U of A Graduate Fellowship Program

The University of Arizona Space Grant Graduate Fellowship program is open to graduate students who meet the following criteria:

• U.S. citizen per NASA (federal) funding guidelines
• Enrolled as a full-time graduate student at the University of Arizona during the Fall and Spring semesters of the award year. The awardee cannot graduate before May of the award period. Full time enrollment as defined by the U of A Graduate College is:
  • Minimum enrollment of 9 units of graduate credit each semester if taking coursework.
  • Minimum enrollment of 6 units of graduate credit each semester if concurrently on a graduate assistant/associate appointment (regardless of where you are in your time to degree). 
  • Minimum enrollment of 3 units of graduate credit each semester if you've completed coursework and are enrolled in 900 level only units (thesis-dissertation) and are not assigned a graduate assistant/associate appointment.
• Pursuing an advanced degree program of study in a STEM field. As long as the applicant is working towards a STEM degree, they are eligible to apply. For example, students pursuing any major from the College of Science, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Optical Sciences, College of Engineering, and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences are eligible to apply. As described in the Space Grant Act of 1988, the Space Grant Program supports any academic discipline or field of study that will improve the understanding, assessment, development, and utilization of space. This includes physical, natural, and biological sciences, and engineering, space technology, education, economics, sociology, communications, planning, law, international affairs, and public administration. 
• Receives support/commitment from their department and/or primary advisor to meet the cost-share requirements for this award, including at least $6,000 as a stipend or TA/RA/GA wages and in-state tuition coverage. 

Research track applicants are (or will be) conducting NASA-related research during the award period and are interested in receiving training on science communication and outreach. By the end of the award period, research track fellows must demonstrate their new or improved science communication and outreach skills by bringing their NASA-related research to the public through a public outreach project or similar project (conference presentation to local audiences, state audiences, K-12 outreach, professional meetings, etc.).

Outreach track applicants have a clearly defined educational outreach project that they would like to pursue during the award period. This project is focused on promoting NASA-related research to the public through knowledge transfer, technology transfer, science for society, and/or the promotion of STEM fields to those traditionally underrepresented in those areas.

Awards are funded with Space Grant and U of A Graduate College funds, plus a required department stipend and tuition commitment from the applying student’s faculty advisor and/or home department. In AY24-25, fellows will receive a $10,000 stipend from the U of A Graduate College, a $6,838 stipend from the Space Grant Program, and a department commitment of at least $6,000 as stipend or wages (wages can come in the form of TA/RA/GA appointments) for a total stipend of at least $22,838 plus full tuition coverage. In-state tuition is covered by the student’s home department, and out-of-state tuition costs are covered by the U of A Graduate College (if needed).

The Arizona NASA Space Grant Consortium (AZSGC) is part of The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, which was established by Congress in 1989. Space Grant contributes to the nation's science enterprise by implementing research, education, and public service projects through a national network of university-based Space Grant consortia. Space Grant consortia have been established in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Nationally, the Space Grant network has 850 affiliate members from academia, industry, government agencies, the military and nonprofit institutions. Twenty-nine of these are members and partners of Arizona's Space Grant Consortium. 

The University of Arizona NASA Space Grant Fellowship Program is just one of the many programs that AZSGC offers. The goals of the Fellowship Program are to encourage individuals to pursue graduate education in a STEM field, support NASA-related research happening at U of A, support scientific outreach and communication, and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the future STEM workforce. 

The University of Arizona NASA Space Grant Fellowship Program, in collaboration with the U of A Graduate College and the applicant's home department, funds up to six graduate fellowships per year to students pursuing STEM degrees at the University of Arizona. In AY24-25, awards will include full in- and out-of-state tuition coverage and a stipend of at least $22,838.

Application Tracks

The University of Arizona NASA Space Grant Fellowship Program is intended to support and retain outstanding graduate students pursuing STEM degrees. Space Grant Fellowships are competitively awarded and recognize students for their high achievements and academic merit. This includes their ability to communicate and present scientific research to the public, an important skill in sharing NASA's research with our community. The U of A Space Grant Program is offering two application tracks to receive a Space Grant Fellowship. These tracks include a "Research Track" and "Outreach Track", explained below. The U of A Space Grant Program will award up to 6 fellowships in total. The number of awards for each track will depend on the number of applications received. 

Research Track

The Space Grant Fellowship research track application is for U of A graduate students whose Master's or PhD fields of study are relevant to NASA's mission, and whose research is clearly aligned with one or more NASA mission directorates or topics of interest. Research track fellows are currently (or will be at the start of the award period) working on a faculty-mentored research project that has NASA STEM relevance. This research project must be NASA-related but does not need to be funded with a NASA grant. Applicants must obtain a letter support from their faculty mentor upon applying for this award, and faculty mentors must be affiliated with the University of Arizona. Space Grant Fellows on the research track will be required to participate in 20 hours of science communication and outreach activities each semester, including approximately 3-5 (1-hour) science communication and outreach workshops during the award period. By the end of the fellowship period, Space Grant Fellows on the research track must demonstrate their new or improved science communication and outreach skills by bringing their NASA-related research to the public through a public presentation or other similar project (conference presentation to local audiences, state audiences, K-12 outreach, professional meetings, etc).

