Affiliate Student Experience Grant: Call for Proposals

Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Award Notification Date: May 1, 2024
Funds must be used by September 5, 2024

We are here to help with your application and are happy to talk through your proposal. Contact Kam Yee, WASG Deputy Director, by emailing nasa@uw.edu or attend a drop-in Q&A info session via Zoom

Feb 2, 2024 @ 12-1p Add to calendar
Feb 22 , 2024 @ 12-1p Add to calendar
Join via Zoom Link Here

What are we looking for?

Washington Space Grant seeks proposals for career and college pathway projects to provide authentic student engagement experiences in STEM fields. Funds may be used to support or enhance existing projects or fund new initiatives and endeavors. Suggested categories include but are not limited to undergraduate research experiences, educator professional development, and experiential learning projects for college, high or middle school students.

Award amount requires a one-to-one fund matching. This matching must be from non-federal funds and can be cost-shared or in-kind. The one-to-one fund matching is waived for first-time applicants.

Selection criteria

For this grant, reviewers will use the criteria below to score each application:

  1. Qualifications: The applicant has demonstrated ability, subject matter expertise, and staff to produce the project.
  2. Quality: Program is well-conceived and intentionally integrates evidence-based diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility practices. Program includes multiple (or a series of) meaningful learning experiences over a period of time (from weeks to months) for participants to develop technical skills or gain STEM career and college readiness through sustained engagement.
  3. Feasibility: Program has institutional infrastructure to sustain meaningful engagement with participants from diverse backgrounds. Proposal includes a clear and realistic budget, timeline, and milestone goals.
  4. Advancing Equity: Provides opportunities to underserved communities, as defined by White House Executive Order 13985: “Individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as women and girls; Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.”
  5. NASA Mission Directorate Alignment: Washington Space Grant Partner Grant is financially supported by NASA and requires funded activities to have direct alignment with the NASA Mission Directorates.
Are you and your program eligible?

Applicant

  • Accredited colleges or universities in Washington State
  • Community-based institutions such as STEM museums, science centers, or colleges and career pathway organizations operating in Washington State

You can use this grant to:

  • Provide a scholarship for college or university students in pursuing STEM majors in Washington State.  See definition section below for the list of approved STEM degrees and majors.   
  • Pay for stipends for program participants to work firsthand in research and gain technical skills. 
  • Implement a STEM pathway program for participants belonging to underserved communities including people of color, LGBTQ communities, gender variant communities, people with disabilities, and veterans. See definition section below for our racial equity goals.
  • Pay for materials, transportation, and compensation for professional staff to guide middle and/or high school students through experiential learning in STEM topics.  
  • Host an educator professional development event that will lead to authentic student experiences. 
  • We welcome new projects and collaborations. Please submit your proposal ideas for consideration. 

You cannot use this grant for:

  • Major equipment purchases.
  • General operating support, overhead costs and fees.
  • Only US citizens are allowed to receive direct support from WASG. Non-US citizens can be the primary contact, faculty, staff, and participants can take part in the proposed program but cannot get any direct financial support from WA Space Grant funds. Direct support includes stipends, salaries and travel funds.

How to apply

How to Apply

Submit your application as a PDF to nasa@uw.edu by 12pm Pacific Time.

Summer 2024 Application

  • Deadline: March 1, 2024
  • Award notification: March 31, 2024
  • Funds used by: October 1, 2024

Fall 2024 Application 

  • Deadline: May 1, 2024
  • Award notification: May 31, 2024
  • Funds used by: March 1, 2025

Winter 2025 Application

  • Deadline: September 5, 2024
  • Award notification: September 30, 2024
  • Funds used by: March 1, 2025

The Student Experience Grants are awarded, reported, and invoiced every quarter. While no Space Grant funding is distributed for Spring 2025, awardees are encouraged to allocate their institution’s cost-share spending during the Spring quarter.

Your application should include the following:
Email Subject: Grant Proposal Submission: [Your Institution’s Name]

  1. Program Narrative: Single spaced. Size 12 font. 2 pages limit.
    1. Reference the Selection Criteria listed above.
    2. What activity(s) are you proposing? List major milestones and outcomes. 
    3. Include a brief timeline of program activities.
    4. Include data on diversity, equity, and inclusion on a current or recent program. Discuss the data you presented. Where are you seeking to improve and how will you reach that goal? 
  1. Budget table, including cost breakdown. Not included in the page count. Visit our invoice and budgeting template (Google sheet).

