full-time students from affiliate member institution majoring in a science or engineering discipline to join the planetary exploration team of our undergraduate aerospace design program. Interested students do not need to have experience, a pre-formed team, or an initial idea for a project. Interested students do need the desire to work with other students to conceive of and carry out a project. WSGC will form the team and provide a mentor.

Program

The Student Satellite Initiatives Undergraduate Aerospace Design Research Program is an innovative NASA project that provides students an opportunity to develop planetary exploration experiments in a project environment. Selected students will form a collaborative team of science and engineering specialists, whose task will be to ­design and build a payload to be operated as part of a mobile robotic platform. Students will be expected to define an important science question or set of questions that might be addressed by a planetary exploration platform; and then with the assistance of mentors, design and build a science-driven payload. Students will design and build the science experiments to operate in this environment; deploy their payload; manipulate it as it interacts with its selected environment; retrieve the system; and analyze the resulting data. The role of the team lead will be to assist the Student Satellite Initiatives Associate Director in administering the project design and deployment aspects of the program.

Work Period

Students will be project team members for the period from approximately June 1, 2023, to September 15, 2023. The start time is based on the end of spring term. Elijah Balloon team members will present their results at the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference to be held at BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute in Fitchburg, Wisconsin on August 12, 2023.

Location

Meetings of the team will take place in either Milwaukee or occasionally in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Students must be able to provide their own transportation.

To Apply:

Application Requirements:

Applicants who meet the following requirements can apply for this scholarship by registering and applying online at spacegrant.carthage.edu/about/login:

  • U.S. citizen
  • At least a Sophomore standing as of Fall 2023 and must be enrolled through December 2023 (Students enrolled in a two-year program who declare their plan to be enrolled at a WSGC Affiliate University at the end of their sophomore year are also eligible to apply)
  • Enrolled full-time in, admitted to, or applied to any undergraduate program at a WSGC college or university
  • Majoring in a science or engineering discipline
  • Minimum 2.5 GPA (Proposals that include a GPA of less than 2.5 will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis)
  • A strong interest in the success of the project. Motivation is more important than experience, with self-motivation and the ability to complete work with minimal supervision being absolutely critical.
  • Completed application online (see Supporting Materials Required with Application below)
  • Team lead applicants must have experience that can demonstrate readiness to perform as the student team lead on this project.

NOTE: After the submission deadline, WSGC may request an individual interview via phone or Zoom.

Supporting Materials Required with Application:

  1. Letter of Interest
  2. Resume
  3. Two faculty references (Names, Emails, and Phone Numbers)

See Tools & Tips for more information on how to create business correspondence and a resume.

The Consortium invites applications for the Elijah Balloon Scholarship Program for the 2022-2023 academic year. For consideration, application forms must be complete and be accompanied by supporting documentation. The Consortium especially encourages applications from members of minority groups, women, and persons with disabilities, and from those pursuing interdisciplinary aerospace studies in, but not limited to, engineering, the sciences, architecture, law, business, nursing and medicine. Award winners will be chosen based on academic performance, aerospace-related promise, and the demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in STEM/aerospace. The diverse scientific and engineering needs of the team will also be considered.

Current and Past Award Recipients

Award Acceptance Components:

As part of the award acceptance, you will be required to attend the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference in August 2023 and submit the following documents on the WSGC website under Program Applications/Your Applications:

  • Award Acceptance Letter
  • W9 (Carthage College award recipients submit a W4 and I9)
  • Media Release Form
  • One-Paragraph Biography
  • Professional Photo
  • Interim Report
  • 2-3 Project Photos (optional 1-minute video) Featuring Awardee w/Project
  • Final Report

Complete the following tasks:

  • Office of Education Survey must be completed by December 15, 2023
  • Present Project at the Annual Wisconsin Space Conference in August
  • Submit a Proceeding Paper by Sept. 15 th to the Proceedings of the Wisconsin Space Journal
  • Submit a Student Story

Questions?

Please direct questions about the Undergraduate Aerospace Design Research Scholarship Program to:

William Farrow, Ph.D., P.E.
Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
Associate Director for Student Satellite Initiatives
Phone: 414-277-2241
E-mail: farroww@msoe.edu

Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
Carthage College
2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha WI 53140
Phone: 262-551-6054
E-mail: spacegrant@carthage.edu

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