NASA has awarded $3.7 million to 11 teams to support new collaborations between NASA and U.S. agencies that have not historically been part of NASA's research enterprise. These are the first awards to be awarded through a new program from NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility not only to NASA employees but also to the science and engineering communities. is.
“As NASA continues to build relationships with under-resourced agencies through initiatives like the Bridge Program, we are committed to providing NASA with access to our nation's brightest talent,” said Sharla Lambert, NASA Senior Advisor for Engagement. “We are intentionally increasing equitable access.” “These partnerships will help NASA develop a diverse and talented workforce and further deepen our understanding of space.”
NASA's SMD Bridge Program provides seed funding for research projects that build a strong foundation for a long-term relationship with NASA. This project will provide hands-on training and guidance for students, provide new research opportunities for faculty, and help science and engineering students prepare for graduate school, employment with NASA, or science, technology, engineering, We help you transition into a general career in mathematics.
The team is led by faculty from institutions representing NASA's new collaboration. These include Hispanic-serving institutions, historically black colleges and universities, Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and primarily undergraduate institutions. The research project connects these institutions to seven of his NASA centers and has the potential to impact more than 100 students.
“We congratulate this first grant recipient for their innovative research projects, which will create important connections between students, faculty, and NASA,” said NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate Deputy Director of Research. said Deputy Administrator Michael New. “These awards are an important first step for his SMD Bridge program, which supports long-term relationships toward creating a more diverse and robust STEM workforce.”
There is also an additional opportunity to apply for seed funding through the SMD Bridge Program. Applications are due by Friday, March 29th.
The following projects have been selected as the first cohort to receive seed funding.
“Diversifying the student pipeline in STEM: Environmental pollution reduction inspired by planetary science.”
The project is a collaboration with California State University, Los Angeles, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, and California State Polytechnic State University, Pomona, and leverages the field of planetary science to address environmental pollution.
“FireSage: SJSU-NASA ARC Bridge Seed Program”
FireSage is a collaboration between San Jose State University's Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center and the Earth Sciences Division of NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. Students will participate in research projects in computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, as well as training activities in wildfire science.
“Hampton University STEM Experience with NASA Langley Research Center Doppler Aerosol Wind Lidar”
This collaboration between Hampton University and NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provides the foundation for advances in planetary boundary layer research with LiDAR remote sensing.
“Development of anti-reflection coating for future NASA missions”
This project is a collaboration between Delaware State University and NASA Goddard to design and manufacture environmentally durable anti-reflective coatings for guidance, navigation, and control lidar using transparent conductive films. I am.
“CUBES: Building Capacity with CubeSats for Earth Sciences”
This collaboration with Tuskegee University, the University of Colorado's Atmospheric Science and Physics Laboratory, and NASA Ames uses CubeSats to provide faculty and students with experience designing and executing science mission flight projects.
“Space Materials and Microbiome Research: A Bridge to the Future JSC Workforce”
The University of Houston-Clear Lake is collaborating with NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on this project. The project's composites track will develop protective nanocomposite shields for spacecraft materials, while the microbiome track will create a comprehensive library of draft bacterial genomes.
“HALOQUEST: Halobacterium Astrobiological Laboratory Project to Observe and Interrogate Characteristics and Properties of Extraterrestrial Life”
This collaboration between California State University, Northridge and NASA JPL will study Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 grown under simulated stressful environmental conditions to understand the potential for life on other planets. It may be helpful to do so.
“Observation of ice water and isotopes using mid-infrared laser heterodyne radiometer LIDAR”
Delaware State University is collaborating with NASA Goddard to develop Earth science, planetary exploration, and sensing technologies, including a lunar rover payload with instruments that simultaneously detect water isotopes and correlate them with other trace gas species. Develop.
“Application of remote sensing to predict the occurrence of mosquito-borne diseases”
This project is a collaboration between Southern Nazarene University and NASA JPL that uses remote sensing data to identify areas at risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.
“Building a diverse, sustainable and robust interfaculty STEM network through inter-institutional and interdisciplinary research collaboration in complex fluids/soft matter”
The project is a collaboration between Colorado Mesa University and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and is a research, education, and training network centered on complex fluid and soft matter problems, with an initial focus on heat transfer and multiphase flow. has been strengthened and grown.
“Additive Manufacturing of Electronics for NASA Applications”
This project is a collaboration with Florida A&M University, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA Goddard to explore technology solutions using additive manufacturing approaches to fabricate strain and gas sensors.
For more information about the SMD Bridge program, please see below.
https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/smd-bridge-program/
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Allies Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546a
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov