NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program

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NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program

• Managed for NASA by the
• VIRGINIA SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM
• in collaboration with
• Council on Undergraduate Research
• National Space Grant Foundation
• American Association of Community Colleges
• National Society of Black Engineers

Brenda Neil USRP Program Manger
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USRP Status

• Proposal for next five-year program management
  submitted September 21
• Selection anticipated early November
• JSC lead for Program Management
• 3 sessions for 2008
• Spring (15-week)
• Summer (10-week)
• Fall (15-week)
• Application deadline
• Spring - October 22
• Summer - January 31, 2008
• Fall - February 29, 2008
• 139 placements for 2007
• 109 summer,
• 30 fall (underway)

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NASA-USRP History

• Extremely successful program
• Strong national partnership with NSGF
• Marketing and recruitment
• Student sponsorships
• Managed by VSGC since inception in 2001
• 845 undergraduates placed to date
• Space Grant support for 71 students (23
  additional slots offered)
• 296 colleges/universities represented in
  placements (non-traditional, HBCUs, HSIs)
• External evaluation component

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State Space Grant Consortia Support in 2007
West Virginia-4 Minnesota-1 North
Carolina-2 Oregon-2 Puerto Rico-1 Virginia-2
LA, MS, WY,GA willing to sponsor students.
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NASA-USRP

• Anticipate placing 300 students in mentored
  research positions in 2008.
• 75 spring session
• 150 summer
• 75 fall session
• All NASA Centers participating including
• Wallops Flight Facility
• White Sands Test Facility
• Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Evaluation Comments from USRP Students

• ? My mentor was fantastic. Good mentors are key
  to this program.
• ? An incredible summer experience. I would not
  trade this summer for another internship.
• ? I have been inspired to apply to graduate
  school so that I can earn my PhD and conduct
  research of my own.

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Compensation Requirements

• Student compensation(increase)
• 6,000/week (10-week summer)
• 9,000 15-week spring and fall
• Round-trip transportation
• Locality allowance
• Student requirements
• Research paper at completion
• Participation in NASA-sponsored colloquia,
  workshops, and technology demonstrations
• May discuss research in public forums

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Partnerships

• National Space Grant Foundation
• Extensive marketing throughout Space Grant
  networks
• Council on Undergraduate Research
• Developed How to mentoring booklet tailored to
  NASA scientists and researchers
• Distributed to USRP current and future mentors
• Downloadable version available www.cur.org
• Additional marketing efforts through
• National Society of Black Engineers
• American Association of Community Colleges

Joshua Reed Wheeling Jesuit University Junior,
Physics Major
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USRP Sponsorship

• Cost to sponsor USRP students through VSGC
• 10-week summer session - 6,600 (stipend and
  travel)
• 15-week fall or spring session - 9,600
• Locality allowance for GSFC, ARC (JPL for spring
  or fall)

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• www.education.nasa.gov/usrp