Example budget table: 

Expenditure categoriesSummer 2024Fall 2024Winter 2025Spring 2025
Funds requestedCost-share Funds requestedCost-share Funds requestedCost-share Funds requestedCost-share
Salary
Fringe
Stipend
Tuition fees (non-NASA/ federal)
Materials & supplies
Services
Cost share
Travel
Total
Definitions

Cost Sharing or Fund Matching

Cost Share occurs when a quantified portion of the costs of an Award are not paid by the sponsor, but paid instead using resources within a department, school/college, or other party outside of the UW and Affiliate Institution. Cost-share must be from non-federal funds. Example: Salary, facilities rental on awardee campus directly related to reaching stated goals in awarded projects. 

NASA Mission Directorates

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is broken down into Mission Directorates: Aeronautics, Exploration Systems, Science, Space Operations, and Space Technology. They define NASA research priorities and form the foundation of the agency’s mission to explore the unknown in air and space, innovate for the benefit of humanity, and inspire the world through discovery. Visit NASA’s webpage for details.

Pathway Program

College and career preparatory program using an equity-focused framework to strengthen students’ access to STEM careers by removing systemic obstacles to their success. 

STEM Degrees and Majors 

For the purpose of this grant, please refer to the STEM Designated Degree Program List. Student participants may be enrolleded full-time or part-time in pursuit of majors and equivalent certifications.

Underserved Communities

To foster a diverse next-generation workforce to meet the current and emerging needs of NASA and the nation, Space Grant prioritizes proposals that serve Underserved Communities as defined by White House Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

See examples of communities or identities. Please see Executive Order 13985 for full list. 

  • Person of  color, such as Black and African American, Hispanic and Latino, Native American, Alaska Native and Indigenous, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and North African persons
  • Individuals who belong to communities that face discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity (LGBTQ+)
  • Parents and caregivers
  • Disability
  • First-generation professionals or first-generation college students
  • Individuals who face employment barriers based on older age or former incarceration
  • Persons who live in rural areas
  • Veterans and military spouses
  • Individuals may belong to more than one underserved community and face intersecting barriers

Subaward Standardized Cost Breakdown Template (beta)

Q: Why are you updating the invoice process?

A: NASA recently increased its reporting documentation and costing frequency requirements. Using standard cost breakdown tables will facilitate monthly costing assessments more efficiently. Your cooperation will decrease the payment wait time for everyone.

Q: When do we have to use this?

A: Standard cost breakdown tables submission optional, highly encouraged for 2023-24. Usage will be required in 2024-25. Please provide feedback to improve the beta version!

COST BREAKDOWN TEMPLATE LINK (CLICK HERE)

Space Grant Invoice and Cost Share Breakdown Submission Instructions 

Submit (1) an invoice and (2) a cost share breakdown at least every two months. 

You may also submit (3) a travel breakdown and (4) a materials, supplies and services breakdown.

  1. Save a copy of our cost breakdowns worksheet template to fill in your information.
  2. Invoice: Submit your own institution’s standard invoice OR use our invoice – Tab 1. 
  3. Cost Share Breakdown: Use our form – Tab 2.
  4. Optional Breakdowns: Use our forms for Travel and Materials, Supplies and Services Breakdowns – Tabs 3 and 4.
  5. Use the definitions below to determine categories. 
  6. Email (1) SIGNED Invoice and (2) Cost Share Breakdown and any other optional supplementary breakdown to uwashington@ghxinvoicing.com

Invoicing Terms Definitions 

WSGC – Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium

Subaward – Individually negotiated agreements which provide for the performance of a substantive portion of the prime research or training effort by another organization.

Cost Shares – Cost Share occurs when a quantified portion of the costs of an Award are not paid by the sponsor, but paid instead using resources within a department, school/college, or other party outside of the UW and Affiliate Institution. 

Example: Salary, facilities rental on awardee campus directly related to grant

Salaries and Wages – Compensation to employees. Based on rate of pay and number of hours worked

Example: salary for Faculty, faculty mentor, PI, student assistants 

Fringe Benefits – benefits associated with employee salary.

Stipend – Fixed amount paid to offset living expenses for an individual in training

Example: Fellowships and internship

Cost Share Tuition Waiver – Scholarships and studentships which covers tuition paid by non-NASA & non-federal funds.

NASA funded Tuition fees – Scholarships and studentships financial assistance funded by NASA as budgeted in subaward agreement.

Example: costs related to salary compensation such as vacation time, health insurance, etc.

Materials & Supplies – Purchases to facilitate the implementation of sub award activities 

Example: research hardware, 1-time software purchase, material for public engagement events

Services – Paid services to facilitate the implementation of sub-award activities 

Example: printing services, software subscription, event room rental outside of institution 

Travel – Travel to facilitate the implementation of sub-award activities. They may cover PI, staff, or students 

Example: Lodging, Per Diem (GSA rate), Ground Transportation, Airfare. 

Please use the GSA Per diem rates https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates

GHX Invoicing – Third party provider that supports invoicing for the UW. 

Subaward Reporting Guidelines

Coming Soon

Using our logo and brand guidelines

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