NASA Higher Education Programs

    Special Announcement

    Guidance for Education and Public Outreach Activities Under Sequestration

    NASA has taken the first steps in addressing the mandatory spending cuts called for in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The law mandates a series of indiscriminate and significant across-the-board spending reductions totaling $1.2 trillion over 10 years.

    As a result, NASA has been forced to implement a number of new cost-saving measures, policies, and reviews in order to minimize impacts to the mission-critical activities of the Agency. Guidance regarding conferences, travel, and training that reflect the new fiscal reality in which the agency must operate has been provided. For specific guidance as it relates to public outreach and engagement activities please reference the following webpage.

    › View Guidance for Education


    LARSS intern Tamara stands in a flight suit next to a Langley aircraft

    An intern poses next to a NASA aircraft. Credit: NASA

     Students and faculty may explore and experience unique space and aeronautics content through NASA's education opportunities for higher education. Learn about ways to interact with NASA engineers and scientists in the following categories:

      All Higher Education & Post Doctoral
      Internships/Cooperative Education
      Scholarships/Fellowship
      Research
      Institutional Science, Engineering & Technology
      Principal Investigator Awards
      Mathematics and Science Education Awards
      Partnership Awards
      Consortium Awards
      Other Awards

    Click "Find out more" for further details and contact information. You can also view an alphabetical list of all student, educator and faculty programs.
    > View list

All Higher Education and Post Doctoral

  • Aerospace Education Services Project

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    AESP is a comprehensive project designed to reach out to the formal and informal education communities in all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Center for Astronomy Education

    [Educators Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Center for Astronomy Education is a professional development project for instructors of the introductory astronomy course, with emphasis on community colleges.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Curriculum Improvements Partnership Award for the Integration of Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The CIPAIR project assists two- and four-year minority institutions with strengthening their science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, academic fields and technical programs.

    › Find out More

  • Digital Learning Network

    [Educators and Students Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    DLN offers videoconferencing or Webcasting at no charge, providing interactive educational experiences to students and educators from kindergarten to university levels across the Nation and around the world.

    › Find out More
    › View site

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Education Outreach Project at Johnson Space Center

    [Educators & Students Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: TX]
    Volunteers participate in various outreach opportunities, including lecturing or performing hands-on activities in the classroom, career shadowing, tutoring, mentoring and judging science fairs. Students must live within a 50-mile radius of JSC.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.

    › Find out More
    › View site

  • Faculty Student Teams Project

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Faculty and students from various colleges and universities partner with GSFC to work with Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, or ESMD, projects both during the summer and during the academic year.

    › Find out More

  • Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars Project

    [Educators Grades Pre-K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Participants spend 10 weeks conducting state-of-the-art research with other students from across the nation. They work with NASA researchers exploring an array of high-technology development projects and activities in pursuit of space exploration.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Minority University Research and Education Programs Small Projects

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    MSP's mission is to fund innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, projects that address Higher Education portfolio gaps within NASA's MUREP priorities. Projects are selected through competitive solicitations.

    › Find out More

  • NASA Innovations in Climate Education

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, is designed to improve the quality of the nation's STEM education and enhance students' and teachers' literacy about global climate and Earth system change, from elementary grades to lifelong learners.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

    [Faculty and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This program provides NASA funding for space-related research, education and public service projects through a national network of 52 university-based Space Grant consortia.

    › Find out More
    › View site

  • Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Project

    [Educators & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This reduced-gravity project provides a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced-gravity experiment of their choice over the course of six months. The overall experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations, and educational and public outreach activities.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Student Launch Projects

    [Students Grades 7-12 & Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    SLP challenges students to design, build and launch a reusable rocket with a scientific or engineering payload to one mile above ground level. The project engages students in scientific research and real-world engineering with NASA engineers.

    › Find out More

  • Tribal Colleges and University Project -- Summer Research Experience

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Student and faculty teams research opportunities to gain hands-on experience in their NASA-related field of study.

    › Find out More

  • University Research Centers

    [Faculty and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    URC's are multidisciplinary research units established at minority institutions to focus on a specific area of NASA interest.

    › Find out More
    › View site

  • Workforce Coalition: Education Task Force

    [Educators K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Workforce Coalition task force will use a systems approach to engage community stakeholders in facilitating partnerships to build skills needed for the workforce.

    › Find out more
    › View site  →

Internships/Cooperative Education

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Faculty Student Teams Project

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Faculty and students from various colleges and universities partner with GSFC to work with Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, or ESMD, projects both during the summer and during the academic year.

    › Find out More

  • Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars Project

    [Educators Grades Pre-K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Participants spend 10 weeks conducting state-of-the-art research with other students from across the nation. They work with NASA researchers exploring an array of high-technology development projects and activities in pursuit of space exploration.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Minority University Research and Education Programs Small Projects

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    MSP's mission is to fund innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, projects that address Higher Education portfolio gaps within NASA's MUREP priorities. Projects are selected through competitive solicitations.