Outreach Track

The Space Grant Fellowship outreach track application is for U of A graduate students interested in using their knowledge, skills, and interests in science communication and outreach to work on a proposed outreach project. Outreach track fellows have a clearly defined educational outreach project that they would like to pursue during the award period. Space Grant Fellows in the outreach track are interested in promoting the understanding of NASA-related research to the public. Applicants may establish a relationship with an organization or institution (i.e., a school, museum, park/forest, or an existing educational program) for their outreach project. This organization or institution does not have to be affiliated with the University of Arizona. Applicants identify an "outreach advisor" representing this organization or institution who will provide a letter of support on behalf of the applicant. Space Grant Fellows on the outreach track will be required to participate in approximately 3-5 (1-hour) science communication and outreach workshops during the award period. By the end of the fellowship, Space Grant Fellows on the outreach track should have completed their proposed outreach project. 

Both Tracks

Both research and outreach track applicants must obtain support from their home department and/or advisor to fund the required department cost-share for this award. This includes a department commitment of at least $6,000 as a stipend or wages (wages can come in the form of TA/RA/GA appointments) and in-state tuition coverage. 

Past Projects

View our alumni database to learn more about our past funded projects. Please note that AY23-24 was the first time we have included a research track application, so most alumni bios are outreach-focused.

Awards

In AY24-25, awards will include full in- and out-of-state tuition coverage and a stipend of at least $22,838. These awards are funded with Space Grant and U of A Graduate College monies, plus a required department cost-share from the applying student's home department. Specifically, awarded fellows will receive a $10,000 stipend from the Graduate College, a $6,838 stipend from the Space Grant Program, and a department commitment of at least $6,000 as stipend or wages (wages can come in the form of a TA/RA/GA appointment) for a total of $22,838. In-state tuition is covered by the student's home department, and out-of-state tuition costs are covered by the Graduate College (if needed). Mandatory U of A fees and student health insurance are not covered under this award (unless provided by the student's department) and are the responsibility of the Fellow.

Duration

Graduate fellowships are academic year-long awards. Fellows may apply for a second year of funding with sufficient evidence of effort exerted towards meeting their goals in the first year of the award. Fellows may apply for the same track or a different track in Year 2, however, they should clearly showcase the knowledge and skills they learned in Year 1 and how that will aid them in expanding their science communication and outreach efforts in Year 2 of the award.

Application Requirements and Selection Process

The application form should be submitted to your department for review to receive the appropriate signatures required on the Department Nomination and Approval of Cost-Share form. Final applications are due by April 15, 2024, at midnight MST, and are to be sent via email to Michelle Coe (macoe@arizona.edu) as one PDF document. Individual applicants or departments can submit the final application. The University of Arizona NASA Space Grant Steering Committee will select graduate fellows based on academic qualifications and the strength of their overall application. Applicants will be notified of awards by early May 2024 and must accept the award by the given deadline. 

For questions regarding the application process contact Michelle Coe, Arizona Space Grant Consortium / University of Arizona Program Manager, at macoe@arizona.edu. 

Dates & Deadlines

• Application Deadline: April 15, 2024
• Award Selections: April 30, 2024
• Duration of Award: August 26, 2024 - May 7, 2025
• Space Grant Award Disbursements: August 2024 and January 2025
  • Stipends equally distributed in August and January as: $5,000 from the UArizona Graduate College and $3,419 from Space Grant
• Department Award Disbursements: May be made as bi-weekly wages or semester stipends but must meet or exceed $6,000 total during the award period

Deliverables

• Attend an orientation session at the start of the school year to meet your fellowship cohort. 
• Provide a photo, signed media release form, and biographical information upon selection for the AZSGC website. 
• Provide a highlight story for the Space Grant website of 250 words or less, plus an original photo, related to your fellowship. 
• A mid-year check-in with the Space Grant Committee: December 2024.
• A mid-year NASA written report: February 2025.
• A year-end PowerPoint presentation: April 2025.
• A year-end NASA written report: May 2025.
• Attend the required science communication and outreach workshops.
• (Research track) complete at least 20 hours of outreach per semester, with documentation.
• (Research track) complete a public presentation, outreach project, or similar project before May 7, 2025.
• (Outreach track) complete your proposed outreach project before May 7, 2025.
• Provide an evaluation form at the end of the year.
• Provide your "next steps" information for our alumni database.

Publications

The Arizona Space Grant Consortium (AZSGC) should be cited as a source of funding in all publications, proposals, speaking engagements, websites, or general dissemination of information resulting from any work produced with the support of this Fellowship. This can be acknowledged using the phrase "...supported in part through the Arizona NASA Space Grant Consortium, cooperative agreement 80NSSC20M0041". For professional presentations, posters, etc., you may find AZSGC logos on our website. 

Please let us know of your accomplishments by filling out our Patents, Publications, and Presentations form so that we can tell NASA of all of the amazing things that our Fellows do!

In the Fall Semester

• At the beginning of the Fall semester, all Fellows meet with the Space Grant management team for an orientation session.
• At the end of the Fall semester, all Fellows will give an informal update to the Space Grant committee that includes science communication and outreach progress, successes and challenges, and lessons learned to-date. 
• In early January, Fellows complete a mid-year report for the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.

In the Spring Semester

• Fellows will be asked to provide a succinct annual review of their experience during the award period in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. For outreach track fellows, this may include your educational outreach project goal(s), the logistics established to reach that goal, educational objectives, target audience, methods, progress to date, impact, and planned activities for year two (if applicable). For research track fellows, this may include lessons learned, a review of the mandatory volunteer hours achieved each semester, and plans or accomplishments in bringing their NASA-related research to the public through completing a public presentation or similar project.
• In May, Fellows complete a year-end report for the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.