Get Involved with NASA
Join us!
We invite members of the public to contribute their time and expertise to advancing research, solving problems, and potentially winning prizes as a result of their work. We also invite you to find out all of the ways you can bring NASA into your life through participating in experiences, learning engagements, and activities that you can do on your own.
Help NASA Solve Challenges
NASA invites the public to develop solutions in support of the agency's missions. Below are current opportunities, including prize competitions, challenges, crowdsourcing, and solicitations that address the agency's needs.
Flight Opportunities is excited to announce that NASA has issued a new challenge for its TechLeap Prize: the Space Technology…
Congratulations to the selected teams and their schools who will participate in the Lunar Autonomy Challenge! 31 teams were selected for the…
In the unforgiving lunar environment, the possibility of an astronaut crewmember becoming incapacitated due to unforeseen circumstances (injury, medical emergency,…
New TechLeap Prize Now Open
With its Space Technology Payload Challenge, NASA intends to award up to nine prizes worth up to $500,000 each plus the opportunity for a flight test to develop payloads and advance solutions that address a wide variety of NASA’s technology shortfalls to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs.
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Participate in NASA Research
Citizen Science
NASA citizen science projects are open to everyone around the world, not limited to U.S. citizens or residents.
NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public. Through these collaborations, volunteers (known as citizen scientists) have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries. More than 450 NASA citizen scientists have been named as co-authors on refereed scientific publications. Want to work on some real NASA science? Be a Citizen Scientist!
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Volunteer for a NASA Study
Many people write to NASA regarding opportunities available for citizens to participate in a NASA study, such as the Bed Rest Study. To find information on how to volunteer with NASA, please visit the Analog Studies page.
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Open Science Curriculum
NASA is making a long-term commitment to building an inclusive open science community over the next decade.
NASA’s Transform to Open Science (TOPS) initiative is designed to transform agencies, organizations, and communities to an inclusive culture of open science. The open science curriculum will introduce those beginning their open science journey to important definitions, tools, and resources; and provide participants at all levels recommendations on best practices.
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Get Your Research On The Station
Reference information and resources to provide insight into sending your science experiment or technology demonstration to the space station.
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Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science
NASA leads the nation on a great journey of discovery, seeking new knowledge and understanding of our planet Earth, our Sun and solar system, and the universe out to its farthest reaches and back to its earliest moments of existence. Find research opportunities and resources related to NASA science.
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Space Technology Opportunities
Technology drives exploration and the space economy. Learn about NASA’s space technology opportunities developing, demonstrating, and transferring new space technologies that benefit NASA, commercial, and other government missions.
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Aeronautics Research
Find opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems.
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Bring NASA into Your Classroom
Professional Development Opportunities
Browse opportunities that integrate NASA missions, educational resources, and NASA-unique facilities to provide high-quality STEM content and hands-on learning experiences. Educators return to their classrooms equipped with real-world experiences relevant to NASA content, hands-on training, and readiness to teach and engage their students in the STEM areas.
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Explore Student Opportunities
Multiple challenges and opportunities reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
Middle/high school student teams are invited to submit science and technology experiment ideas to fly on a suborbital flight platform.
NASA Student Launch Challenge
Student Launch is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.
First Nations Launch
The competition offers Tribal college-level students the opportunity to demonstrate engineering and design skills through direct application in high-powered rocketry.
NASA Student Art Contest
NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia is inviting students in grades K-12 to participate in the 2025 NASA Langley Art Contest, using the theme “Our Wonder Changes the World.” The contest is open to children who are residents of the United States and currently in grade K-12. Submission Deadline: Dec. 31, 2024.
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Power to Explore Student Challenge
The Power to Explore Student Challenge invites K-12 students to dream up a new space mission powered by a Radioisotope Power System (RPS) to any moon in our solar system. Entry Deadline: Jan. 31
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Attend a Virtual Event
Virtual Guest Program
Since 2020, NASA has invited you, the public, to be virtual guests at launches and milestone events. As a virtual guest, you have access to curated resources, schedule changes, and mission specific information straight to your inbox. Following each activity, guests are sent a stamp for your virtual guest passport! All resources, participation, and registration are FREE. Receive your invitation. Select your opportunities. Join us!
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Heliophysics Big Year
Free Monthly Webinars
The Heliophysics Big Year is a global celebration of the Sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system. It began with the Annular Solar Eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023, continued through the Total Solar Eclipse on Apr. 8, 2024, and will conclude with Parker Solar Probe’s closest approach to the Sun in December 2024. The monthly webinars are for formal and informal educators, science communicators, and other heliophysics enthusiasts to promote the understanding of heliophysics in alignment with monthly HBY themes.
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Flight Opportunities Community of Practice Webinars
Attend these monthly webinars to learn best practices and important lessons learned from suborbital and orbital researchers, flight providers, and NASA personnel experienced in using flight tests to advance technologies.
Small Spacecraft Community of Practice Webinars
The Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute hosts a public webinar series to share information with the community on work NASA, partner agencies, and other members of the community in the area of small spacecraft.
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Stay connected on social media
@NASAPrize
Help NASA explore creative possibilities for addressing the agency’s needs through prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing opportunities.
NASA Newsletters
Subscribe to free NASA newsletters. No matter your interests, NASA has a newsletter for you.