    › Find out More

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Project

    [Educators & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This reduced-gravity project provides a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced-gravity experiment of their choice over the course of six months. The overall experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations, and educational and public outreach activities.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Tribal Colleges and University Project -- Summer Research Experience

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Student and faculty teams research opportunities to gain hands-on experience in their NASA-related field of study.

    › Find out More

  • University Research Centers

    [Faculty and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    URC's are multidisciplinary research units established at minority institutions to focus on a specific area of NASA interest.

    › Find out More
    › View site

Scholarships/Fellowships

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.

    › Find out More
    › View site

  • Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars Project

    [Educators Grades Pre-K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Participants spend 10 weeks conducting state-of-the-art research with other students from across the nation. They work with NASA researchers exploring an array of high-technology development projects and activities in pursuit of space exploration.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program

    [Faculty and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This program provides NASA funding for space-related research, education and public service projects through a national network of 52 university-based Space Grant consortia.

    › Find out More
    › View site

Research

  • Center for Astronomy Education

    [Educators Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Center for Astronomy Education is a professional development project for instructors of the introductory astronomy course, with emphasis on community colleges.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Curriculum Improvements Partnership Award for the Integration of Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The CIPAIR project assists two- and four-year minority institutions with strengthening their science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, academic fields and technical programs.

    › Find out More

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness.

    › Find out More
    › View site

  • Faculty Student Teams Project

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Faculty and students from various colleges and universities partner with GSFC to work with Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, or ESMD, projects both during the summer and during the academic year.

    › Find out More

  • Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars Project

    [Educators Grades Pre-K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Participants spend 10 weeks conducting state-of-the-art research with other students from across the nation. They work with NASA researchers exploring an array of high-technology development projects and activities in pursuit of space exploration.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • NASA Innovations in Climate Education

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NASA Innovations in Climate Education, or NICE, is designed to improve the quality of the nation's STEM education and enhance students' and teachers' literacy about global climate and Earth system change, from elementary grades to lifelong learners.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Project

    [Educators & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    This reduced-gravity project provides a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced-gravity experiment of their choice over the course of six months. The overall experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations, and educational and public outreach activities.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Tribal Colleges and University Project -- Summer Research Experience

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Student and faculty teams research opportunities to gain hands-on experience in their NASA-related field of study.

    › Find out More

  • University Research Centers

    [Faculty and Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    URC's are multidisciplinary research units established at minority institutions to focus on a specific area of NASA interest.

    › Find out More
    › View site

Institutional Science, Engineering and Technology

  • Curriculum Improvements Partnership Award for the Integration of Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The CIPAIR project assists two- and four-year minority institutions with strengthening their science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, academic fields and technical programs.

    › Find out More

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Faculty Student Teams Project

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Faculty and students from various colleges and universities partner with GSFC to work with Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, or ESMD, projects both during the summer and during the academic year.

    › Find out More

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

Principal Investigator Awards

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

Mathematics and Science Education Awards

  • Center for Astronomy Education

    [Educators Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Center for Astronomy Education is a professional development project for instructors of the introductory astronomy course, with emphasis on community colleges.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

Partnership Awards

  • Curriculum Improvements Partnership Award for the Integration of Research

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The CIPAIR project assists two- and four-year minority institutions with strengthening their science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, academic fields and technical programs.

    › Find out More

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Faculty Student Teams Project

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Faculty and students from various colleges and universities partner with GSFC to work with Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, or ESMD, projects both during the summer and during the academic year.

    › Find out More

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Workforce Coalition: Education Task Force

    [Educators K-Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    The Workforce Coalition task force will use a systems approach to engage community stakeholders in facilitating partnerships to build skills needed for the workforce.

    › Find out more
    › View site  →

Consortium Awards

  • Education Associates

    [Educators Grades K-Higher Education & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Education Associates is a flexible year-round project that permits NASA scientists, engineers and managers to "tap higher education," while giving university students and faculty the opportunity to "experience NASA."

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Faculty Student Teams Project

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Faculty and students from various colleges and universities partner with GSFC to work with Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, or ESMD, projects both during the summer and during the academic year.

    › Find out More

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

Other Awards

  • NASA Postdoctoral Project

    [Faculty Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    NPP is a national competition to identify outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists and engineers and experienced senior scientists and engineers for tenure as guest researchers at NASA centers.

    › Find out More
    › View site  →

  • Tribal Colleges and University Project -- Summer Research Experience

    [Faculty & Students Higher Education]
    [Available: Nationally]
    Student and faculty teams research opportunities to gain hands-on experience in their NASA-related field of study.

    › Find out More