Industry Internship Program

Applications Open: October 1, 2022
Application Deadline: Rolling
Award Announcements: Rolling

Wisconsin aeronautics and aerospace industry partners are eligible to request funding to help support Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium full-time students for internships and apprenticeships. Internships and apprenticeships are considered educational work opportunities. These opportunities engage students with real-world experience.

Industry Internship¹: $5000 award (1:1 match required*)
Technical Apprenticeship ² : $2500 award (1:1 match required*)**

¹ Positions recommended to be filled with students attending a four-year academic institution.
² Positions recommended to be filled with students attending a two-year academic institution.
* (i.e. 50% of the total student direct salary or wages).
** First time applicants match requirement is optional.

To provide internship and apprenticeship programs for new and ongoing projects that have space-related content to support Wisconsin industry initiatives.  

• be in a space/aerospace field.
• be for students attending a WSGC member academic affiliate.
• be granted to students working toward a degree or technical certification.
• provide a clear objective and technical approach to the work description.
• meet a minimum threshold of 400 contact hours (time spent on completion under mentors’ direction)

• Register on the WSGC website (https://spacegrant.carthage.edu/about/login/). Returning applicants will be prompted to update personal information annually.
• Sign in and submit the Grant Application Form (applicants may apply to multiple funding programs) and supporting documents.

Online Application: Online applications will include the following summaries:

• The internship or apprenticeship opportunity.
• The intern or apprentice supervisor job title and brief resume.
• A work description discussing the objective, technical approach, and background.
• A work plan describing individual tasks, percentage of total internship or apprenticeship opportunity hours, and expected outcomes.
• The internship or apprenticeship opportunity’s correlation to WSGC’s goal of “career placement within the aerospace industry in Wisconsin.”
• The internship or apprenticeship opportunity’s connections to NASA’s mission and specific NASA centers.
  Note: Recipients of internships or apprenticeships will be expected to provide a report on their experience and to present at the WSGC Annual Conference if possible. Please take Conference expenses into consideration when developing a budget.

• Wisconsin-based company (large or small business, incorporated for profit).
• A match as outlined in the Award categories.
• A detailed job description, outlining the benefits of the internship/apprenticeship to the hired student.
• Show clear alignment with Detail how this project aligns with the goals of one or more NASA Directorates or Centers. Please be specific (Aeronautics Research, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Science, Science Technology, Other). WSGC is required to demonstrate the alignment of each of our projects with NASA Directorate or Center goals, proposals that do not demonstrate such alignment will not be funded.
• Post the job opportunity on the WSGC website.
• All student interns must be a U.S. Citizen.

Tasks/Schedule with Milestones: Describe in detail the internship project schedule with tasks and milestones (Excel, Gantt Chart, Project Management Program, etc.)

Describe in detail the use of the funds for the proposed project, then estimate the total project costs (direct costs only), and other contributors and their contributed match amount(s) using the Grant Budget Proposal and Invoice Reporting Template Form.

*A minimum 1:1 match is required. Add more match columns if there is more than one source of matching funds. Indicate the source of each match. **Salaries and Fringe budgets should include the following details: name/position, number of hours, hourly rate, and fringe calculation rates.
***WSGC financially supports travel to and from the Wisconsin Space Conference only if expenses are included in this budget proposal. Travel details should include purpose, location, and duration.
****WSGC will not fund overhead; however, it may be counted as part of the organization’s 1:1 project match.
*****The proposed budget should be established for a 9-month funding period, with all invoices submitted to WSGC within a one-year period from the award date.

NASA (WSGC is a NASA-funded organization) does not accept the purchase of capital items as a reasonable use of funds for this program. Consult the applicant’s institutional policies on what constitutes a capital purchase. Visits by active astronauts cannot be funded as these visits are generally arranged through the Astronaut Office and are typically free of charge to the requesting organization. Field trips will only be considered as a minor component of a project, and only if they are necessary to the project goals.

Mentor/Organization

Please direct questions about the Industry Internship Program to:

Robert Morrow, Ph.D.
Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
Associate Director for Industry Programs
Sierra Space Corporation
Phone: (608) 229-2728
E-mail: Robert.Morrow@sierraspace.com