NESSF Program – 2010/2011 Academic Year

NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) call for proposals!

This call for graduate fellowship proposals, entitled NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) Program – 2010/2011 Academic Year, solicits applications from accredited U.S. Universities on behalf of individuals pursuing Masters or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines, at respective institutions. The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals outlined above. Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be made in the form of training grants to the respective universities with the advisor serving as the principal investigator.

The financial support for the NESSF Program comes from SMD’s four science divisions: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics. For the 2010/2011 academic year, NASA expects to award approximately 50 new graduate fellowships in Earth Science, 3 in Heliophysics, 10 in Planetary Science, and 3-10 in Astrophysics.

NESSF stipend has increased to $30,000 per year! From section 4 on "Terms and Conditions":

The maximum amount of a NESSF award is $30,000 per year. Not all awards require $30,000 per year. The stipend for the student should be comparable with the prevailing stipend rate on the student’s campus. Maximum amounts for student and university allowances are $3,000 each. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor and university Office of Sponsored Research to determine the appropriate allocation in each budget category.

The fellowship may be used to defray a student’s stipend; tuition; fees; travel in support of the research investigation to conferences, symposia, or collaborative meetings; books; expendable laboratory supplies; page charges for journal articles; printing of a thesis; health insurance policy; and similar charges. Equipment, including computers, may NOT be purchased with NESSF funds. Government furnished equipment will not be provided. A NESSF budget should include itemization of the anticipated use of the grant funding.

NESSF Program Submission Deadlines:

Deadline for receipt of NEW applications: 11:59 p.m. EST, February 1, 2010

Deadline for receipt of RENEWAL applications: 11:59 p.m. EST, March 15, 2010

Applicants must visit the NESSF site.